Not my usual blog content, but it is usual for me to go on and on about small things from the fictional universes I fell in love with in my childhood and adolescence. As some of you may know, I did go semi-viral a few times on Tik Tok for my Harry Potter content, and lately, there’s been discussion of whether or not Hermione was correctly sorted into Gryffindor. As your local HP Universe expert, I’m here to present the evidence to show you, that yes, she was correctly sorted.

Haven’t read or watched Harry Potter? Quick summary: there are four houses at Hogwarts that students are sorted into right before they begin their first year. Those houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The series itself centers around the protagonist and his friends who are mostly Gryffindors, and the majority of their adversaries being in Slytherin.

Each house has its own set of values, which are used to sort the characters. [This information comes from Pottermore, the official Harry Potter website].

Gryffindor

• Courage
• Bravery
• Nerve
• Chivalry

Hufflepuff

• Hard work
• Patience
• Justice
• Loyalty

Ravenclaw

• Intelligence
• Learning
• Wisdom
• Wit

Slytherin

• Ambition
• Cunning
• Leadership
• Resourcefulness

The problem with the way Harry Potter fans think of sorting is that most people think of it as very superficial. They take the most obvious traits of the characters and use those to show why or why not they should be in a particular house. This also tends to be something that occurs when people are trying to sort characters from other books, shows, or movies. What is supposed to be done is looking at the inherent nature of the character, what their true values are, and that determines where the character is sorted.

The debate here? Should Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, bookworm know-it-all, have been in Gryffindor, or been in Ravenclaw where such qualities are of the most important values to the house?

I’m of the disposition that no mistakes were made here and that Hermione Granger is very much a Gryffindor. Do I have bias since she is the character I related to throughout my childhood, even up till today, and I’ve also sorted Gryffindor through the official Wizarding World site? Of course, but I also have the argument and evidence to back up my opinion.

Hermione Could Have Been Ravenclaw

We meet Hermione as a know-it-all on the way to Hogwarts, already having read through books like Hogwarts: a History, and attempted (and mastered) small spells. As the series develops, it is quickly noticeable that she is the brains to any operation the trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) try to pull off. So yes, Hermione is intelligent and loves to learn. She’s disappointed in Year 2 when end-of-the-year exams are cancelled, she spends free time in the library, and she literally used time travel to take a heavier course load. She’s not particularly witty, as that tends to be Ron or Harry’s strength throughout the novels. All this being said, however, Hermione very well could have been in Ravenclaw.

Hermione Could Have Been Hufflepuff

And yet, these aren’t her qualities. Going through the Hufflepuff house values, Hermione holds most of them too. She’s always working hard and studying—she doesn’t take shortcuts (again, the girl used time travel to take more classes). She’s patient enough to put up with Ron and Harry’s shenanigans for the entire series. In the fourth book, she single-handedly starts SPEW, Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, to try and liberate the enslaved species of house elves. Even when the elves refuse her help, she continues to fight for them because she has a strong sense of justice. And of course, she’s one of the most loyal characters in the series, as she sticks by Harry’s side, ditches her last year of school to hunt horcruxes, and continuously puts herself in danger to save her friends. So Hermione very well could have been in Hufflepuff.

Hermione Could Have Been Slytherin

This is not a popular opinion, and if there wasn’t prejudice in Slytherin against muggle-born students, Hermione could have fit right it. Absolutely she’s ambitious. She takes lots of classes, is the brightest in their age group, she takes the time to master skills quickly, and she has an agenda. She’s a leader in her own right, being the one to suggest the formation of Dumbledore’s Army, as well as creating SPEW, and of course taking command of most of the plans the trio sets out. She’s one of the most resourceful characters in the book, using her knowledge to enhance what she’s able to accomplish. And she can be cunning, showcased especially during the Hermione-Ron-Lavender love triangle in Book 6. If it weren’t for the Slytherin value of blood status, she would have been an excellent member of the house.

Other Gryffindors with Other House Traits

However, just holding the traits the houses value isn’t enough for sorting. We see Leadership [Slytherin] in Harry and Neville, both taking on the role of leading Dumbledore’s army. Ron also possesses Loyalty [Hufflepuff], as well as Wit and Intelligence [Ravenclaw], as seen by his capability to pick up parseltongue. Ginny Weasley fits all four values of Slytherin, but is still a Gryffindor. The reality is, most of these characters hold the characteristics of different houses, but that didn’t impact where they were sorted.

Why Hermione is a Gryffindor

More than anything, Hermione uses the traits she holds that the other houses value to pursue the traits Gryffindor values: courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry.

Hermione has courage when she breaks rules—starting in book one—to help her friends. She has courage when facing the yearly life-or-death trials that daunt on the students, whether by chance or by their own seeking. She’s brave when she takes the polyjuice potion of a woman who tortured her, Bellatrix, to pursue another horcrux. She was brave when she went into the Ministry of Magic when it fell to dark side, where she would have been sentence to Azkaban had her identity been uncovered. She was chivalrous to creatures who did not have the same status as wizards and witches, like house elves and hippogryffs.

And more than anything, Hermione Granger had nerve. She had the nerve to defy the orders of headmasters and professors for what she saw to be the greater good. She had the nerve to go behind her friend’s back and risk her friendship to ensure his safety by turning in Harry’s mysteriously gifted broom in Book 3. She had the nerve to fight and age-old system of enslaved service, despite no one agreeing with her. And, most importantly, she had the nerve to be the brightest witch of her age, and probably of all her Hogwarts peers, despite being a girl, having no exposure to magic before her acceptance to the school, and being of the lowest blood status in the Wizarding World. People could say a lot about her, but no one could say Hermione Granger wasn’t the smartest person in the room, and she had the nerve to make sure everyone knew it.

So yes, Hermione was correctly sorted into Gryffindor because the traits she holds for other houses enhanced the values of her house. And yes, I probably need a new hobby. But I am still right.