Gryffindor
"You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart." |
— The Sorting Hat[src] |
Gryfindor is a Hogwarts house founded by Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor is associated with the element of fire, and the colors are red (or scarlet) and gold. Gryffindor's house ghost is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, also known as Nearly Headless Nick. Many famous figures, such as Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, were sorted into this house. Most fought against Lord Voldemort, but at least one, Peter Pettrigrew, betrayed the Order of the Phoenix and joined the Death Eaters. Gryffindor's corresponding animal was a lion.
Traits and reputation
Gryffindors are usually courageous, chivalrous, and determined, but were sometimes reckless.
Gryffindor and Slytherin have had a fierce house rivalry since their founders, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, respectively, fell out over views on blood purity. Many members of different houses may fair that Gryffindor receives unfair favoritism, although overall, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tend to side with Gryffindor against Slytherin. Many Slytherins believed that Gryffindors were arrogant and disregarded rules; on one occasion Severus Snape stated that they preferred to be "more brawny than brainy".[1]
History
Gryffindor was founded by its namesake, Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. When the four houses were created, Gryffindor highly believed in the importance of bravery and courage of students and kept these traits in mind while handpicking his own students. Gryffindor was friends with his co-founders Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, but his once-close friendship with Salazar Slytherin was eventually severed and was replaced with a rivalry. Slytherin left the school, and Gryffindor turned his hat into the Sorting Hat to continue the act of sorting students into houses. Gryffindor and Slytherin's rivalry was eventually immortalized through their houses, which retained a rivalry. Eventually, Slytherin's bad reputation lessened after the Second Wizarding War.
Head of House
Main article: Head of Gryffindor
- Godric Gryffindor (10th century), first head
- Minerva McGonagall (1956-1998), currently headmistress
Common room
Main article: Gryffindor Common Room
The Gryffindor Common Room is located in Gryffindor Tower, whose entrance is located on the seventh floor and guarded by the Wizarding portrait The Fat Lady, who will permit entry upon receiving the regularly changing password. The common room itself is large, with a fireplace and two staircases leading up to girls' and boys' dormitories.
A spell prevents boys from using the girls' staircase, although there is no such enchantment on the boys' staircase, allowing girls to use it whenever they wish, as the founders believed that girls were more trustworthy. The common room is very comfortable and used for study groups, celebration, and relaxation. The walls are lined with portraits depicting a previous or current Head of Gryffindor.
Etymology
- Gryffindor could be derived from griffin, a mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle.
- "Dor" means gate, or door, in Old English and Old High German.
- "D'or" is French for "of gold".
- "Dora" is Greek for "gift".
- Combining the evidence above yields a possible etymology of Gryffindor: "Golden Gift of the Lion," which is fitting, as gold is a Gryffindor color and the lion is the Gryffindor animal.
- "Griffe" is French for "claw", which could refer to a lion's claw.
- A golden gryffin is a lion with eagle wings. The French translation of Gryffindor is "Griffondor", a homophone for the golden gryffin's original name, Griffon d'Or.
Trivia
- J.K. Rowling herself was sorted onto Gryffindor on Pottermore.
- Gryffindor students are often talented at Transfiguration, including Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, two former Transfiguration professors. McGonagall later became Head of Gryffindor, and she along with James Potter I, Sirius Black III, and Peter Pettigrew, were Animagi. Hermione Granger was very talented in Transfiguration in her first year, and Potter's wand was good for Transfiguration. Neville Longbottom was an exception; Transfiguration was one of his worst subjects, while his best was Herbology.
- In the Harry Potter films, Padma Patil is a Gryffindor, while in the Harry Potter books, she is a Ravenclaw.
- Bonnie Wright, who portrayed Ginevra Weasley in the films, was sorted into Gryffindor on Pottermore, the same house as her character. Evanna Lynch, who portrayed the Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood, was also sorted into Gryffindor on Pottermore. Ironically, while Slytherin and Gryffindor have very contrasting natures, Tom Felton, who portrayed the very Slytherin Draco Malfoy, was also sorted into Gryffindor on Pottermore.
- The colors and emblems of Gryffindor resemble the historical English coat of arms.
- In the film series, the entrance to the Gryffindor common room changes places between Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
External links
Gryffindor on the Harry Potter Wiki
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33