An Argument on Behalf of Hufflepuffs

Hufflepuffs are the glue of the wizarding community, and I will stand by that proclamation until the day I die, be it by Hungarian Horntail, misuse of Floo Powder, or at the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself.

Well, let’s be realistic– that last way is impossible since Voldemort is kaput. Dumbledore’s Army ftw!

You may be thinking, “This ‘glue of the wizarding community’ thing is a biased argument, Shannon, because you, yourself, are a Hufflepuff!” To which I say: You are correct. But hear me out.

Ravenclaws are smart or whatever, but they’re a little pompous, in my humble opinion. It’s a trait they share with Gryffindors, but we’ll get to that later. Sure, Ravenclaws are generally good-hearted, which came in useful when fighting the Dark Lord, but they’re not exactly social butterflies. They stick to the books and dream of one day being Headmaster, which is both admirable and sad, because we know the Hogwarts Headmaster will always be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. The glue of Hogwarts, Ravenclaws are not.

Then there’s the Slytherin House. The only argument that could possibly be made about Slytherin being the glue is if there were no Slytherin, there would be no evil, and thus the rest of the houses would have no motivation to learn the really hard magic, which is pretty much only used for means of self-defense. Come on, how hard is it to levitate something? Wingardium Leviosa! I learned that as a first year. But conjuring a Patronus? I honestly still don’t have the slightest idea how that works. So, yeah, Slytherins play an integral role in the balance of good vs. evil that is the basis of creative and advanced magic, but can you really say that they’re the glue, the peacemakers, and the ones that keep everything from falling apart? Hardly.

Now we must address the house most often given all the credit for goodness, strength, and glueyness at Hogwarts: Gryffindor. Ugh. It’s like someone came up with the idea to just put every golden child into one house and “see what happens.” Don’t get me wrong, I respect Gryffindors. They’re brave in a reckless kind of way, and often step into leadership roles that nobody else wants. And yes, they even tend to be the most talented Quidditch players, but let’s be honest: They’re an entitled bunch of loose canons.

Gryffindors’ passionate, and frankly wild, behavior almost always causes tension among the houses, and their know-it-all personalities don’t exactly make them the most lovable kids in school. They know they’re looked upon as the go-getters and heroes of the wizarding community, so they tend to let it go to their heads a bit. Yes, we most certainly need Gryffindors amongst us, but they need a bit of taming. They need someone to be the voice of reason, and to surround themselves with other social people who have happy dispositions in order to stop them from falling into the angsty hole in which most protagonists eventually find themselves.

Hufflepuffs to the rescue! Not only are Hufflepuffs optimistic and cheery, they’re inclusive, kind, and keep everyone from tearing out each other’s throats. I mean, just look at the most perfect young wizard of all time: Cedric Diggory. He was just as talented as Harry, yet managed to stay out of trouble and never went through an emo phase. Somehow, Hufflepuffs get a bad rap, like we’re the “unintelligent house,” but that’s simply not true. I mean, it was the supposedly intelligent Ravenclaw House that was home to Luna Lovegood and Professor Trelawney– both whom I adore, don’t get me wrong. But I wouldn’t say they come across as the most, uh, sane and bright-minded.

Hufflepuffs are loyal and even-keeled. They never ruffle feathers, and rarely seek accolades and attention, except when dominating the Quidditch field to [subtly] show Gryffindors that they’re not always on top. When Gryffindors need backup to fight bad guys, Hufflepuffs are always first to show their support. And let’s remember, Hufflepuffs have produced the fewest dark wizards of any house, which is maybe the most respectable achievement of all. Also, who can deny that “Hufflepuff” is just fun to say outloud? Hufflepuff hufflepuff hufflepuff. Makes me want a pastry.

So, as you can see, Hufflepuffs are the true glue that holds this wizarding world together when the going gets tough and the tough get going. With that in mind, let it be known that I think it’s wildly unfair that Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter sells almost no Hufflepuff merch. I spent a solid 30 minutes looking for a cool Hufflepuff shirt when I visited, and left with only a small felt Hufflepuff flag that hangs in my room to this day, much to my husband’s judgement pleasure. Let’s show a little respect to the house that raises generations of the world’s most well-rounded, good-natured, and loyal wizards, shall we?

I decided to close with a video of JK Rowling’s take on the Hufflepuff House, and nearly choked on my soy chai latte when I listened to her words basically reiterate everything I just wrote. I’ve never been more proud of my house. HUFFLEPUFF 4 LYFE!