Thoughts on Hufflepuff

[mamadeb]

In my Sorting Hat poll, I was sorted into Hufflepuff by 17 people, Ravenclaw by 12, Gryffindor by 3 and Slytherin (!) by one. Because I used ticky boxes instead of radio buttons and had an extra category, I was also sorted into multiple Houses and into the tickybox category.

While I've always thought I'd go to Ravenclaw, I'm neither surprised nor disappointed about being Sorted into Hufflepuff..

I'm thinking about that because Hufflepuff has gotten a bad rap. Look at dorrie6's reaction to a similar Sorting. My own immediate reaction to her post is here, but I have a bit more to say, so I figured I'd say it in my own journal.

The first time we hear about Hufflepuff, it's from two very different characters, but both express the same opinion. "I think X is the best House, but I'll take Ravenclaw as a second choice, and it would be awful if I became a Hufflepuff." X = Slytherin or Gryffindor. If it had just been Draco, maybe we would have discounted it, but here's Hermione and she's saying the exact same thing. And we already know Hermione's smart just like we already know Draco's nasty.

So we know it's the last choice. Draco doesn't say, but he'd be happier in Gryffindor than in Hufflepuff. Hermione only gets three Houses because Muggleborns don't get into Slytherin (there's canon evidence that Half-bloods do), but she might not be aware of it.

What am I saying? This is Hermione.

Certainly, the Sorting Hat makes Hufflepuff less than glamorous.

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;"

Patient toilers. Who wants that when one can be slyly ambitious or brave or witty? They sound like plodders.

The next time we hear the song, in GoF, it's not much better:

"For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;"

Hard workers. Salt of the earth types. Blah.

And I'm going to admit I felt the same way. No, that's not true, either. I didn't think much of it. I was a Ravenclaw, if anything, right? And we see things through Harry's eyes, and Harry's pure Gryffindor (I honestly don't think the Hat would have brought up Slytherin if Harry hadn't.) And Rowling thinks bravery is the greatest of all virtues.

But. Things change in OotP. We start thinking differently about Neville, for example, and Harry. Hermione steps out of the good girl role forever. And in a song asking for interHouse unity, only Helga seems to want it. "I'll teach the lot and treat them just the same." and "Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest/and taught them all she knew". Note that Helga is the only one called "good". She's the only one who didn't divide the students into mental or physical (blood) traits. They were all just students to her, worthy of being taught. I fell in love with her when I read that poem.

We hear good workers. We hear loyal and patient and just. This is a far cry from the single traits of the other Houses. This is Helga saying that none of that matters - that we have children that must be taught and going for one special trait is wrong. So we have the intelligence (and heritage) of Ernie, the bravery of Cedric - even Zacharias's cynicism. We can see how insightful Susan Bones is (and would it be strange if her auntie was Hufflepuff? And don't we all want Madam Amelia Bones as Minister?)

All Houses are more diverse than the Founders wanted. That's unavoidable, since everyone is a combination of traits, and people will join a House because that's where their families went, even if they'd fit better elsewhere - Percy would have fit just as well in *any* of the other Houses, but he's a Weasley. The difference is that Hufflepuff has so many traits that anyone can fit.

And, you know. Only Hufflepuff defeated Gryffindor with Harry as Seeker - and then they were willing to call a do-over because of how they won. You know that no other House would have done that - including Gryffindor. In fact - only Hufflepuff defeated Gryffindor at all in these books. Cedric *was* the real Hogwarts Champion (and Harry would have been happier throughout that book had that remained so.)

Watch out for Hufflepuff in the last couple of books. We've been trained to overlook it, and I think that's on purpose.

Remember. Badgers kill snakes.

Comments

[chrysantza.livejournal.com]

That's a very good observation about Ernie - thank you for pointing it out. I would really, really love to see Ernie as Head Boy in Book 7. I suspect that's not what JKR plans, but a girl can dream.

Ernie does seem not only to be a leader within Hufflepuff House, but well-liked outside of it besides. He's kind of - well - earnest, haha, but he does have the social grace and maturity to admit when he's wrong and apologize; this leads me to believe his social skills are pretty good and he has lots of friends. In GoF it is mentioned that normally Harry "got on very well" with both Ernie and Justin (until he stole the spotlight from Cedric, that is - it's VERY understandable that the 'Puffs would be mighty ticked at that). We don't see it because of Harry's being so blinkered, but your post now gets me to thinking that Ernie, along with his friends Justin and Hannah (and probably Susan as well, though she's much quieter) are something of the universally popular and well-liked ones at Hogwarts. Hannah, for her part, gets on swimmingly with the Patil sisters and Lavender, I bet you anything. We don't see this because Harry isn't into widening his social circle until OOtP, Hermione is probably pretty unpopular with most people still, and Ron seems the type to prefer "family" (which includes Harry and Hermione at this point) to "outsiders."

This could also indicate something of the seeming enmity between Draco and Ernie. Draco is really eager to take points off of Ernie, and I don't think it's just because Ernie is a mere Hufflepuff. Who is Ernie's best friend in canon? Justin Finch-Fletchley - a Muggle-born. And Ernie's pureblood - from his remark in CoS, at least as pureblood as the Malfoys. Imagine, a Pureblood kid who's a leader and well-liked, hanging out with *gasp* Mudbloods! Draco probably sees Ernie as letting the side down in a big way.

[corsiva.livejournal.com]

Hi, I love you!

Seriously, though, I think Ernie would make a superb Head Boy, and I would love JKR to death if she chose him for that role.

I also think you are spot on regarding Ernie and Draco's relationship (or lack there of). He is obviously someone Draco would admire, if not for the whole 'mudblood' friend thing. Just like Harry.

Hufflepuffs generally get a bad rep in fanon, and it drives me berserk. I would be proud to call myself a Hufflepuff, but alas, I cannot hold that distinction. I am notoriously lazy and not hard working at all.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

also think you are spot on regarding Ernie and Draco's relationship (or lack there of). He is obviously someone Draco would admire, if not for the whole 'mudblood' friend thing. Just like Harry.

Not necessarily. Ernie claims he's Pureblood back 9 generations, which may or may not be very long by wizarding standards. The other Purebloods don't seem to know how long they go back--perhaps they just assume it's "forever."

Secondly, is Justin Ernie's best friend in canon? I mean, in a way that's particularly significant? They're friends and in the same house, but they don't seem joined at the hip or anything. Thirdly, I don't think Malfoy shows any particular enthusiasm for taking points off Ernie. He takes points off everybody in the scene, and Ernie's are for "contradicting" him when he tells Malfoy he isn't allowed to take points. So while I'm sure Draco doesn't think Purebloods should be friends with Muggleborn, I don't think there's anything in canon that hints he's got something in particular against Ernie Macmillan. (Though Ernie himself is very annoyed at the point-taking even months later.)

[corsiva.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily. Ernie claims he's Pureblood back 9 generations, which may or may not be very long by wizarding standards. The other Purebloods don't seem to know how long they go back--perhaps they just assume it's "forever."

Given the life expectancy of wizards, if Dumbledore is anything to go by, then I would have to say that nine generations is pretty impressive. And for someone like Ernie to announce it - who seems like a pompous, yet likable bloke - I wouldn't think it was anything to sneeze at.

Secondly, is Justin Ernie's best friend in canon? I mean, in a way that's particularly significant? They're friends and in the same house, but they don't seem joined at the hip or anything.

We don't really know who is best friends with who, outside Gryffindor. Harry gives us a rather limited POV when it comes to the relationships of other characters, especially relationships that don't immediately concern him.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I assume 9 generations is significant or Ernie wouldn't have said it. And Ernie certainly could be bff with Justin as I've seen in fanon. My point is just that while I see where these ideas come from in canon, I don't think canon lays out any specific Malfoy/Macmillan antagonism except for what we hear in canon, that Ernie is still pissed off about the point-taking in June.