“Sometimes We Sort Too Soon”: My Pottermore House Changed

Albus Dumbledore once said, “You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon.” This simple sentence launched global conversations discussing whether Sorting students into Houses at age 11 was the best determinant of their character. I myself have wondered if by placing young children into exclusive stereotypes, they are then forced to develop those characteristics and ignore further development outside of those norms.

I have identified as a Gryffindor since I could get ahold of the Potter series. At first, it was merely because I wanted to be in the “cool” House, and yet, as I progressed further into the novels, I found myself aligning with the manners of a Gryffindor. By 16, I had endured a few experiences that led me to believe I truly was meant to be in Gryffindor. I took numerous online tests, and they all placed me into the House of red and gold. My bedroom became an extension of the Gryffindor common room, and then, Pottermore happened.

I was Sorted into Ravenclaw, and my world shattered. I was 17, about to start college, and at Walt Disney World Resort when it occurred. I didn’t know what to do with myself. While I was honored to be placed in an esteemed House based on wit, I had a bedroom at home covered in an entirely different decor. One of my initial thoughts was that I would have spent many nights sleeping outside the dormitory since I would have never been able to solve the riddles required for entrance. I went through the stages of grief like many others and came to accept that, instead, I was a Gryffinclaw and embraced my Ravenclaw qualities.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when Pottermore re-released the Sorting Hat test to the world. I was hesitant, not quite sure if I was ready to subject myself to another lifestyle change. I had become comfortable in my Gryffinclaw-ness, equally buying both merchandise and priding myself on all the traits associated with my dual Houses.

I got Gryffindor. I am now 22, a college graduate, and a lot different than who I was at the age of 17. To say that I was pleased is putting it mildly. I had finally found myself in the House I truly thought I belonged to. There was a span of six years between my two Sortings, about as much time between when a student first walks into Hogwarts and when they graduate a fully developed wizard.

Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew are examples of two characters who, had they been re-Sorted, may have received different results compared to their initial ceremony. While I believe Snape would have remained a Slytherin, he definitely exhibited a few Gryffindor features. Pettigrew, on the other hand, I think would have bled silver and green.

I’m not the only one to have experienced a change of House. Nicole, a member of the Creative Team, expressed that she switched from Ravenclaw to Hufflepuff. “For me, it was a confirmation that I’m really a Puff at heart,” she explained when asked how she dealt with the news.

Not everyone is pleased with the change. Another member, Amy, lamented, “I took the old one four times and was Hufflepuff every time, but when I took the new one I got Gryffindor. I’m not too happy… I don’t think I have any Gryffindor qualities other than justice, which fits under Hufflepuff with all my other attributes.”

So what does it mean if our Houses change? Are we too fixated on an online quiz? Is this a sign of our developing maturity? Did we learn the right answers to get what we want? It could be a combination of everything, honestly. I decided to take the test again to make sure of my Sorting and was rewarded with a Gryffindor ruling once more, which convinced me.

Have you been re-Sorted and changed Houses? Cheyenne, a journalist intern, has, and well, “I’m having an identity crisis.”