by Quinn Saunders (Second Year Hufflepuff)
So, you’ve just been sorted into Hufflepuff, and I imagine that you’ve already started to explore your new House, at least a little bit by now. If you haven’t, no matter, I hope that this article will go some way towards telling you everything you need to know about Hufflepuff House which was founded by Helga Hufflepuff, one of Hogwarts four Founders, and values those who are trust-worthy, down-to-earth (did you know that Hufflepuff House is tied to the element earth?), just, loyal and unafraid of toil.
First, let’s start by talking about where our common room is – right by the kitchens! How convenient is that? Fancy a snack in the middle of the night? You do not have far to go unlike your classmates from other Houses who must deal with dark, cold corridors with prefects and professors lurking about everywhere waiting to catch students out.
Our common room itself is the nicest of them all, I think. Situated close to the Great Hall, right next to the kitchens as mentioned previously, it is warm and cozy with a couple of tables for homework or writing letters home and plenty of very comfortable sofas for you to relax in. There is also an abundance of plants in there and it really feels like a burrow with daylight streaming in from above. I feel sorry for students who must climb treacherous staircases to get to their common rooms in high towers or must walk down to dark, cold and slimy dungeons. Did I also mention that our table in the Great Hall is right next to the corridor that leads to the kitchens and our Common Room? We couldn’t be possibly better situated!
Should I be in Hufflepuff, some of you might be asking? Well, let me tell you something you may not be aware of. When Helga Hufflepuff famously said, “I’ll take the lot and teach them all the same.”, it did not mean that she would take the students that Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor didn’t want, the leftovers. Rather it meant that she accepted ALL students regardless of their specific talent. It does not mean that Hufflepuffs are not brave, not intelligent or not ambitious. She just valued loyalty, hard work and fairness above everything else. Helga Hufflepuff ‘s words represented her commitment to inclusivity and equality making Hufflepuff the most welcoming house at Hogwarts. Not only that but our House is the House that has produced the fewest dark wizards! How’s that for a claim to fame? Which leads me onto my next point.
You are walking in the footsteps of many famous Hufflepuffs who went on to shine throughout the Wizarding World. Let’s start with Hengist of Woodcroft. He was a medieval wizard, best known for founding the village of Hogsmeade which is the only all wizarding village in Great Britain and is where we all got off the Hogwarts Express a couple of weeks ago. It is also where we will be going next weekend for a treat afternoon provided you have your permission slip of course. I, for one, am very much looking forward to it, my sweets supplies are getting rather low! Then there was Bridget Wenlock, a famous 13th century Arithmancer who was the first to establish the magical properties of the number seven (apparently! Don’t ask me, I’m not very good with numbers although I did manage to end up with the correct answer – 3 -during our last Arithmancy lesson!). Minister Artemisia Lufkin was the first woman ever to hold the office of British Minister for Magic, a position she held not once but twice! Another famous Hufflepuff was Grogan Stump, and he was one of the most popular Ministers of Magic. He established the Department of Magical Games and Sports as well as the creation of the Beings, Beasts and Spirit Divisions of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He also created protective laws around certain Magical Creatures. And last but not least the famous Magizoologist Newt Scamander also the Author of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Throughout his adventures and the dangerous situations he faced, Newt Scamander managed to stay true to the Hufflepuff attributes of fairness and integrity.
To conclude, as a Hufflepuff, you can be brave, intelligent, ambitious as long as you are kind, fair, loyal and hard-working. “The world is your oyster” as they say although I don’t think there are any oysters in the kitchens so don’t get any ideas!
