Since the moment I found out I was half-Gryffindor, I decided it was very important that I be a little more socially reckless (i.e. courageous, brave). It has worked out pretty well. Even when it has not, I now have more stories to tell. About Luke Evans.
I started out at a stark Ravenclaw, said Pottermore in 2011. My aspiration was to be as unselfconscious as Luna Lovegood. She does things her own way and does not let mocking or rudeness influence her own approach to life or her beliefs. She is not swayed by that sort of singling-out. Moreover, she maintains her own identity with a passion. She teaches how the ‘weirdest’ people make the best friends. (Your friends have to be pretty open-hearted/minded to accept weirdness.)
And sometimes, you need to be told what you are and what you can be. Being a Ravenclaw taught me that I can be witty, that I can be intelligent, that I can be introverted, that I can be crazy, and all of that will be appreciated.
When I retook the Sorting Hat ceremony in 2016, I was sorted into Gryffindor. What a blow. My heart was set on Ravenclaw, where I could be my weirdest self for myself. And then I realised that being a Gryffindor wasn’t so bad: I needed to be brave; I needed to be daring. If I wanted to be Hermione Granger all along, I’d need to learn to speak up, give myself opportunities to learn more (maybe even be trusted with a Time-Turner). Her characterisation only clicked with me recently. Her boldness was about a belief in her own intelligence and being motivated to use her intelligence to the best of her ability.
Hermione wanted to be didactic, but her peers saw it as arrogance. She, like Neville Longbottom, called people out when they were wrong. Her didacticism came from compassion, from wanting to see people be their best. Why was she swayed by the fact that Albus Dumbledore was a Gryffindor? Because he represented cleverness. He was the headmaster of Hogwarts and therefore the epitome of the school and magic. To be inspired enough to strive to reach the top is no bad thing. I needed to do that with my life. I needed to be as organised, even without a Time-Turner. I needed to stand up for my own weirdness.
And then, then there is Molly Weasley. Molly is perhaps the most mothering person of all. I am nothing like that. But she does knit, as do I right now. She is also a Gryffindor. Quirky. Traditional. Considerate. Welcoming. The kind of person you feel at ease with. I want to be just like that. I want to improve myself like Hermione Granger, to learn as much as possible and be as motivated as her, and also be as supportive and encouraging as Molly Weasley. Of course, I am not confined to these houses, but they represent great qualities. To be as sharp as McGonagall and as curious as Arthur Weasley – how wonderful that would be!
Jannat Ahmed 