I've been thinking about this pretty hard lately because Pottermore sorted me into Hufflepuff.

If you go by my hobbies (reading, learning, etc) I'm definitely Ravenclaw.

If you go by my personality (ambitious, clever, resourceful, self-preserving), I'm definitely Slytherin.

So why Hufflepuff? And all I could come up with was that the sorting hat actually sorts you not by your personality or interests, but by what you value. For example, I find intelligence to be important, but above all I admire people who are patient, kind and loyal. It's what I aspire to be.

This could explain people like Neville (clearly a Hufflepuff if I ever saw one), who was sorted in Gryffindor. Yes, he was brave when it mattered, but were those skills cultivated by living in a house full of people who had traits he revered? Didn't he clearly look up to those in his house who had courage?

Even Harry gets to choose between Gryffindor and Slytherin based on what he values.

If anything, looking at the sorting hat in this way makes me respect and understand my Pottermore placement much more. What do you guys think?

I definitely agree that it sorts on values rather than personality traits! ((and i'm getting the annoying feeling that values were mentioned in a sorting hat song))


((i can't not investigate. I'll edit it in if I can find it))

edit: The Hat speaks more of personality traits, but mentions them as virtues and spoke of how the Founders valued those different virtues - this could lead to the same thing, though; rather than sorting based on the virtues that students possessed, it could have been sorting based on the virtues students valued, which would allow for "misplaced" students who acted like one house while were part of the other - deep down, they valued the virtues of that house most of all, even if they didn't always exemplify them.

Sorting Hat Song - Points of Values/Personality/Virtues Interest:

Everyone has traits I think from all the houses. If we look at Harry, his dominate or the most traits he had would have landed him in Slytherin or Gryffindor and I think the sorting hat looks at all that.

(edited my first post with the song info)
The main trio / quartet (Neville) exemplify traits from all the houses (Harry - Slytherin, Hermione - Ravenclaw, Ron - Gryffindor, Neville - Hufflepuff), but above all valued bravery and standing up for what is right; I think that Rowling made a really neat choice in doing this, especially as she hints through the Sorting Hat that splitting people up isn't the best idea -- 

\"Sorting Hat Song, '95 wrote:

[...]
But this year I'll go further,
listen closely to my song:
though condemned I am to split you
still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty
and must quarter every year
still I wonder whether sorting
may not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her
or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
let the Sorting now begin.

All four houses were assembled in Gryffindor with Harry and his friends, and when the greatest among them went off to solve the problems of the wizarding world, Neville, the Hufflepuff, remained behind to take care of all the rest, just as Hilda Hufflepuff took care of all the magical children the other three would not have taught. Even if he wasn't out with them, he was doing his part to keep everything together and protect those who could not protect themselves, leading others who would help.

Every one of them is important, and their being united put all the pieces together to make the strong team that led to the survival of the "free" magical world. They united, and while the school did crumble around them, it still survived.


my feels, you guys.

Uranus I loved all of that info, augh.

I absolutely agree that each character can exemplify another house through their personal traits. I definitely feel that this theory helps explain that and the sorting hat definitely alludes to it. I think it's the smartest choice Rowling could have made because it groups together lots of very different people which would discourage negative traits (for example having Ravenclaws all be very uppity about intelligence or Gryffindor become like jocky meatheads, etc). It also fosters personal growth. You can have the traits of any house but learn another's. So wonderful!

True.  Or it could be a combination of what you value and your personality.