Portrait of a Hufflepuff

Okay. First things first, if you are a Potterhead who has not yet been sorted into your Hogwarts house, I demand that you do so immediately.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way...

I took the quiz on Pottermore a couple years ago and a little to my surprise, was sorted into Hufflepuff. You see, I've always loved writing, loved reading and thrived in academia. It seemed like a natural fit that the sorting hat would deem me a Ravenclaw. As I read on, however, I realized the Sorting Hat (and my sister who repeatedly told me I wasn't a Ravenclaw) knew me better than I knew myself.

Hufflepuffs value "hard work, patience, loyalty, and fair play." It was the Hufflepuff common room that really sold me, though. A bright yellow room, located down the corridor from the kitchens, filled with various plants and natural light. Yup, if any one common room fit me, it would be that one. Not long after I was sorted, I also watched an interview with J.K. Rowling on why Hufflepuff was possibly her favorite house. She described the Gryffindors as being rather "show-boaty," whereas the Hufflepuffs are more humble. Hufflepuff House has produced the smallest number of dark wizards and as the Battle of Hogwarts loomed, Hufflepuffs were the second largest group (besides Gryffindor) to stay behind to fight. Not because they were particularly strong or brave, but because it was the right thing to do. I also love that founding wizard Helga Hufflepuff refused to turn away students that didn't fit into the mold of the other three houses. Anyone who wanted to learn was welcome in Hufflepuff house.

I realize that doing the amount of research I did about Hufflepuff House is fairly ridiculous (and reminiscient of a Ravenclaw), but what can I say? I'm a card-carrying Harry Potter nerd.

I love that I belong to the house that is inclusive. That is filled with genuinely good people who don't feel the need to boast of their accomplishments. I love that it is the house grounded in the "earth" element. That its members are inspired by the natural world (Newt Scamander, Professor Sprout). I can't say I am always this person, but the values of the Hufflepuff house are values I try to model in my own life.

What's your Hogwarts house? Do you feel like it fits you?