
March 13, 2024
Harry Potter | Hogwarts Houses | Gryffindor House Information, Guide, & Facts
We've got all the info a brave heart might need when learning about Gryffindor, one of the best houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!


Buy: Harry Potter - Gryffindor Merch
Buy: Harry Potter - Gryffindor Merch
Table of Contents +
~Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
You aren't a Harry Potter fan if you haven't wondered which house you'd be in. If you consider yourself to be brave and heroic, then you're a Gryffindor, one of the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Continue on to explore what it means to be a Gryffindor, such as personality traits, members of the Gryffindor house, and more!
Basic Info
-
House Colors: Scarlet and Gold
-
Mascot: Lion
-
Head of House: Professor Minerva McGonagall
-
House Ghost: Nearly Headless Nick
Characters In Gryffindor
Character Name | Date of Birth | Starting Year at Hogwarts |
Blood-Status |
Harry Potter | July 31, 1980 | 1991 |
Half-Blood |
Hermione Granger | September 19, 1979 | 1991 | Muggle-Born |
Ron Weasley | March 1, 1980 | 1991 | Pure-Blood |
Ginny Weasley | August 11, 1981 | 1992 | Pure-Blood |
Neville Longbottom | July 30, 1980 | 1991 | Pure-Blood |
Fred and George Weasley | April 1, 1978 | 1989 | Pure-Blood |
Lily Evans/Potter | January 30, 1960 | 1971 | Muggle-Born |
James Potter | March 27, 1960 | 1971 | Pure-Blood |
Sirius Black | November 3, 1959 | 1971 | Pure-Blood |
Remus Lupin | March 10, 1960 | 1971 | Half-Blood |
Albus Dumbledore | August 1881 | 1892 | Half-Blood |
Seamus Finnagin | July 14, 1980 | 1991 | Half-Blood |
Dean Thomas | January 7, 1980 | 1991 | Half-Blood |
Lavender Brown | 1979 | 1991 | Pure-Blood |
Gryffindor Personality Traits | What kind of person is a Gryffindor?
Those sorted into Gryffindor show signs of bravery, nerve, daring, and chivalry. They have a heroic nature and are the type of person to jump first and ask questions later. The most notable Gryffindor wizards and witches were bold, courageous, and adventurous, but this often led to trouble. Gryffindors can also display a sense of self-righteousness, recklessness, and short tempers despite their many great characteristics. Those sorted into this Hogwarts house have a strong moral compass and a drive to do what is right.
Gryffindor students tend to have an aptitude for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Beasts. A lot of members of the house go on to be Aurors or Professors.
Gryffindor House History
Gryffindor house was founded by Godric Gryffindor along with the other three houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Gryffindor valued heroism which reflected his own personality. He was born in a small village within the wizarding world that later became known as Godric’s Hollow. This is the same village that Harry was born in and where Lily and James Potter were killed by Voldemort.
Two of Gryffindor’s prized possessions make an appearance in the Harry Potter series. Firstly, the Sword of Gryffindor, a goblin-made sword that can absorb that which makes it stronger. In Harry's second year at Hogwarts, the sword absorbed Basilisk Venom, giving it the ability to destroy Horcruxes. The sword also has the ability to appear to any true Gryffindor during their time of need.
Less notably, the Sorting Hat also belonged to the founder of Gryffindor. After their death, the founders wanted the students to be sorted into houses properly. They decided to enchant Gryffindor’s hat, and this started the sorting ceremony. Every Hogwarts student participates in this at the start of their first year. The hat is placed on their head and they are sorted into different houses based on their strongest traits.
Unfortunately, not all the founders got along. Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were close friends until their opinion on whether muggle-borns should be allowed to attend Hogwarts ended that friendship. Gryffindor opposed Slytherin’s opinion and advocated the hardest for their education at Hogwarts.
From that point on, Gryffindor and Slytherin houses became rivals. Not even the Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws cared much for the students sorted into Slytherin. This rivalry was present even during Harry Potter’s time, where he became rivals with the Slytherin student, Draco Malfoy. The rivalry of the houses continued up to the fight against Voldemort during the battle of Hogwarts, where most Slytherins, who were dark witches and wizards, opposed Harry and sided with Lord Voldemort.
It is not known how Godric Gryffindor died, but his legacy lives on.
Sir Nearly Headless Nick, Gryffindor’s house ghost, lived and died during the 15th century. During his time at Hogwarts, he was a Gryffindor student. After he graduated, he was a knight in King Henry VII’s court and was beheaded after his failed attempt to fix a lady-in-waiting’s teeth with magic.
Gryffindor Common Room
The Gryffindor common room is located on the highest floor of the Gryffindor tower, hidden behind the portrait of “The Fat Lady.” In order to enter, one must know the right password and the portrait will swing open to reveal a cozy common room. The house colors are scarlet and gold and the room is decorated to reflect this theme.
This house is associated with the element of fire. Plush red armchairs take up the room, concentrated mostly around roaring fires that keep the tower warm. Gryffindor students can be seen playing games like Wizard’s Chess or daring one another to see just how brave they really are. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Popington, also known as Nearly Headless Nick and the Gryffindor house ghost, can be seen in the common room and roaming around the castle, helping students who are lost.
Stairs lead up to separate housing, and should a male student decide to enter the girl’s dormitory, the stairs will vanish and the student can be seen sliding back down them. There are seven dorms each, one for each year. Inside the dorms, the rooms are curricular with four-poster beds draped in red curtains. Between each bed is a window that offers a beautiful view of the castle.
Buy: Harry Potter - Gryffindor Merch
Buy:Harry Potter - Gryffindor Merch
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the most famous Gryffindors?
+Famous Gryffindors include Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Harry defeated Voldemort twice and Albus Dumbledore is known for a number of feats, such as defeating Gellert Grindelwald and becoming headmaster of Hogwarts.
Has a Gryffindor ever turned evil?
+Yes, a Gryffindor has turned evil, although they’ve never been on par with someone as evil as Lord Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew, a former friend of James and Lily Potter and a Gryffindor, betrayed them and sided with Lord Voldemort and became a Death Eater.
Who is the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?
+The captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team is Oliver Wood in Harry's first three years at Hogwarts. Angelina Jones is captain in Harry's fifth year, and Harry becomes captain in his sixth year. There’s no Quidditch in Harry's fourth year because of the Triwizard Tournament.
Who is the head of Gryffindor House?
+The current head of Gryffindor House is Minerva McGonagall, a professor at Hogwarts who teaches Transfiguration. She became head of Gryffindor House in 1956.
Who is Gryffindor’s rival?
+Gryffindor has a rivalry with Slytherin, in both Quidditch and in the classroom. Both houses have traits that clash with one another and they’re also both very competitive when it comes to winning the house cup.
Was Hagrid in Gryffindor?
+In an interview with the author, J.K. Rowling, she stated that Rubeus Hagrid was in Gryffindor before he got expelled. There is a bit of a debate because a lot of fans believe his traits align more with Hufflepuff.
What are Gryffindors best at?
+Gryffindors are great at Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures. While most Gryffindor’s favorite subject is Defense Against the Dark Arts, their head of house teaches Transfiguration.
Read More Blogs
The old Harry Potter video game series was a huge part of every fan's childhood. With the recent release of the new...
There are plenty of mysteries to find in Hogwarts Legacy, one of which are the Moth Mirrors. There are twenty mirrors scattered...
Harry returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but the Wizarding World and the school are in...
Harry Potter and his friends are on the run, hunted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They're on a quest to find...
In the final installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the...
“Or perhaps in SlytherinYou'll make your real friends,Those cunning folk use any meansTo achieve their ends.” -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone...
Join us as we take a look at a summary and review of the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order...
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived Movie Book The scene starts with Dumbledore using the Deluminator while conversing with McGonagall. There is...
Chapter 1: The Dark Lord Ascending Movie Book Snape comes to Malfoy Manor by himself. Snape shows up at Malfoy Manor accompanied...
Chapter 1: The Riddle House Movie Book The movie begins with Harry having a dream of a man being murdered by Voldemort....
Chapter 1: Dudley Demented Movie Book The movie opens with Harry in the park, where Dudley and his friends come over to...
Chapter 1: Owl Post Movie Book Harry casts the Lumos Maxima spell while hidden under his blanket. Harry uses a flashlight for...
Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday Movie Book The movie begins with the Dursleys getting ready for the Mason family arrival. The story...
Chapter 1: The Other Minister Movie Book The Death Eaters are depicted assaulting Diagon Alley and abducting Ollivander. The attack and abduction...
Chapter 24: The Wandmaker Movie Book Harry is the only one who digs Dobby’s grave. Dean assists Harry in digging Dobby’s grave....
The Harry Potter universe expands across many forms of media, from books to films to video games. While each form tells the...
In the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald film, directed by David Yates, the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has broken free...
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, is the third installment in the series by Warner Bros, starring Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, and...
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, directed by David Yates, follows Newt Scamander, a magizoologist on his global excursion to find...
“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind.”...
“You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil.” -Harry Potter...
In the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series, we experience a darker story through the lens of a new director, Mike...
The third installment of the Harry Potter series features the Golden Trio returning for their third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft...
The series that introduced us to the wizarding world only gets better as the movies progress and the second installment in the...
The Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling is known across the world. Rowling and her world became household names for...
Related Blog Articles
The old Harry Potter video game series was a huge part of every fan's childhood. With the recent release of the new...
There are plenty of mysteries to find in Hogwarts Legacy, one of which are the Moth Mirrors. There are twenty mirrors scattered...
Harry returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but the Wizarding World and the school are in...
Harry Potter and his friends are on the run, hunted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They're on a quest to find...
In the final installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the...
“Or perhaps in SlytherinYou'll make your real friends,Those cunning folk use any meansTo achieve their ends.” -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone...
Join us as we take a look at a summary and review of the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order...
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived Movie Book The scene starts with Dumbledore using the Deluminator while conversing with McGonagall. There is...
Chapter 1: The Dark Lord Ascending Movie Book Snape comes to Malfoy Manor by himself. Snape shows up at Malfoy Manor accompanied...
Chapter 1: The Riddle House Movie Book The movie begins with Harry having a dream of a man being murdered by Voldemort....
Chapter 1: Dudley Demented Movie Book The movie opens with Harry in the park, where Dudley and his friends come over to...
Chapter 1: Owl Post Movie Book Harry casts the Lumos Maxima spell while hidden under his blanket. Harry uses a flashlight for...
Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday Movie Book The movie begins with the Dursleys getting ready for the Mason family arrival. The story...
Chapter 1: The Other Minister Movie Book The Death Eaters are depicted assaulting Diagon Alley and abducting Ollivander. The attack and abduction...
Chapter 24: The Wandmaker Movie Book Harry is the only one who digs Dobby’s grave. Dean assists Harry in digging Dobby’s grave....
The Harry Potter universe expands across many forms of media, from books to films to video games. While each form tells the...
In the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald film, directed by David Yates, the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has broken free...
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, is the third installment in the series by Warner Bros, starring Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, and...
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, directed by David Yates, follows Newt Scamander, a magizoologist on his global excursion to find...
“Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind.”...
“You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil.” -Harry Potter...
In the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series, we experience a darker story through the lens of a new director, Mike...
The third installment of the Harry Potter series features the Golden Trio returning for their third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft...
The series that introduced us to the wizarding world only gets better as the movies progress and the second installment in the...
The Harry Potter book series by J. K. Rowling is known across the world. Rowling and her world became household names for...
Leave a comment