Try on the sorting hat to find out your Hogwarts house
A key part of the Hogwarts experience is discovering which house you belong to. For students, that’s done by wearing the Sorting Hat in a ceremony in the Great Hall on their inaugural night at the school.
While you can’t actually try on the hat and get sorted during a studio tour, you can plan ahead and find out which house you’d belong to so that you can buy the right coloured souvenirs from the gift shop. There are a few exhibits in place that will give you access to more information about the Sorting Hat, so let’s find out exactly what it is, so you know what you’re looking at.
What is the Sorting Hat?
A slouchy, old-looking hat that used to belong to Godric Gryffindor and is now enchanted, the Sorting Hat is solely responsible for choosing which house a student will be in. Using the power of legilimency (in-depth mind reading) to gain an understanding of what makes each individual student tick and even who their family is, the hat deliberates and finally shouts out a decision, with the newly sorted student then taking their seat at their house table.
The Sorting Hat was enchanted by all four of the Hogwarts founders, who gave their names to the houses, so that the qualities they held in high regard would be allocated to their particular ones. For example, if a student is deemed to prize intelligence above all else, there’s a good chance they will be sorted in Ravenclaw, as this was a trait of Rowena Ravenclaw.
While the Sorting Hat is able to make most decisions unaided, it has struggled with a few students, Harry Potter being one of them. In cases such as these, the hat will give the student the chance to have some input and in Harry’s case, we all know that he chose Gryffindor. Maybe that’s because the Sorting Hat was barely placed on Draco Malfoy’s white blonde head before it screeched that he was destined for Slytherin!
How can you get sorted into your house?
As I’ve already said, you can’t try on the Sorting Hat at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. This is because it is a valuable prop from the films and, between you and me; it would be hard to accurately sort everyone without mind-reading being a reality! So, how can you find out which house you’d be in?
Taking an online test is the easiest way to discover your true Hogwarts destiny and it only requires you to honestly answer a few questions. The key is to be utterly truthful, though! You might yearn to be a Gryffindor, but tailoring your answers won’t give you an accurate result. You might be shocked at how much your house really does represent you, and don’t panic if you get Slytherin; it’s not a bad house!
Which is the best house to be sorted into?
There’s no ‘best’ house at Hogwarts – that’s the first thing that you absolutely need to know. There are, however, certain attributes that are connected to each one, which could make them appeal to certain budding wizards.
Gryffindor is defined by characteristics of bravery, courage and determination, with a bold red and gold livery and lion-adorned crest. Many of the favourite Harry Potter characters are Gryffindor alumni, including the entire Weasley family, all of the Potters and even Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, who bucked the family trend of being sorted into Slytherin.
Ravenclaw house is full of students that are funny, intelligent and consider the pursuit of wisdom to be the noblest of all. Recognisable for the striking navy blue and silver uniform colour scheme, finished with a Raven emblem, Ravenclaw has a number of esteemed alumni including Professors Flitwick and Trelawney, as well as Luna Lovegood, a fan favourite.
Hufflepuff, the black and yellow house with a badger for a mascot, is all about equality. Working hard, being patient and demonstrating loyalty are all qualities that Hufflepuffs hold dear. Professor Sprout, Nymphadora Tonks and Cedric Diggory are three wonderful examples of the alumni that make this house so personable and likeable.
Slytherin house is as notorious as it is misunderstood. Yes, there have been some rotten apples that have come out of it, but Merlin was also a Slytherin and he wasn’t evil. Bedecked in green and silver, with a snake emblem, Slytherin house encourages pride, ambition and intelligence in its students and, as the Sorting hat says, ‘it could make you great, you know’.
Trust me when I say that you’ll enjoy the experience of discovering which house you belong in and that you’ll be grateful that you know once you hit the studio-tour gift shop. Everything you can imagine is available in the individual house liveries and you wouldn’t want to buy the wrong colour scheme, would you? Imagine buying a Gryffindor scarf if you turn out to be a Hufflepuff!