5 characters that embody Hufflepuff House

I missed a week of Top 5 Wednesday posts last time, but I’m back today with 5 characters that embody my Hogwarts House – which if you can’t tell from the title happens to be Hufflepuff. To be honest, it took me a while of going through my ‘read’ shelf on Goodreads to come up with these picks, because I feel like a lot of books don’t have Hufflepuff protagonists. In my opinion, a lot of main characters would be sorted in Slytherin or Gryffindor but that may be because I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction novels… Either way, let’s take a look at the loveliest Hufflepuff characters.

Daenarys Targaryen – A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
I know this may seem like an unconventional pick to a lot of people, but hear me out, will you? In the first book, Dany’s only 13 years old when she is married off to Khal Drogo. She does so in order to escape her brother’s anger, and he needs her to marry the Dothraki in order to take back their throne in Westeros. Dany says that she doesn’t want a throne; all she wants is to go home. When she is wronged and the people closest to her are hurt, she turns into a powerful ruler to take the offenders down. When she acquires a certain level of power, she steers away from her ‘dream’ to help thousands of people who have been enslaved for years. She’s such a Hufflepuff.

Meg – The Others by Anne Bishop
When the story starts, Meg has escaped a compound where blood prophets are bred and kept in captivity. She ends up in the Lakeside Courtyard, where she is taken in as the liaison between humans and The Others. All Meg truly wants throughout this show is to be able to make her own decisions, and create a home for herself. She befriends so many people/creatures, and doesn’t really care about the recurring prejudices around The Others. She wants everyone to be treated equally, and for everyone to have the ability to make their own decisions.

Evan – A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
I simply adore Evan. His character was based on Chris Evans, who is most definitely a Hufflepuff. He is such a kind person! He often helps one of his co-workers out by cooking for him and his sick mom, he cooks for Ruth when he finds out she doesn’t really cook, and he’s always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone. He’s also not afraid to speak up when he witnesses injustice or discrimination, which is another Hufflepuff trait.

Sebastian – Running With Lions by Julian Winters
I’ve mentioned this quite a few times, but this book is basically a LGBTQIA+ sports romance for Hufflepuffs. Sebastian and his friends go to summer camp for the last time, to start football training before the school season starts. His teammates are like family to him, and he’s always protecting them and acting as a mediator between others. He’s just a wholesome boy, okay?

Sam – The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Shout out to Sam, one of the most underrated characters ever. Even though he has never set foot outside of the Shire, he follows Frodo to the scariest place in Middle Earth without hesitating. His loyalty to his best friend is remarkable, and he often puts Frodo first as well. Without Sam, Frodo would never have gotten anywhere near Mordor.

---

There you have it, 5 Hufflepuff characters! Tell me, do you (dis)agree with me? I’d love to talk about it in the comments. If you’ve read any books with Hufflepuff protagonists, please let me know as well. I want to add more of them to my to-read list.

The Ultimate Harry Potter Tag

I saw Lindsey @ lindseyh do this Ultimate Harry Potter tag, and it looked like such fun! So I decided to do the same thing. Of course, if you haven’t finished the Harry Potter series, there might be spoilers here. Be warned… 

1. Favorite book?

The Deathly Hallows. By far. Because it’s the last one, it’s also the most complex one. The trio goes through such hardship, true tests of their friendship, beliefs and loyalty -and I can’t forget about the background of Dumbledore. All the threads are just woven together here, and I think it was glorious. 

2. Least favorite book? 

The Chamber of Secrets. I feel like this is a lot of people’s least favorite book, and no one really knows why? Neither do I. It’s so odd! 

3. Favorite movie? 

Hmmm, The Goblet of Fire? I just love the Triwizard Tournament and how it was filmed. I loved the Yule Ball and Emma Watson’s dress. I love the soundtrack -especially the waltz songs and the Hogwarts march. Just loved it. And the Quidditch World Cup! I just think it’s a beautiful movie. 

4. Least favorite movie? 

Probably The Deathly Hallows Part 1? I know, it’s kind of sacrilege especially because it’s my favorite book. But because the movies were split up, this movie was mostly build up to the grand finale. 

5. Favorite quote?

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. 

Also, everything said by Fred & George. 

6. Favorite Weasley? 

Fred & George. It’s a package deal! I can’t just choose one twin! 

7. Favorite female character?

Probably Hermione. Although Ginny is a great contender for the spot as well. Book-Ginny I mean. I love Bonnie Wright, but I feel like they didn’t let her be Ginny, and they wrote too much of her character out of it. But yeah: loyal to their friends and family, smart and kind. All the things I wish to be. 

8. Favorite villain? 

Voldemort. I loved the sixth book because you get to know so much about his past. And it’s so interesting! The making of a villain. He’s my favorite villain because he’s complex and smart, yet shows some human traits too (by that I mean jealousy, feeling abandoned, finding a home at Hogwarts, wanting to be special and unique). Unlike Umbridge, who is just plain evil for the sake of it. 

9. Favorite male character? 

Fred & George, again? I feel like that might not be allowed. Of course, I love Harry. So because I’ve already chosen F&G, I’ll go with Harry here. He’s just so precious. 

10. Favorite professor? 

I want to say McGonagall. She’s a bad ass. But I kind of also want to say Moody? Because he didn’t treat them like children, and didn’t underestimate them. Because he wanted to show them the reality, no matter how ugly it is, and prepare them for it. Even though it wasn’t actually him in the end, you know what I mean. 

11. Would you rather a) wash Snape’s hair or b) spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself? 

I would rather stab myself in the eye with a quill than listen to Lockhart for an entire day. If I had to do that, I would be arrested for murder. So washing Snape’s hair it is. 

12. Would you rather duel a) an elated Bellatrix or b) an angry Molly? 

An angry Molly would send me running for the hills. Give me a completely nuts Bellatrix instead! 

13. Would you rather travel to Hogwarts using a) the Hogwarts Express or b) a flying car? 

Definitely the Hogwarts Express. I would soak up all the excited vibes, the beautiful scenery, the food trolley… To be honest, my answer was 99% motivated by the food trolley. 

14. Would you rather give a) Voldemort a kiss or b) Umbridge a bubble bath? 

I do not wish to give Umbridge the pleasure of a bubble bath. Bubble baths are for good people. So I’d rather kiss Voldemort, I guess. 

15. Would you rather fly a) a hippogriff or b) a Firebolt? 

A hippogriff! I’ll never forget that scene in the third movie, with Harry flying over the lake. It looked like the most freeing experience ever. 

16. Is there a character you felt differently about in the movies? 

Ginny. I will forever be upset at that. She was such a fierce character in the books, which was totally erased in the movies. She wasn’t an amazing witch who could curse you all to oblivion anymore. She wasn’t an amazing Chaser anymore. She wasn’t a confident young woman anymore. She was a quiet love interest. I love Bonnie Wright, but I feel like they did her a disservice too. 

17. Is there a movie you preferred to the book? 

Not really. Don’t get me wrong, I love the movies. But it comes nowhere near to my love for the books.

18. Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore? 

No preference, sorry. 

19. Your top thing that you wanted in the movie that wasn’t in there? 

The final battle between Harry & Voldemort! The scene in which Harry explains it all to Voldemort. Why he will lose. Where he went wrong. It was all gone, and replaced by a weird duel that ended immediately! I feel like, if you had watched that without reading the book, you’d be so confused! Like: why did the wand flip over? Because you’ve never been taught about wand allegiance!

20. If you could remake any of the Harry Potter movies, which would it be? 

I don’t think I would. I think they did the best they possibly could with the movie platform. Maybe they could make a series with the original cast of course, so they could include EVERY scene of the book? 😀

21. Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of? 

I think everyone wanted to be a Gryffindor when they first read the books. You just want to be a part of Harry’s team. But I didn’t think I would be a Gryffindor though. 

22. Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore? 

Hufflepuff! At first, I was a tad disappointed. But now, I’m really proud of it. I feel like Hufflepuff is such an underestimated house! But we are hard workers, loyal friends and kind people. That doesn’t sound boring to me. It sounds wonderful! 

23. Which class would be your favorite? 

Probably Charms? I would just love Charms. 

24. Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn? 

Accio and Lumos. Summon everything and control the light. No need to leave your bed ever again. You’re welcome. 

25. Which character do you think you’d instantly become friends with? 

Ginny. Again, book-Ginny. She just seems like an amazing girl!

26. If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be? 

Definitely the invisibility cloak. I’d be thoroughly creeped out if the dead returned back to me, and I have no use for the most powerful wand ever. I’d do pretty well with my own! 

27. Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change? 

Fred’s death. I will never forgive J.K. Rowling for that. I’m sorry, but did you just murder my favorite person ever?

28. Favorite marauder? 

Moony! He wasn’t just fun, but he was also kind and honest and loyal. And he wasn’t as much of a bully either. 

29. If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be? 

FRED. I’m telling you: I AM ANGRY ABOUT THIS. 

30. Hallows or Horcruxes? 

Hallows. I have no desire to kill anyone, thank you very much. 

Ranking Harry Potter

In the beginning of June, I saw an amazing post on Anne’s blog, Books, Baking and Blogging. She ranked the Harry Potter books, from her favorite one to her least favorite one. Disclaimer: before any of you get horrified, my least favorite Harry Potter, is still one of my favorite books ever. In the Harry Potter series though, I happen to love the others more. I asked her whether I could create such a post as well, and she said it was no problem. So here we are. I’m about to do the most difficult thing ever: rank Harry Potter.

1. THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (#7)

I think the final book is my absolute favorite one. Not just because you can finally see all the threads of the story connect, but because of the growth of the characters. My babies have gotten so mature, smart, kind and strong people -and I adore it. I also love that the other side characters (Neville, Ginny and Luna especially) have their own story arc separate from Harry. We may not get to read it all directly, but we do know how strong they are on their own, how smart, independent and good people they’ve become.

2. THE GOBLET OF FIRE (#4)

I’ve always had a soft spot for this one, mainly because I loved reading about the tournament. But also because I had never even thought of the other wizarding schools all over the world before reading this one for the first time! Which is a shame, because I’m not from the UK. I should’ve thought about where Belgian wizards and witches get to go. This is also the first time that Harry has to deal with a break in his solid friendship with Ron. It’s about jealousy, forgiveness -and everything that comes with being a teenager.

3. THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (#3)

It took me a while to truly appreciate this one. When I was young, this was one of my least favorite books in the series. I don’t really know why, so I can’t explain it, but I felt like not that much exciting wizarding stuff happens here. Now, I can appreciate it much more. This book is the true start of Harry’s “substitute” family. Lupin, Black, Granger, Weasley, Hagrid. They’re all part of his family now, but this book creates the foundation for the love and support Harry will get later on. 

4. THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (#6)

I do love this one, trust me. This is where the true backstory and explanation starts, where we delve deeper into Voldemort’s life. It will always be interesting to me. But because it is a lot of backstory, the action is left for the end-part of the book. 

5. THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (#5)

This book is really interesting, because for the first time the Wizarding World doesn’t back Harry up. They don’t believe in him. And that influences his life greatly. Combined with a teenage Harry who is growing up… Don’t kill me, but Harry is a bit whiny and rude to his friends in this one. I completely understand why, don’t get me wrong. I’d be the same. But it does affect the reading experience. 

6. THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (#1)

I do love this one because it introduces us to the Wizarding World for the first time. It will always hold a special place in my heart for that. And you get to learn more about the world alongside Harry. But because it is the first one, the story is just starting. The following books have much more complexity and character development.

7. THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (#2)

Yes, this is my least favorite one. Always has been. I have no idea why, to be honest. I can’t really explain it…

---

So here we are, I did it! I ranked Harry Potter from my most favorite book, to my least favorite one. Like I said, please don’t kill me, I absolutely adore all of them. It’s still -and always will be- (one of) my favorite series.

An Ode to the Characters of Harry Potter

Today is a bit of a different post. While I was writing my Top Ten Tuesday post of this week, I was thinking about Hermione, and the fact that I’ve been looking up to her ever since I was a kid. At first, I wanted to write a post called “Characters I Look Up To” but then I realized that I would have to fill the first part of that with exclusively characters from Harry Potter. So that gave me the idea to write this post, an ode the the characters of my favorite series. 

One of the reasons I love this series so much, is that you can find something in each character to admire. A reason to look up to them. So today, I’ll be talking about the characters I admire, and why.

P.S. I know I didn’t add Dumbledore here, but there is just too much I’d want to say. Maybe I should make a separate admiration post for him?

Harry Potter // I had to start with the obvious three of course. Where do I even start with this? I look up to Harry for several reasons. It started in the first book, when he told Malfoy he could very well decide for himself who the right people were. That was the first tell of how good a person he truly is. I have so much respect for this character. For most of his childhood, he didn’t know love. He was treated so terribly, yet he remained a loving and caring person. An honest one. Always trying to do the right thing. He loved so much that he would have sacrificed everything. The ultimate selfless act. Which let’s be real, not many of us would do. Even though we like to think we would. 

Hermione Granger // Aaaah, my first girl crush ever. Hermione is everything I aspire to be. Although I have even more love for another character, but I’ll get to that later. J.K. Rowling once said in an interview that she wanted to make Hermione a heroine. Why? Because the studious and smart people usually get portrayed as nerdy and well…a bit ridiculous? You know what I mean. And I love that. She is smart, so very capable, but kind and genuine too. She’s so incredibly loyal to her friends and her family -even though she’s made fun of because she has muggle parents. And let’s not forget about her sacrifice. I think in one way, it was even bigger than Harry’s… 

Ron Weasley // Throughout the books, Ron struggles with something everyone has at some point in their life: having a friend who is always in the limelight. Being an introvert, I experience this very often. You start to feel like you’re actually part of the wallpaper, that no one truly sees you. But does that matter, when the friendship is true? Being part of such a big family, and then being Harry Potter’s best friend, Ron has had to deal with this his whole life. And yes, he has made some dumb decisions because of it. But the most important thing is that he always tries to be the best friend he can be.

Ginny Weasley // Ginny is the woman I look up to most I think. Why? I feel like Ginny is a very underrated person. She is an enormously powerful witch, but next to Hermione, she often gets overlooked. She’s smart and clever, traits she gathered from growing up with Fred & George. She’s loyal, honest and everything I aspire to be as a person. Yet so many people just think of her as Harry’s girlfriend. But she doesn’t complain. Ginny kind of taught me that you can be strong, powerful, kind and loyal, and that you don’t need anyone else’s acknowledgement to be so. Being underrated isn’t always bad, it can give you a great advantage in certain situations.

Fred & George // A lot of people think Fred & George are just the jokers there to lighten up the mood a bit. But they have so many traits I admire! First of all, they see a positive side in everything. Cracking a joke in the worst circumstances, trying to make everyone feel better. Second of all, they know what they want and aren’t afraid to work hard to get there. Even though their mother didn’t approve of their career choices, they knew it was the right choice for them. Knowing what you want and actually going for it? That I admire. 

Molly Weasley // Family. That is what Molly stands for to me. The strength and power of a loving family. She wants the best for her children, and sometimes that requires getting angry at them for doing something stupid. She may not have a lot of money, but she has raised her sons and daughter well. They are all kind people, smart people. That is the portrait of a good mother to me. You may not have everything in a materialistic sense, but that doesn’t mean you are any less. They are all supportive and strong, and love their family, would do anything for each other.

Severus Snape // I kind of hate and admire Snape. I feel bad for everything he’s been through, but I also think it’s no excuse for what he did, how he treats children. But what I learned from Snape? Love is the most powerful emotion of them all. Time doesn’t change that. 

Luna Lovegood // Luna taught me to always be myself. Other people may think you’re weird as hell, but that doesn’t matter. You should always stay true to who you are, and you’ll make friends who appreciate that quality in you. Everyone should be a bit more like Luna: not afraid to be herself.

Neville Longbottom // Neville can teach us all a lesson on courage. It may be a different kind of courage than Harry’s, but hat doesn’t make it any less important. He’s constantly made fun of, but he grows up to be an incredible wizard, in my opinion. He knows what is right, and learns to stand up for what he thinks. Even to his friends. 

Remus Lupin // Remus taught me that one trait does not define who you are. Being a werewolf wasn’t all he was. He also taught me that looks can be deceiving, and shouldn’t always matter. He often looked disheveled, yet he was a smart, strong and kind man.

Sirius Black // I think it’s safe to say that Sirius can teach us all a lesson in friendship. What it wouldn’t be like to have a friendship like the Marauders did? Friends who would do anything for each other, unconditional love -no matter that one of them was a werewolf.

Hagrid // Hagrid sees the good in everything and everyone. Refusing to accept that something/someone is evil just because that’s the prejudice. Often, that leads to not so great decisions on Hagrid’s part, but still. It’s a attitude to look up to I think. To not assume something/someone is bad just because that is what you were always told. 

Draco Malfoy // Ah, Draco. I think Draco shows us all that it’s possible to learn from your mistakes, and grow to be a better person. He was raised in a household that didn’t show love, but punishment. A house that admired the Dark Lord. However, when it was finally his turn to inherit the right, he realized it was wrong, a mistake. But once you’re in… His story reminds me that hope is never lost, no matter how awful the mistakes you’ve made may seem.

Dudley Dursley // Don’t get me wrong, I hated Dursley in the beginning. But as he grows up, you start to see he may not be such a bad person after all. After the 5th book, you truly start to see the changes . I love that moment when he shakes Harry’s hand. To see that he grew from such an awful and despicable kid to that, it lightens my heart. 

Dobby // No matter how small the person, he/she can still make a difference. A little bit of kindness shown turned Dobby into a loyal friend. And I think it’s safe to say Harry would never have survived without Dobby. 

Kreacher // Always treat everyone well. Be kind and others will be kind to you. That’s the lesson I’ve learned from Kreacher. 

---

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! I know it’s a lot of text, sorry. So here are some of the things I’ve learned from my favorite characters and series. What did Harry Potter teach you? Do you have a series that taught you all those things when you were younger? I’d love to hear about it. Finally, because there was so much text, here’s another gif: