Hufflepuff Pride: Supporting Our Founder

Wait, it’s House Pride Month and Women’s History Month?! With that combination, it is a perfect time to talk about Ms. Helga Hufflepuff, a founder of Hogwarts.

Helga Hufflepuff was born in Wales during the tenth century. Helga was a pleasantly plump witch, with red hair and blue eyes. She is most famous for assisting in the founding of Hogwarts, creating Hufflepuff House. Unlike the other founders, Helga did not care about how smart, skilled, or brave her students were. What mattered to her was that they were willing to learn. She united witches and wizards from all backgrounds for her House and the school. She valued loyalty, honesty, fair play, and hard work. The students who were in her House exhibited these qualities.

One of Helga’s lesser-known accomplishments is that she brought the house-elves to Hogwarts. She provided them with somewhere safe to work, where they would never be abused or mistreated. This was a thought process and level of compassion that was a rarity in those days. Helga was known to be very charming and have a gift for food-based charms. Most of her recipes are still used by the house-elves today.

Helga Hufflepuff was an amazing witch and humanitarian. At a time where no one was really thinking of elves as people, she took a group to Hogwarts for protection. She gave them a safe place to work, steady meals, and a nice place to sleep. Also, while the other founders were picking “elite” students, Helga said she would take all students who wanted to learn or improve. She gave all of her students an equal opportunity to learn, and she brought students who wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise.

A majority of people look down on Hufflepuffs because they aren’t chosen for being brave, smart, or cunning. What people fail to realize is that Hufflepuffs are loyal, kind, and dedicated. They are accepting of everyone and are fiercely loyal friends. I am proud to be a Hufflepuff, and I will show it accordingly today. Happy Hufflepuff Day!