Harry Potter Hat Sorting Quiz

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Aug 03, 2025

Today’s blog post exists because I mentioned my Harry Potter-themed team builder to a colleague—and was asked to resurrect it from the dusty archives. So here we are, bringing it back into the daylight. You're welcome:

A few years ago, BuzzFeed published a quiz called “Which Hogwarts House Do You Truly Belong In?”—peak internet content, and also peak team-building material. Perfect timing because we had an offsite coming up and I was on the hook for creating an ice-breaker for my teammates. This quiz basically screamed our names in Parseltongue.

So, if you're looking to create a lighthearted way to connect with coworkers or just need a reason to discuss wand cores during work hours, this quiz is for you. It was enjoyable hearing which virtues people valued most and why. I even made a handy clue guide to turn it into a group activity that anyone can join.

WHICH HOGWARTS HOUSE DO YOU TRULY BELONG IN?

Quiz: BuzzFeed Hat Sorting Quiz

DEFINITIONS TO HELP YOU DURING QUIZ:

Wands:

Phoenix Feather: Phoenix feathers are feathers shed by phoenixes, primarily gathered and used in wandmaking. Phoenix feather are one of the three supreme core types. It is one of the rarest cores, with the greatest power range and whose allegiance is hard won.
Dragon Heartstring: Dragon heartstring is a material from a dragon that can be used in the core of a wand. It is unknown from which varieties of dragon the heartstrings are collected, and what effect this difference makes on the attributes of the wand, if any.
Unicorn hair is a powerful magical substance with a variety of uses, originating on the body of a unicorn. It can be used as the core of wands.

Spells:

Expelliarmus: The Disarming Charm – means 'to drive out a weapon' and that's what it does: forces the subject to drop whatever they're holding. Usually that's a wand, which is why it's often seen in duels, and Harry definitely took that to heart, given how much he used it in combat.
Protego: A spell used to guard its caster from incoming spells. It doesn't work against the killing curse. It is coined from the Latin verb 'protego', 'to protect'.
Stupefy: The Stunning Spell (Stupefy), also known as the Stupefying Charm, or Stunner for short, is a charm that stuns the target, rendering them unconscious. This charm is exceptionally useful in duelling, as it can quickly end a duel without causing lasting damage. The spell also has the ability to halt moving objects.
Crucio: The Cruciatus Curse (also known as the Torture Curse) is one of the three Unforgivable Curses of the wizarding world. It is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on a victim. This makes it popular among the Death Eaters for use on both fellow wizards and Muggles.

OTHER DEFINITIONS:

A Howler: is a magical letter in a red envelope which enchants the written message into the writer's voice, usually at a very high volume. The physical temperature of the Howler begins to rapidly increase upon delivery, and it will explode if left unopened for too long.

Quidditch Game Positions:

Seeker: A position in the wizarding sport of Quidditch. There is one Seeker per team. The goal of the Seeker is to catch the Golden Snitch. They play a crucial role in Quidditch, as a game does not end until the Seeker catches the Snitch.
Chaser: A position in the wizarding sport of Quidditch. There are three Chasers per team. The Chasers control the Quaffle (ball) and attempt to get it through the goal hoops past the Keeper (position whose job is to guard goalposts and stop Chasers.
Beaters: Attempt to hit the opposing team's players with bludgers and attempt to block the bludgers from hitting their team's players. Beaters are subject to the same knockout procedure as chasers or keepers when hit with a bludger, but unlike chasers and keepers, they may attempt to catch a bludger thrown at them.

LOCATIONS:

The Forbidden Forest: The Forbidden Forest, also known as the Dark Forest, borders the edges of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy grounds. The forest is a very old place that holds many secrets and houses many creatures, some dark and dangerous, others friendly. The trees in the forest are considered ancient, they are dense and rough looking from years of exposure to the elements.
The Library: The Hogwarts Library is located on the third floor of Hogwarts Castle and contains tens of thousands of books on thousands of shelves. Overseen by Madam Irma Pince, the library is where students can go to peruse or borrow books to supplement their studies (or for personal enjoyment).
The Kitchens: The Hogwarts kitchens is a room located in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is where all the food for Hogwarts students and staff are prepared. House-elves inhabit this room and are responsible for preparing meals.
The Room of Requirement: The Room of Requirement is a magical room in Hogwarts castle which can only be discovered by someone who is in need. It is called the Come and Go Room by the house-elves of Hogwarts. The Room is located on the seventh floor, opposite a tapestry showing Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls to dance the ballet.
The Mirror of Erised: A magical mirror, which, according to Albus Dumbledore, shows the "deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." The name "Erised" is "desire" spelled backwards, as if reflected in a mirror. The happiest and most satisfied person in the world would look in the mirror and see a reflection of them, exactly as they are, for they would then have no one and nothing more to desire for the mirror to show them. Alternatively, it is intrinsically inherent for human nature to desire something greater than one's own self — meaning that an event wherein the mirror failed to carry out its intended purpose rarely, if at all, happened.
The Triwizard Tournament: A magical contest held between the three largest wizarding schools of Europe: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Durmstrang Institute, and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, each school being represented by one champion. Selected champions compete in three tasks — traditionally judged by the Headmasters or Headmistresses of the competing schools — designed to test magical ability, intelligence, and courage. Champions compete for the honor and glory of winning the Tournament, for the Triwizard Cup, and a monetary prize. The first Tournament was held sometime around the late 13th century.
The Yule Ball: A tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. It is a formal dance held on the evening of Yule (the pagan Winter solestice/Christmas celebration) of a tournament year, and is opened by the tournament champions and their partners.
Deathly Hallow Choices: The Deathly Hallows are three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family. They consisted of the Elder Wand, an immensely powerful wand that was considered unbeatable; the Resurrection Stone, a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, rendered the user completely invisible. According to the story, both Antioch Peverell (owner of the Wand) and Cadmus Peverell (owner of the Stone) came to bad ends. However, Ignotus Peverell's wisdom in requesting the Cloak was rewarded.
Elder Wand: It is said to be the most powerful wand ever to exist, able to perform feats of magic that would normally be impossible even for the most skilled wizards, such as mending another wand damaged beyond normal magical repair. The Elder Wand's core is the tail hair of a Thestral, a potent yet tricky substance to master; only a witch or wizard who was capable of accepting death could do so.
The Resurrection Stone is said to be the only object that would bring back the spirits of the holder's deceased loved ones, activating when the Stone is turned three times in the user's hand. These summoned shades are more physically solid than a ghost but less so than a living body, though their exact nature is unclear. Harry Potter describes them as almost transparent, and they produce a Patronus-like effect that shielded against Dementors. They remain visible only as long as the stone is held and only the person who is holding the Stone can see them. These shades are said to dislike being drawn from their rightful place in the afterlife as they do not belong in the living world anymore, though Harry Potter's loved ones made no complaints when he summoned them.
The Cloak of Invisibility is a magical artefact used to render the wearer invisible, and one of the fabled Deathly Hallows. In The Tale of the Three Brothers, it was the third and final Hallow created, supposedly by Death himself (whom had the cloak in his possession at that time)

HOUSES:

“You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart"

— Sorting Hat

Gryffindor is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was founded by Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor instructed the Sorting Hat to choose students possessing characteristics he most valued, such as courage, chivalry, nerve and determination, to be sorted into his house.

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind."

— Sorting Hat

Ravenclaw is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its founder was the medieval witch Rowena Ravenclaw. Members of this house are characterized by their wit, learning, and wisdom.

"Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means,

To achieve their ends."

— Sorting Hat

Slytherin is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Salazar Slytherin. In establishing the house, Salazar instructed the Sorting Hat to pick students who had a few particular characteristics he most valued. These characteristics include cunning, resourcefulness, leadership, and ambition.

"You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

And unafraid of toil."

— Sorting Hat

Hufflepuff is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its founder was the medieval witch Helga Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff is the most inclusive among the four houses, valuing hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members.

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