Which house would you belong to at Hogwarts?

What the Hat looks for

Drawn from the Sorting Hat’s own songs, which describe each house a little differently every time it sings.

Gryffindor — Daring, nerve and chivalry. Courage shown in what you do — often while frightened, which is the part that counts.

Ravenclaw — Wit, learning and a ready mind. Not marks in an exam — curiosity, and wanting to understand a thing before you touch it.

Hufflepuff — Justice, loyalty, patience and hard work. Helga was the only founder who said she'd teach everyone rather than turn away students without a favoured talent.

Slytherin — Cunning, resourcefulness and ambition. Salazar also wanted only pure-blood students, a prejudice that shaped the house's history even though later Slytherins are not defined by it.

And your own preference counts

Harry asked not to be put in Slytherin and the Hat listened, having already decided he'd have done well there. Years later he tells his son the same thing — that the Hat takes a choice into account, and that it did for him.

But a preference isn't a decision.