Hufflepuff is the second of the four Houses, and another one of the Houses at Hogwarts. As seen on the crest, the animal is a badger, and the colors are yellow and black. These colors were chosen because Hufflepuff is associated with the element of earth, and so yellow represents wheat and black is emblematic of soil. The founder of this house was Helga Hufflepuff, who was the Head of House; this position now belongs to Pomona Sprout. The ghost of the House is Fat Friar; their common room is the Hufflepuff Basement. The dormitories and common room have never been seen by anyone who isn’t a part of the House. This is the only of the four Houses that has a security device to prevent intruders from entering. You have to tap a certain barrel a certain number of times to enter. By either tapping the wrong barrel, or tapping the right barrel an incorrect number of times, the lid of another barrel will burst off and drench the imposter in vinegar. If you get past the trap, you make it to a tunnel that leads you to the dormitory. The Hufflepuff dormitory always feels sunny, as it as a quite cozy and welcoming place. The Hufflepuff common room is round, large, and earthy with low ceilings. The view from the round windows in the room are of dandelions and rippling grass. The décor of the room emphasizes the earthy-feel; plants are hanging and resting all around the room, and some of the plants even sing and dance. There are plush, cozy yellow and black sofas and chairs that welcome the Hufflepuff students to relax and discuss any interesting specimens the Head of House, Professor Sprout, brings in. For a student to retire to their dormitory, they pass though big, round doors in the walls of the common room.
The Head of House for Hufflepuff before and during the time Harry Potter was at Hogwarts was Pomona Sprout. She was the Herbology professor. There is a possibility that before Pomona was appointed to be the Herbology professor and made the Head of House that Herbert Beery, the previous Herbology professor, was the Head of House, depending on if he was a Hufflepuff or not.
When it came to deciding who was qualified for Hufflepuff, the Sorting Hat said:
"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil"
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil"
This meant they possessed the traits of loyalty and being unafraid of toil, or danger. Many, if not all, of the students that belong to this House are known to be hard-working, friendly, honest, and rather impartial as well. They are not as competitive as the other houses are, and they are more modest about their accomplishments. This House is the most inclusive of all four; they value hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play instead of a particular aptitude in the students. They seem to have the least rivalry with other houses, except in Quidditch.
It is claimed by Minerva McGonagall that all four houses produce exceptional witches and wizards, but due to the founder’s policy of accepting any student, and their poor performance in the House Cup, they are often thought to be the House of the less talented witches and wizards. This superstition, though, is merely an understanding of the poem by the Sorting Hat. This House has produced a great amount of successful and influential wizards and witches. A great number of exceptionally skilled people of the wizarding world also hold origins with Hufflepuff. They have given the fewest amount of Dark Wizards than any other House at the Hogwarts Castle. This is mostly likely due to their cheerful and friendly demeanor. They firmly demonstrated their loyalty in 1998 during the Battle of Hogwarts, when they were only second to Gryffindor in the number of students who were willing to stay and fight against Voldemort and his forces in defense of the school.
There are many known members of Hufflepuff, including the House Ghost, the Fat Friar. More famous members include Bridget Wenlock, Gorgan Stump, Newton Scamander, the current House of Head, Pomona Sprout, Cedric Diggory, who was killed in his sixth year at Hogwarts, and so many more. To look at other known members, check the wikia.
Make sure you stay tuned and check out the next issue to learn about Ravenclaw and Gryffindor!
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