Which Two Harry Potter Characters Were Missorted & What Secondary Houses I Would Assign Others

I don’t want to question the creator, but I think JK Rowling sorted some characters purely for plot necessity, while other characters have very clear secondary houses.

Missorted: Peter Pettigrew

Peter Pettigrew, aka, Wormtail, aka, Scabbers, is one of the two recent hatstalls at Hogwarts, which is a phenomenon when the Sorting Hat takes over five minutes to reach a decision about where to sort a particular student. The Sorting Hat seriously considered sorting Pettigrew into Slytherin but ended up choosing Gryffindor (the other hatstall was “Head of Gryffindor House” Minerva McGonagall, who nearly ended up in Ravenclaw).

However, Pettigrew is NOT a Gryffindor. The characters to whom Pettigrew most closely resembles are Draco’s cronies Crabbe and Goyle. If you have read my post, What About Us Determines Our Hogwarts House, you know that one feature of some Slytherins, those who are less alpha and more inept, is following others who have more power. Like Crabbe and Goyle, who follow Draco, Pettigrew followed those who had more ability, prestige, and power: Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin. Pettigrew did so again with Voldemort before and long after Lily and James Potter are killed, which only happened because Pettigrew, the Potter’s Secret Keeper, gave Voldemort their location.

Not only did Pettigrew sell out the Potter’s, but Pettigrew followed this betrayal with another betrayal; a remorseless and strategized play where Pettigrew staged a scene in a public street, loudly blaming Sirius (who Dumbledore and Lupin thought was the Potter’s Secret Keeper) for giving away the Potter’s location, before Pettigrew cut off his own finger, and blew up a bunch of watching muggles before transforming into his animagus form, a rat, and fleeing.

Following his escape, Pettigrew lived as a rat—a coward--for 12 years as Percy and Ron Weasley’s pet before betraying Sirius a second time in Harry’s third year. A year later, after seeking out and finding Voldemort’s “spirit,” Pettigrew lured Ministry of Magic employee Bertha Jorkins to Voldemort, and after Voldemort and Pettigrew extracted useful information that would help capture Harry, Bertha was killed. Pettigrew hid away with Voldemort, helped the latter return to a physical form--a deformed baby-like-being. While Voldemort was in this state, Pettigrew easily could have killed or escaped him: “baby” Voldemort. However, after 9+ months of caring for Voldemort, Pettigrew killed Cedric, tied Harry to a graveyard headstone, and helped Voldemort return to power. After Pettigrew cut off his own hand and took Harry’s blood to add each to Voldemort’s resurrection potion, Pettigrew was way more concerned about getting his silver hand, a replacement for the one he cut off, than he was about Harry. Again, demonstrating not even a shred of remorse for killing Cedric Diggory or assisting in the would-be murder of his friend’s son.

Pettigrew is a Slytherin and not the good kind. However, what really solidifies my position about Pettigrew is that he NEVER demonstrated Gryffindor qualities. The closest thing to showing bravery was “hesitating” to throttle Ron and Harry in Malfoy Manor in Deathly Hallows, as the latter two tried to escape. We don’t know if that hesitation would have led to letting Harry and Ron go or not, because Pettigrew’s bewitched silver hand immediately closed upon Pettigrew’s throat, killing him. A moment of hesitation is a weak show of heroism.

So, why is he in Gryffindor?

Because in Potter, most Hogwarts students (rather unrealistically) stick to hanging around only those in their own houses. It was necessary that Pettigrew was part of the Marauder’s gang, Moony (Lupin), Wormtail (Pettigrew), Padfoot (Sirius), and Prongs (James Potter), in order for the entire story to move forward, because Pettigrew needs to be close to James Potter and Sirius Black in order to betray them.

Missorted: Percy Weasley

Percy Weasley is not-not brave, I will admit. He jumps into the Battle of Hogwarts, fighting on Harry’s side, and I am sure he has many other Gryffindor qualities, but Percy is at his most fundamental core, a Slytherin. Were you expecting Ravenclaw? If so, read my analysis of Ravenclaws in this post. While incredibly studious, Percy is the human embodiment of the status quo, which does not fit with free-thinking, innovative Ravenclaw house. Percy is, however, ambitious, calculating, seeking prestige, power, and a flawless self-image.

If you have read the Harry Potter novels, you know that Percy is almost ENTIRELY defined by his ambition. Not only was he perhaps the most boisterous and big-headed Hogwarts prefect and Head Boy, but after graduating Hogwarts, he very easily cut off the entire Weasley family—his family, Dumbledore, and Harry in Order of the Phoenix to serve those who worked against Dumbledore and Harry: Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and the atrocious Dolores Umbridge. Why? Because Percy wanted to be a Ministry of Magic success, and he followed the most powerful Ministry members to almost any end. The year prior, in Goblet of Fire, Percy worshiped his boss, Barty Crouch Sr, so much that Percy overlooked and rejected every sign that Crouch was in peril and under the Imperius Curse. Percy did not want to appear incompetent or be connected to another who is not “up to snuff,” so Percy refused to see the signs that something was wrong with his precious boss. Percy also defended Crouch for sacking his house elf Winky, even though the act was most unjust (justice is a priority of Gryffindor), for no other reason than to blindly align himself with and ever-so-faithfully serve the powerful Crouch. Slytherins are image conscious, and no one cared more about how the most successful figures (as well as everyone else) perceived oneself than Percy Weasley.

Percy Weasley was capable of bravery and would eventually let go of ambition to do what is right, but what is right and just does not define Percy’s motivations and desires. It might be easy to think that just because Percy fought for the good side in the Battle of Hogwarts, he is automatically not a Slytherin, but if this battle were to happen in real life, many Slytherins would have fought against Voldemort. YouTube personality Jonathan Carlin of Super Carlin Brothers is a Slytherin, and I once asked him over Twitter if he would have fought in the battle, and his answer was an adamant YES. Slytherin’s are cunning and ambitious, but that doesn’t inherently mean they are immoral or incapable of acts of bravery. Real-life Slytherins are as diverse in personalities as members of any other house. Harry Potter does not represent this house with the nuance it deserves.

So, why is Percy in Gryffindor? In Harry Potter, family members tend to be sorted to the same house, with few exceptions. Those few are Sirius, a Gryffindor within the very Slytherin-sorted Black family (Tonks, Andromeda Black’s daughter was Hufflepuff, Andromeda is a Slytherin, but her father Ted was Hufflepuff), Padma and Parvati Patil, identical twins sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively, and Albus Potter, Harry and Ginny’s Slytherin son. In real life, though, families are sorted all over the place. I am a Gryffindor, my mom, Ravenclaw, my daughter, Hufflepuff, my sister, Ravenclaw, my niece, Gryffindor. The reason Percy is a Gryffindor is because all the Weasley’s are, and much of Percy’s storyline, and all the foundation laid for Percy, depended, and was centered on Percy being in Gryffindor—being in the Gryffindor common room, becoming a Gryffindor prefect and later Head Boy.

The Characters Who Have Close Secondary Houses

Gilderoy Lockhart

Lockhart is a near even split of Ravenclaw-Slytherin. Although Ravenclaw sorted Lockhart is innovative and thinks outside the box, he demonstrates Slytherin qualities in his ambition, cunning, and attention to his public image.

Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore is a Gryffindor, but Gryffindor is followed closely by Ravenclaw, and behind that, Slytherin. I could not count the amount of comments I have seen and heard in regard to Dumbledore being a Slytherin, and although he is possibly the most calculating character in the series, he is not ambitious or even calculating in the ways Slytherins demonstrate. While both Slytherins and Dumbledore “use any means to achieve their ends,” Slytherins mostly demonstrate this to benefit themselves or their position (although not always), but Dumbledore uses "drastic" means, not "any," to achieve his ends—his “ends” being the defeat of Voldemort and the saving of the wizarding and muggle worlds.

Dumbledore gave up on his personal ambitions after his sister Ariana was killed and Grindewald fled Godric’s Hollow. Dumbledore understood the effect power had on him, so he instead dedicated his life to teaching. Dumbledore’s calculating was done to benefit the world, and Harry was a necessary part of this. If he were to not “manipulate” Harry (I use this word loosely), Harry wouldn’t have been better off. In fact, I’m sure he and many others would have died, and Voldemort succeeded. Harry was impulsive and reckless, and Dumbledore was absolutely right to keep many things from him until the time was right.

The reason Dumbledore’s secondary house is Ravenclaw is because he is incredibly eccentric, innovative, wise, inquisitive, as well as a non-conformist. But at the end of the day, what drove Dumbledore’s motivations was justice and fighting evil for the betterment of everyone. He is primarily a Gryffindor, but his Ravenclaw and Slytherin qualities came in handy carrying out his purpose.

Severus Snape

Snape is a Slytherin with the secondary house of Ravenclaw. No, not Gryffindor, as Dumbledore implied could have been Snape's primary house when Dumbledore said, "You know, sometimes I think we sort too young." Snape is not a Slytherin-Gryffindor because he doesn’t value courage; he has it. There is a meaningful difference here. Snape is courageous but only pertaining to one thing—Lily. He is courageous when his personal feelings are involved, but not for the sake of courage, the latter of which is distinctly Gryffindor. It doesn't matter how much bravery someone demonstrates; it matters how much bravery defines a person's core motivations and values in all aspects, not just one.

Snape's secondary house is Ravenclaw because Snape is incredibly innovative and deeply values knowledge. Snape was the inventor of many spells and found ways to brew potions more effectively than textbooks instructed, all on his own (as seen in Half-Blood Prince). I cannot emphasize enough how impressive and Ravenclaw-like these are. Gryffindor, like mentioned in my sorting post, is a "heart house." It is likely a Gryffindor will choose to save the immediately threatened than to not save in order to serve the bigger picture. For example, when the Death Eater's use the Cruciatus Curse on Neville in the Department of Mysteries in Order of the Phoenix, Harry gives up and holds out the prophecy for Lucius Malfoy to take. Snape, however, would never do anything like this. When Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage, is about to be killed in Malfoy Manor, Snape doesn't betray his allegiance for a second. Snape does not betray this when Umbridge is holding Harry in her office, and Harry yells out his coded warning to Snape, and I highly doubt Snape would have dropped his agenda for a second to save anyone else. He lacks the impulsive, reckless qualities of Gryffindor; Snape always acts in accordance with the long game. He also does not care if anyone knows he is risking his life--he wants no recognition. Snape is almost entirely Slytherin-Ravenclaw; he is a mascot of the "mind houses," if I ever saw one.

Arthur Weasley

The brave and courageous Arthur Weasley is first and foremost a Gryffindor, but he has a strong streak of Ravenclaw in him. Inquisitive Ravenclaw's can be eccentric non-conformists, and Arthur's passion for muggle artifacts is unbelievably Ravenclaw-esque. Arthur is desperate for knowledge about muggles--he endeavors to understand electricity, planes, batteries, and other muggle things in as much depth as possible. This interest is unusual for a wizard, and his collection of muggle objects might be unique among wizard-kind.

Arthur reminds me in some ways of Luna, due to both of their unusual and eccentric interests that few other witches and wizards understand.

Draco Malfoy

Okay, hear me out! I believe Draco carries a strong capacity for Gryffindor as a secondary house. Like his son Scorpius in The Cursed Child, the way Draco was raised shaped him enormously. In Cursed Child, we see Scorpius as he is and also as he would be had Voldemort prevailed over Harry. In the latter situation, Scorpius was as much a nasty bully as Draco once was, but in reality, Scorpius is a sweet kid. Why? Because Draco refused to raise his son the way Lucius raised himself.

Draco was raised to be a bully. His father Lucius was cruel, and Draco was constantly seeking his approval, while also compensating for the low self-esteem Lucius instilled in him by bullying others. However, Draco tells Harry in Cursed Child (no, not all of the play is canon, but the character arcs are, I believe) that he was always jealous of Harry--his friends and his bravery--and this reminds me of Neville, who wanted to be placed in Hufflepuff, but the Hat saw his desire to be brave.

If Draco were raised differently, he would be a totally different character. He might still have been Slytherin, but in both this hypothetical scenario and in reality/canon, I think Draco has inherent Gryffindor leanings. In the end, Draco wanted to do what was right--he didn't want to kill Dumbledore or give up Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Voldemort, refusing to tell Bellatrix the disfigured face was Harry's. If Draco were raised to value bravery, that quality would have easily emerged within him. It was there lying beneath the surface the whole time. After the war, Draco dropped the pure-blood mani and raised his son to be tolerant, and that speaks volumes to Draco's true nature when not influenced by Lucius.

Scorpius Malfoy

Draco's sweet, hilarious, and loyal son Scorpius is one of the best characters in the franchise, and although he is a Slytherin, he definitely demonstrates Gryffindor leanings. Scorpius follows his best friend Albus Potter into a variety of dangerous situations with the aim of saving Cedric. He is loyal and chivalrous and concerned with the well-being of others.

Ginny Weasley

Ginny Weasley is definitely a Gryffindor, but her secondary house is clearly Slytherin. Ginny is cleverly cunning, often coming up with fake stories...lies...on the spot without difficulty and with an almost unnervingly convincing delivery. She is a strategist, ambitious, cold and calculating, resourceful, and it is worth mentioning that her wand wood is yew, the same as Voldemort's.

Rubeus Hagrid

Hagrid was a Gryffindor, but his secondary house is Hufflepuff. Like the other lover of magical creatures, Hufflepuff Newt Scamander, Hagrid is accepting, tolerant, a champion of diversity, and loyal. His devotion to Dumbledore is unparalleled, and he does what is right not only out of bravery but out of altruism. He is selfless and kind, so although a true Gryffindor, the house that comes second is Hufflepuff. Like Snape is clearly all "mind houses," Hagrid is all "heart houses." (see Sorting blog post for more details)

Nymphadora Tonks

Tonks, the Hufflepuff, has a secondary house of Gryffindor. As an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, she's obviously brave. She is also a bit reckless. She was supposed to stay behind with her newborn son during the Battle of Hogwarts, but she showed up to stay and fight with her husband Remus Lupin, which resulted in her death (and his).

Regulus Black

Sirius's Slytherin and Death Eater little brother Regulus, known in the books and films as "R.A.B," the man who stole the real locket from the cave Dumbledore and Harry visit and replaced it with a fake locket, enclosed with the note:

Regulus's secondary house is Gryffindor, the house of his brother, Sirius. Regulus defied Voldemort and willingly sacrificed himself to possibly help a future, unknown person defeat Voldemort. Regulus wasn't sure someone even could or would defeat Voldemort, but he sacrificed himself anyway, just in case. He may not have been driven by bravery, but he ended his life with a courageous act.

Regulus is also a star in the constellation Leo; Regulus is known as "the heart of the lion."