B (17:41)
Y' all I did it again. I recorded this question just now and completely forgot to invoke the notion of the arithmency lesson and how many people took the survey. And so I had to go back and I had to fix it. And that's the magic of podcast making is that if I hadn't told you, you wouldn't have known. But I'm honest and I'm true. I know that some of you don't expect that from me because I'm a Slytherin, but look at me now. So for this episode's arithmancy lesson, 284 of us took the survey and that the house breakdown is as follows. We have about 29% of us are in Gryffindor, about 22% of us are in Hufflepuff, about 18% of us are in Slytherin, and about 31% of us are in Ravenclaw. So. So this is a fairly decent distribution across the four houses, better than we've had for others. So that means that we can kind of get a really good sense of things when we're talking about this first question, which is what is one word that you think best describes Gryffindors? So the top three in the aggregate across all of the houses is Brave, Reckless, and Courage. Now, I love this because I love that reckless is the second most used word to describe Gryffindors, namely because it's not a word that is explicitly associated with Gryffindors in the text. And in many ways it feels kind of like curiosity for Ravenclaws, right? Which is this word that kind of runs underneath the surface of so many of the decisions that are made by Gryffindors, but it's not explicitly mentioned in the text as a way to describe them, but that we have picked up on as we have kind of lived our lives with these books. And I just love. I love that because I think that there is a way, and I'm going to talk about this in my reflection, but there's a way. I think that recklessness is in some ways a kind of a synonym for bravery as it pertains to how it's used within the books. Like, I don't think that it's a synonym outside the context of Gryffindor, but I think as it pertains to Gryffindor's recklessness is definitely a synonym for bravery. And I'm going to talk about that more in detail. So that was a little bit of a spoiler because I'm messy like that. Okay. But when we disaggregate out and look at the top three words for each house, what we get is also very interesting. So for Gryffindor, as the top three words for brave, courage and bold. For Hufflepuffs, it was brave, reckless and courage. For Ravenclaws, it was brave, bold and reckless. And for Slytherins, it was brave, reckless and bold. So what's fascinating to me about this is that Gryffindors are the only ones who didn't invoke some notion of recklessness. Right. Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Slytherins all invoke the notion of Gryffindors being reckless as one of the top three words to describe the house, but not actual Gryffindors. And that is interesting to me because. And part of it, I think, is just that there is a way that, again, if you kind of understand bravery as something that in some ways has an inherent recklessness to it, then you wouldn't recognize it for what it is. But if you're living outside of that space, if you're not understanding it and you're from the on the outside looking in, then it stands to reason that you might see a thing, right? Like, you know, how they talk about how, you know, if you're in a room that smells a certain way, that you can go nose blind to it. I think that a lot of Gryffindors may be nose blind to the notion of recklessness. And again, I'm going to talk a little bit more about that in detail and why I think that that might be the case later on in the episode. But it was something that was really fascinating to see. Kind of bear out in the data that you have a house that doesn't necessarily see itself the way that other people in the house see it, which sounds somewhat familiar to Slytherins, but we're not talking about them right now. So anyways, I'm just throwing it out there to be messy. But also, when we asked whether or not this word was a strength or a flaw, we have some interesting results that manifest here, right? And so when we look at the aggregate, about 50% of us said that these words were a strength, about 26% of us said it was a flaw, and about 23% of us said, don't know. Now, when we disaggregate this out, what we see is that 57% of Gryffindors say it's a strength, 43% of Hufflepops and 48% of Ravenclaws and 49% of Slytherins. And so that these are meaningfully distinct from Gryffindors, if we were to compare solely to Gryffindors with statistical wizardry, that was done, what we see is that for each house, that is a meaningful decrease in the perception of these things as a strength. And I think that there's something to this, because I think if, as it seems, other houses view the notion of Gryffindor's bravery and their willingness to engage in certain behaviors as a means by which to understand. Like, if they associate Gryffindors with recklessness, then we can understand why they may be a little bit more dubious of calling that a strength. And it seems that obviously Gryffindors tend to lean more positive and other houses tend to see this as much more of a flaw than it is a strength. And I can understand why Gryffindors are like, no. I mean. Well, one, I think that there's this, again, this kind of. This conflation of these two concepts. But I also think that if reckless, hello, if recklessness gets the job done, then it's a strength, right? If it helps meet the ends that need to be met, then it is not an inherently bad thing. Nor is it a flaw. Because without it would we be able to get the outcomes that we get? And I think I can understand how and why Gryffindors arrive at this place simultaneously, concurrently. And I can understand how other houses would look at that and be like, yeah, I'm not doing that. Huh? I'm not about to run into a train car full of people who don't like me, one of whom has clearly, like, signed up to do heinous, horrific things by virtue of getting the tat of the Dark Lord. And I'm just gonna sit in here because I'm feeling a little bit defeated because my friends don't believe me. Like that's not what I'm doing. I'm not about to get up and run over to the Ministry of Magic on the back of creatures that only some of us can see so that I can potentially go and save my godfather even though there are plenty of magical adult people who can probably help us. But I don't feel like asking them. I'm gonna go do it myself. Like yes, obviously doing that meant that there were a lot of things that were discovered we underst prophecy. Lucius Malfoy as a result went to Azkaban, Voldemort was found out. Like all of that happened and that's all fine, well and good simultaneously, concurrently and Sirius died. So like there's a way, I think that Gryffindors understand bravery in such a very specific way of saying like I have to do what I gotta do to make sure that like the people and the things that I care about are taken care of and safe. And I think other houses see that and say, you know what though? At what cost? And I wonder about that particular line of questioning as it pertains to Gryffindors and whether or not that question really resonates with them at the moment of decision making. Based on my read I would probably say no. But I'm wondering if there are moments, I mean if there are moments where we do see some Gryffindors like kind of taking that. I think Hermione, I think Hermione's Ravenclaw Moon really does kind of get her to think through some things a bit more because obviously she is the one who's like don't just go and be impulsive about this Harry. Like we need to think about it. And Harry's like girl, chill. We're not doing that. We're going to the Ministry. Are you with me or are you not? If you are getting on the back of that thestral, we got places to be. And I think that there are ways that some Gryffindors are much more have a much better sense of foresight. But then we're also talking about Hermione who was like, you know what? We are caught up and we have to get out of this Umbridge's office. So we're just going to go and I'm going to manipulate the circumstances and end up using centaurs as a means by which to punish this woman while simultaneously using a giant to my own ends. And I have not thought of any of this. Like I'm just kind of doing it on the fly and not only is it reckless, it's prejudicial. And so there is a way that. But like it got the job done right, like things were accomplished. And I think that there's a way that the latter part, like the ends generally always justify the means for Gryffindors in a way that for other houses there is a lot more work to be done. Right. We spend a lot of time talking about Ravenclaws and how the journey is a thing that they consider. I think Hufflepuffs like to think about the effect that all of this is gonna have on other people and the decisions that you make and the effect that it's gonna have on the community. And Slytherins are very focused on the outcome. So like, yeah, we might get there, but at what cost? Is a question that I think comes. That's the first thing that a Slytherin's gonna ask. At what cost? And I think that Gryffindors don't necessarily arrive at that same way, which is how they might be nose the recklessness. And every other house is like, no, there's some recklessness there. And I think it is so fascinating that it manifested in the data the way that it did. Do you think that Gryffindor is misunderstood? 29% of us said yes, about 59% of us said no. And about 12% of us said don't. No. Y', all, I. We're gonna get into the disaggregated version of this, but I also am like, I don't know how we come to the conclusion that Gryffindor. Well, okay, no, I'll qualify that. I think that there are aspects of Gryffindor nest that are not necessarily as easily understood because they tend to be buried underneath a lot of other pre existing ideas of what it means to be in Gryffindor. Right. And I think that there are ways that we see certain characters in certain ways and we don't always understand, like, you know, how it is that they ended up in the house. Right. Here's looking at you, King Neville. We end up knowing, but at the onset it's not clear, Percy, that there are other characters who end up in this space who don't necessarily fit the mold in the way that we have come to understand the house. But that to me is more of an indication of those characters as individuals being misunderstood and not necessarily not understanding the house itself. I guess some people could make the claim that, like, if you fully understood what it meant to be in Gryffindor, you would understand why those characters are in the house. And so I guess that's another way to kind of rephrase it. However, as for me, I'm less convinced that Gryffindor is misunderstood. We spend the vast majority of our time there. Most of the characters that we love and, like, spend a lot of time with are Gryffindors. And so we get to see a spectrum of Gryffindor in a way that we simply don't get for literally any other house. For literally any other house, we don't get to see the bevy of people. And I know, like, obviously our protagonist is part of this house, and thus we spend more time there because we are getting it from his perspective. But to me, that's further evidence of the fact that we know this house really, really, really, really well. When we break this down, what we get is 32% of Gryffindors say that, yes, the house is misunderstood, 31% of Slytherins say it's misunderstood, 30% of Ravenclaws and 26% of Hufflepuffs. However, 63% of Hufflepuffs say it is not misunderstood. 63% Hufflepuffs. Y' all are really out here. And it's so funny because in the same way that, you know, y' all were very critical of Slytherins, which isn't to say that you shouldn't be. But I think that we talk about being misunderstood. I think that people tend to associate Hufflepuffs with being just inherently kind all the time. And I feel like, again, we're forgetting the badger. And so it's never lost on me when we see this level of criticalness coming out of the Hufflepuff space. About 57% of Ravenclaw said that it's not misunderstood. And then 55% of Slytherins and 56% of Gryffindors. And so I love that we're able to see the fact that Gryffindor and Slytherin tend to be somewhat aligned on this in terms of their perception, which makes sense because these are the two houses that we either we spend a lot more time with or we spend a lot more time with characters who come from these houses. And so I think most houses agree that Gryffindor is not misunderstood and that, you know, it's very clear to see what it means to be a Gryffindor. I do think, though, that there is a way that we might be able to kind of understand how and why people are less inclined to, like, see why certain characters are there versus, like, other characters where we can truly and fully understand. And so, in that way, I think, like, it is a house that, like, is very straightforward, but there is some nuance to it. And I think that one of the biggest pitfalls of this house and the housing system, broadly construed, but particularly because of all the time we spend with Gryffindors is that we tend to think of them in a very kind of unidimensional way. And I think we tend to think of, like, very, you know, ask for forgiveness rather than permission. And that may be true for a lot of the characters, but I think there are also other characters that give us different ways of thinking about this. And I think what else is true about Gryffindor because we spend so much time with a lot of these characters is that we can see a lot of the interactions, right? Like, we can see a person with, like, let's say, a Gryffindor sun and a Slytherin moon. That's Percy, Right? We can see someone with a Gryffindor sun and a Hufflepuff Moon. That's Neville. And we can see someone with a Gryffindor sun and a Ravenclaw moon. Yeah, that's Hermione. I'm running with this kind of sun moon language because I think it works in a way that kind of allows for us to see a lot of the nuances of the house. But what's Harry's mood? I mean, I think that Ron is also someone who has a Hufflepuff Moon. But what's Harry's. Is he just, like a Gryffindor sun? Gryffindor moon? I mean, I know that they said the Slytherin and that the hat said it. And I would maintain that he is a very ambitious person and he's outlandishly resourceful. And so, like, if you were to say to me, it's like a Gryffindor sun, Slytherin moon, I wouldn't say no to that. I think he doesn't go as far as Percy, but I do think it's in him. And I don't think that that's just because of Voldemort's soul. I think that there are things in Harry there is a thirst to prove himself. And in many ways, the connection. Come with me on this, y'. All. The connection between that thirst to prove himself is very similar to Tom Riddle because they're both coming from very particular spaces within the Muggle world in the same way that hermione is. She also has a thirst to prove herself. And so I actually, like, this is not where I had intended to go, but we're here, so come with me for a spell. I don't think that the hat is wrong and I don't think that it's Voldemort's soul. I think that there is a thirst to prove himself. I think that Harry had an inherent and like justifiable insecurity about his space in the magical world. Especially upon finding out how famous he is and why he's famous. That, yes, he wants to prove to people that he is worthy of all of the acclaim that he has gotten. And so, yeah, like, I feel very comfortable saying that, yes, he is a Slytherin moon. Like, I think that that feels reasonable to me because I think that there are a lot of things that he does where it's like, yeah, you could have checked out on that one though, and you didn't. Because I think that you have some ambition and you also are driven by your desire to do what is good. But I don't think that you mind that people recognize it like you never. I think the one moment where we see him really kind of recoil from the work that he has done and the madness and absurdity that he gets himself into is in Order of the Phoenix, when he's like, all of that is luck, right? Like, everything that I've done, I've just been lucky. And I think that in some ways that is true. But I also think he's like downplaying a lot of what he brings to bear. But I still don't think that that is the byproduct of anything other than like massive amounts of PTSD in that moment. I think that Harry, you heard it here first and I'm sure many of you will come into the post episode chat and have lots to say about this. But that's okay. I think Harry is a Gryffindor sun, Slytherin moon, just not the same kind of Slytherin moon as Percy. But I think that he has this drive and I think that Percy's drive is different because Percy is a pure blood person that comes from a family with a bad reputation and so his drive is motivated and kind of like is filled with something else than Harry's. But I think that Harry and Hermione are both people who like, I would say that Hermione has a Slytherin rising because I think that it's definitely in her chart. She's another person who like really, she wants people to know how good she is. And it's not because she's like. And that is because I think people, I deserve it. It's like, no, I want people to know so they know that I belong here. And I think that she and Harry are very aligned in that way. And so are she and Harry and Voldemort and Severus Snape. Right, like that. There is this desire, especially when you're coming out of Muggle spaces that you need to prove that you belong here. And I think that Harry has that even more than these other people because he saved the wizarding world as a one year old and now has to prove to people and see if he can meet their expectations. So yes, he has a thirst to prove himself because they've given him something that he needs to prove and he is willing to do it. And I think that this is some of his motivation in addition to like, all of the other, like, heroic things that obviously come along with being a Gryffindor. I think that there is a way that, like, some of his recklessness and some of his like, drive is really kind of coming from this desire to prove himself and to maintain a kind of solid anchor in the magical world which was Sirius. So that when you figure out that Sirius is potentially being held captive by Voldemort or Death Eaters, it's like he is my anchor in this space. I need him. Huh? I need him because he is a father figure. But he also is the thing that, like, makes me realize that, like, I actually do belong and none of this is a farce. And so I think that Harry's thirst to prove himself doesn't undermine his Gryffindor ness. I do think, however, it really motivates him to be even more of a Gryffindor insofar that he is actually more reckless because he, in theory, has more to lose because his, like, I feel like for the first number of years his own sense of belonging in the magical world feels very tenuous to him. And so he's always looking for ways to anchor his way in. And I think that meeting the expectations of the magical people gives him a sense that he might be able to stay. And I think that that's very meaningful to someone who has the background that he has and the abuse that he had to endure. So yes, of course he is like, has this drive. And so bringing it all back, right this tangent. I think that when we think about Gryffindors we are able to kind of see such a broad spectrum of characters and truly understand and fully accept, accept why it is that some of the people who live on the margins of these houses, right, Like a lot, we have a fair number of hat stalls that exist in Gryffindor house. And so we're able to see like the full capacity of what it means to be a Gryffindor. And I think in some ways that to me reifies the notion that this house is fully understood if we take the time to fully understand it. And I don't think that we actually are invited to do that because I think a lot of what we are invited to see is the bravery is the heroism is the recklessness is the boldness is the brashness, right? Like that's what we are invited to see and appreciate about the people in this house. But I think underneath all of that there is a lot of other stuff that if we take the time to kind of critically analyze it and look, we're able to see a lot more of like who these people are and why it is that they do what they do. Now, I know, I feel very clear in my spirit that some of you are going to listen to this and then you are going to try to bring this back and throw it in my face for the Dumbledore episodes. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. And if you do it, and I'm looking at a couple of you and I hope you're feeling called out and called in and if you do it, that's totally fine, but just know I'm ready for you. I've never been more ready for you. But we're not talking about Dumbledore right now. Huh? We're not talking about Dumbledore for a number of weeks. So don't even bring him up to me. Anyways, on to the next question. If you were sorted into Gryffindor, would you accept it? About 68% of us said yes, 20% of us said no and about 12% of us said don't. No, of course, 94% of Gryffindor said yes. About 57, 56% of Ravenclaw said yes, 52% of Hufflepuff said yes, and only 35% of Raven Slytherin said yes. Now this is fascinating to me and I think there are a couple ways for us to think about this. I'll answer first, would I accept it? Probably not. And part of the reason why isn't even like about any enmity that I have towards the notion of being in Gryffindor it's just what the expectations are. And I think that this is probably true for some of our Slytherins as well. I am not a reckless person. Like, I am not a person who can approach any certain, like, anything, instance, institution, individual. Like, I can't approach anything without massive amounts of overthinking. Like, I am not an impulsive person. Like, I. The only thing that is impulsive that I, that I do is shopping. And even then it's if it's something that I've wanted, I have an idea of it. And so like I don't it that level of impulsivity. I am too neurotic to like act first and think about the consequences of it later. All I ever do is think about consequences. Like that's the first thing. Like the at what cost question is the first question that comes to mind in most of the decisions that I make, right? Like, what do I stand to lose? What do I stand to gain is after I've talked to my therapist. But what do I stand to lose is the first thing that comes to my mind. And I think for a lot of the houses and I think this has been true for a lot of things, right? Like a lot of people have really good reasons as to why they don't want to be in some of these other houses that have nothing to do with like, I don't like that house or that house is bad or whatever. Some people said I would never ever get the riddle right for the Ravenclaw house. And so I would just be sitting outside looking crazy. And I think that there is a way that, you know, when we think about who we fundamentally are as people, there is a way that you realize that there are just certain aspects of your personality that just don't gel well with what this house represents. And what's more, it's more than just what it represents, it's what it's awarded for. Like when, like what gets you points? What are the things that help you help your house? And for me, like, a lot of the points that we see given to Gryffindor on any given day that are high, high level points, like big, big points, right, are reckless things and things that are like, you saved the school. And so it's fascinating because I'm like, it's not even because I think that Slytherins and Gryffindors have a lot in common, but I think when I think about this in particular, and I'm sure I'll bring this up again later, but like when Phineas Nigella says to Harry, slytherins can be brave. We're just not stupid. The way that those words resonate with me. And I don't, I think he, he conflates stupidity with recklessness because. But like, I'm not making that statement. I would amend that and say like Slytherins can be. Slytherins can be brave, but they're just not reckless. And that, that, that resonates with me in a very, very big way. And so like, I can understand why there are so few Slytherins who would be willing to do this because like, self preservation is a big thing for me. I am not willing to forsake creature comforts for the sake of trying to fix a world that is not actually interested in being fixed. You know what I mean? In our current moment, there are so many things that are broken but there are people that exist in those spaces who want to be helped and who want fixing. Nobody in the wizarding world is like, interested in actually fixing the world. Yes, they are interested in getting rid of Voldemort, but not actually fixing anything. And I'm sorry as well. If I'm a student at a school, I am personally not taking on the responsibility of fixing a world that I just showed up in, even if it was seven years ago. Like, are you, you're wild for that proclamation, for that presumption. Like, that's crazy. And the fact that these adults are sitting here like running, like, like encouraging Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, like all of these people to engage in this kind of behavior on a regular basis even before the Battle of Hogwarts tells us a story. The fact that they get in no trouble for leaving the school on the back of Thestrals to go to the Ministry of Magic. The fact that the Ministry of Magic literally has no safeguards whatsoever and allows teenagers to go in. The fact, like, like the fact that all of that transpires and they all walk out, I won't say unscathed because they're very scathed but they walk out and just show back up the next year and everyone's celebrating it. These are children. And I think that there's a way that the expectations that come along with being in Gryffindor invite the belief that that's the kind of behavior that you're going to engage in as a Gryffindor. And it's not for me, like, I could, I don't. I'm not the person for that. I love that there are people who exist in that space. I have Gryffindors in my friend circle. My little sister's a Gryffindor. Like she can have it. As for me, give me a plan and an escape strategy. Like tell me what we're doing and tell me what plan B is and tell me if things go left how can we get out? That's just who I am. And so I can understand why people are not necessarily as like down for trying to be or accept being put into Gryffindor because the expectations are aggressive. Like what people want from you as a Gryffindor drastically different than they are for other houses. Like what they want from you as a Ravenclaw is a different thing. Yeah, I understand the kind of getting into the house and getting into the, to the common room. What they want from you for rape, for Hufflepuff. Different. What they want from you from Slytherin also like the expectation that you're going to be you know, a pure blood supremacist. Well, you know, not ideal. Also we don't know what else they might expect from you because we only meet them in these circumstances. But like we've already rehashed that. But what we know because we spend so much time with Gryffindors what we know they want from you as Gryffindors I could never give. I could never give it. You'd never get it from me. Don't ask, don't expect because you will be disappointed every single time. Which character it doesn't necessarily have to be a Gryffindor. Best embodies what it means to be a Gryffindor. I'm going to give you the top five Harry Potter Shocker. Neville Longbottom, Longma Hirene, Hermione Granger. Our Queen Ronald Weasley, Albus Dumbledore. Now our top three are our top three for Gryffindors, for Hufflepuffs, for Ravenclaws and for Slytherins. It was unanimous that Harry, Neville and Hermione embody what it means to be Gryffindors. And again I want to circle back, close the loop. I don't work in corporate America. I don't know what any of those things mean but I do like using the phraseology. I think that each of them offer us a different look at what it means to be a Gryffindor. And I think what I like about this list is that again every single one of these characters comes at bravery. Courage, recklessness, boldness. They all come at it very differently. How it is that it manifests for Them is not the same across and I like that because I think it does a really good job at again showing us the breadth of what it means to be in this house even if we don't necessarily have an author who spends her time really allowing us to dive into how all of these things manifest. Right? Because I do think that part of the reason why we don't misunderstand Gryffindor's is well, why we don't and why we do is that the version of Gryffindor that we get is this very kind of, dare I say, overly masculinized one. Right. The way that we come to understand it, it's not lost on me that there is one woman on this list and part of that is because we just don't spend a lot of time with women. But I'm interested because I want to know like, because I mean Hermione goes along with all of, with most of the things and she is brave enough and prepared. I mean, and that's the thing that I think also again, like when I think about Hermione and I think about what she represents as it pertains to Gryffindor ness, right? She represents the idea of what I just gave voice to and my own concerns about as being a Slytherin and thinking about Gryffindors which is like she's, you know, is the lack of preparation. She's always prepared. And we see her, you know, she had that bag that had the undetectable extension charm. She had that bag ready to go, ready to go at a moment's notice with everything that the boys needed. She had their clothes in that bag. She had that tent in that bag like she was ready. We see Neville, right kind of grow into what it means to live as a Gryffindor, right? As someone who operates from a space of being so just like bravery and sacrificial which I think is another word that feels very apropos for the way that we think about what it means to be a Gryffindor. I think recklessness, it feels very right to me. But so does sacrificial. And I think we see Neville, I mean from the very beginning honestly willing to kind of sacrifice himself in whatever way to be someone who gets to see good triumph over evil. And in that way I think I can see. And then of course, of course I can't. I would be remiss to not spend a little time on Harry. I mean this guy, this guy, Harry freaking Potter, he, I, you know, it's hard for me, though, because I think that Hermione and Neville have a choice in this. And I feel very strongly and I can't wait for us to get to Harry's episodes. We're not talking about him. We're not talking about him yet. We are not talking about him yet. He is going to be the very, very, very end of our Half Blood season. I don't know when that's coming, but he's gonna be the end. He's bookmarking this because we started with Voldemort, we'll end with Harry Potter. But there is a way that I wonder about a lot of the decisions that he makes and whether or not they are truly his own or if they are the byproduct of just the lore that surrounds him and his own internal need and concern about feeling the need to meet those expectations. Because, like, he didn't have. There was a prophecy that literally said, you have to sacrifice yourself. And there are ways in which he was kind of conditioned to do, to believe and see that that's what he has to do. And of course, right, like, there's a way that he has a self interest and he has a vested interest in making sure that Voldemort doesn't rise. But he is not the only one who had people die because of Voldemort. He is not the only one who could work to keep this person from rising back up to power. And yet he seemingly is carrying the weight of his. Of all of this. And there's a bravery in, like, his willingness to do that and not complain about it too much. Like, I mean, and so. And when he does, it's all warranted. It's all warranted because I think one of the big pieces of Harry's existence is the massive amount of adultification that he experiences. I think that's true for most of the students at Hogwarts. Right. I think this is true for just the way that we understand the notion of child soldiers, right, that there's an adultification process. But Harry, from the get go, was adultified because he did something that adults could not do. And even though it had very little to actually do with him, there is a way that I think he feels pressure to deliver. And so that I think he does embody a lot of what it means to be a Gryffindor. But in some ways it's like the darker side of it in that there are a lot of expectations placed on the house of Godric Gryffindor. And you, you have to meet them or Else people are going to look at you askance and I think Harry embodies that a lot and so I know that might not have been the way you thought this was going to go, but I do think that that is true and we're not going to get into too much of it because he has his own episodes multiple coming up, so I'll leave it there. What makes someone a good member of Gryffindor house? This time around I decided that I wanted to try to make sure that we got a little bit more diversity in our responses from people. After other people were writing for the Slytherin episodes and it was very clear that these were not Slytherins and so I tried to kind of choose selections that came from all the houses and it was easier this time around because we have a pretty diversified and a fairly kind of equal distribution. Anyways, I picked two Gryffindors because it was a Gryffindor episode as well as the other houses. Someone wrote communication trying to save the world or do the right thing without getting perspective or hearing the entire story is their biggest weakness. Someone else wrote, being a good Gryffindor isn't easy. There's so much that goes into that house's traits that someone must value and possess. They have to be brave and value the trait, which largely means standing up to grave danger at times they're loyal, so a good Gryffindor has to stand by what and who they believe in. A lot of this means that they do, not that they. A lot of this means they do these things unapologetically. A good Gryffindor isn't sorry for who they are. They are there and they don't care what anyone else says about them. Bars Ahafflepuff wrote, being brave in the big moments and the small moments, thinking things through before acting, helping those who can't help themselves. A Ravenclaw wrote, as with all houses, whether or not a Gryffindor is admirable for me depends on their ultimate end goal. If they're using their bravery risk taking for a good purpose, then they're admirable. Take someone like Elon Musk. Musk. Huge risk taker slash daring. He was pretty popular when he was doing that in pursuit of goals that certain parts of the population liked. Tesla. He was the daring, the darling of the liberal. Then he switched with his agenda and he became Persona non grata. Right now he seems to be annoying everyone and someone. And then a Slytherin wrote, typical Gryffindors are risk takers they act before they think. They enjoy the rush or thrill of it. I kind of think of them as extreme sports enthusiasts. But a good Gryffindor, I think will always stand for what they believe is right. They are loyal and brave and protective and will not just play the hero but actually be one when needed. Bravery can lead to recklessness, confidence to arrogance, headstrong to stubbornness, boldness to rudeness. Sirius and Harry, in my opinion, are excellent Gryffindors. One of the things that I noticed across these comments is that there is a very clear understanding of kind of who Gryffindors are, right? We have a lot of examples of them, which I think reifies the idea that there's a way in which we understand Gryffindors in ways that are not similar to the ways like of other houses, right? And I think that what's interesting and what I should have done this for other houses, but I didn't because I hadn't thought about it then. I'm so sorry. But I think what's interesting about looking at this through the lens of houses, right, is that what's clear to me is that Gryffindor see themselves and these traits as like an identity, right? Defining and unapologetic. While we see the Hufflepuff comment kind of emphasizes the balance, courage must be thoughtful and grounded in service. And Ravenclaw stressed the purpose of bravery, right? Like the notion of how your bravery manifests is particularly important for whether or not you are seen in a good light, which I also really like because I think when we think of bravery we tend to associate it with very specific things that are good or, and. Or bad, but that. Or that are good, rather not good and. Or bad. But there is a way in which it can be good and or bad depending on one's intention. And I think we tend to think of, like, bravery as something that is inherently good and that intention behind bravery is inherently good. And then we also see to this point, right, that the Slytherin highlights the kind of shadow side, right, how easily bravery can slide into recklessness but still kind of acknowledges Gryffindor's capacity to be true heroes. And I think that this is a really important thing because, like the through line is not necessarily the notion of acting without fear. It's knowing when and how to act. And I think that that's really, really, really, really, really hard for young people to be able to discern. You know what I mean? Like, I think when you were young and you were rewarded for kind of just going off on your own and doing your own thing. Like, you don't necessarily think about the consequences of your actions. And I think what's more is that a lot of what Gryffindors do, it's like, yes, it's for the greater good. And again, this question keeps coming to me, but at what cost? And more importantly, I think for the way that I tend to think about some of the more reckless moments in these books, it's at what cost and who is paying that cost? Because yes, like, obviously everything that Harry and the Golden Trio do is for the betterment of the wizarding world, but there are a lot of people whose lives are like ruined and not bad people either. When we think about the injuries that were sustained in the battle at the Department of Mysteries, like, those were Harry's friends and they almost died. And that's not hyperbolic. Like, some of them sustained injuries that were life threatening. And it just shows us, right, that like, sometimes bravery and recklessness and your willingness to go up against certain forces is not always good for everyone around you, especially when there are people in your orbit who want to go and do it too. And even if the intention is good, if you don't have the foresight to consider the consequences, then you stand to put your own life at risk. And maybe you don't care about your own life. Maybe that is not something that you are particularly concerned about as it pertains to, like, doing what is right. But what about everyone else? And I think that Order of the Phoenix is one of the first and only moments where Harry makes a very impulsive decision and realizes very quickly, one, that it was a mistake and two, that he's put all his friends in mortal danger. And he actually begins to feel very guilty about it because he realizes that, like, your impulsivity has consequences for everyone else's lives. And not just in the way of, like, if you don't defeat Voldemort, like, we are all going to be living in like a fascist state. But, like, if you don't think this through, we could just die by virtue of standing by you and you don't know what you're doing. And there's something about that idea that I think is really, really important. And it's an invitation, like, for us to think about these, in these moments that we see amongst Gryffindors and what they actually mean. And how do we reconcile the consequences for some of those actions with the bravery and the gratefulness that we have that they did them in the first place We've reached the moment in the episode where I am going to reflect on Gryffindor House. I'm gonna keep this in the same vein of what I've been doing for the other houses by taking our key trait and thinking about it more deeply in hopes that it invites us to consider different things about the house. Bravery is Gryffindor's calling card. The way that Curiosity was Ravenclaw's ambition is Slytherins and loyalty was Hufflepuff's. Our survey made it clear what the books also hint at. Bravery carries a shadow Brave quote unquote was a dominant descriptor, but Reckless followed closely behind the story often treats those two words as if they belong together. The way Hogwarts and the narrative itself rewards action teaches us that courage and high risk behavior are inseparable. Harry's education is a study of this conflation. From the very beginning we see he and his friends break rules and face mortal danger. In Sorceress Philosopher's Stone, they're rewarded, not punished, with points and a House cup victory. Dumbledore even chuckles as he reflects on just how far Harry went, his amusement overriding the seriousness of the danger. I want to add the caveat that obviously he was shook, that Harry didn't care about like his own life, but I honestly wonder was he that shook? In Chamber of Secrets, the pattern deepens. Harry and Ron receive commendations, despite Dumbledore explicitly noting that they broke all these rules and put themselves in grave danger. The commendations erased the cost. The danger is acknowledged only as a backdrop, never as a serious problem. The reward is the lesson. Even in Quidditch, a space that should be sport and play, the logic is the same. Seekers are expected to end the match by catching the Snitch. But what sets Harry apart is not just his skill, it's his willingness to go further, to risk more, to put his body on the line in a way that other Seekers do not. Dangling from a broom, chasing the Snitch while a rogue Bludger tries to knock him from the sky. These are treated as badges of honor. What the world of Hogwarts and Gryffindorn particularly celebrates is not just courage, but courage proven through heightened danger. And the story even gives us a distilled expression of this dynamic in a moment added for the films at the end of Chamber of Secrets when Lucius sneers, let's hope that Mr. Potter is always here to save the day. I watched this movie yesterday in honor of Back to Hogwarts, but anyways Harry says don't worry, I will be this 12 year old child in front of his headmaster telling an adult wizard he is prepared to shoulder the responsibility of saving the day indefinitely. And Dumbledore is sitting there and doesn't do anything to challenge the idea that exchange captures the entire ethos. Children are celebrated for announcing their willingness to put themselves at risk so long as the outcome serves the larger fight. And that last point is crucial. Critics sometimes remind me when I'm harsh on Gryffindors that these are children and they are right. But what strikes me is that the narrative and by extension we as readers normalize and even applaud children taking on life threatening danger when it produces the outcome we desire, when it's for the greater good. We want Voldemort vanquished, we want the world saved. And so when Harry, Ron and Hermione put their lives at risk we accept it and even cheer it, even though in any other context we would call this neglect or exploitation. Gryffindor bravery carries this cultural trap. It makes us complicit in approving child recklessness because we crave the victory it delivers. This is also why it's important to remember that every house is brave. We see Hufflepuff bravery and Cedric Diggory who insists on facing the Triwizard maze alongside Harry in the end even sharing the cup, an act of loyalty that takes him into a graveyard and costs him his life. We see Slytherin bravery in Narcissa Malfoy who defies Voldemort and cleverly maneuvers her way back into the castle to protect her son. We see Ravenclaw bravery in Luna Lovegood who speaks truth in the face of ridicule, her curiosity driving her to resist silence and complicity even within the trio. Ron shows Hufflepuff like Gravery when he Gravery bravery when he admits his failings, returns after leaving and puts himself at risk against Snatchers to rejoin the fight. Hermione shows Ravenclaw bravery when her analytical preparation saves them, her research into Horcruxes, her non detectable extension charm, her meticulous foresight, her curiosity fuels her courage and it's indispensable. Bravery runs through every house, but it takes a on the shape of the house's defining trait. For Gryffindor that shape is recklessness. Recklessness is what we would call in academia the causal mechanism behind much of what we call Gryffindor courage. The willingness to leap before looking isn't just incidental, that is the engine in some ways the engine is necessary. Without the reckless, some battles would never be fought, some choices would never be made and some risk would never be taken. Recklessness drives action when strategy might stall. Gryffindor embodies the truth that sometimes hesitation is the greater danger. And so, like I don't want anyone to think that I don't recognize the utility and the importance of what Gryffindors offer us. This is a critique of the idea of how bravery is rewarded in the system. So much so that it then creates the this cycle of recklessness and sacrificial actions on the part of children. Right, because the reality of it is as well that recklessness carries a cost. And again, the Department of Mystery makes it plain. Harry's decision to rush in is born of fear and love. But he drags five friends into mortal peril. His bravery is inseparable from their risk. And here, the series finally forces us to see what it means. When courage is always measured by danger, other people pay the price. Survey respondents noticed this too. Many pointed out that recklessness often carries an undercurrent of selfishness. Even when the goal is noble, it feels laudable because it is wrapped in self sacrifice. But it often enlists others in ways that they didn't consent to. And that tension between intent and impact sits at the heart of Gryffindor's legacy. Bravery is good. Bravery is necessary. But bravery that ignores its cost is something else entirely. And maybe this is why Gryffindor is so satisfying to revisit as adults. When we were kids reading these books, many of us were conditioned to want to be in Gryffindor. It was the house of heroes, the house of daring, where action was happening. And for children, recklessness and bravery feel naturally linked. The leap is the proof. The bold move is the moment that makes you a hero. Part of why this logic feels so natural in the story is that Gryffindors live in a world where two things are almost always true. The first, everything will work out in the end. And the second, magic will fix what went wrong. Magic is almost never presented as the problem, but only the solution. So even the worst risks rarely feel final. And that belief underwrites Gryffindor's recklessness, the confidence that the danger will end in triumph, or at least repair. But as we grow older, that belief becomes harder to hold onto. In the world outside Hogwarts, there isn't always a charm to put things back together. Recklessness doesn't always lead to recognition or redemption. And so the Gryffindor impulse, the willingness to leap into danger begins to feel more complicated. Some of us have drifted away from identifying with Gryffindor, not because bravery stopped mattering, but because the form of bravery we now recognize in ourselves has changed. That doesn't mean Gryffindor's recklessness has no value. On the contrary, it is necessary. Someone has to be the one willing to take the leap when no one else dares. But we also realize it can't be all of us. A world of only Gryffindors would burn itself out. We need the loyalty that makes Hufflepuff stand fast, the curiosity that makes Ravenclaw seek deeper answers, the ambition that drives Slytherins to carve new paths. Gryffindor's recklessness lights the spark, but the other houses help keep the fire burning. And so the story of Gryffindor is not just about bravery as a virtue, but bravery as a gamble. It invites us to think about the thin line between courage and recklessness, about how easily one bleeds into the other, and about how our relationship to that line has shifted as we've grown up alongside these books. Foreign this has been another episode of Critical Magic Theory. I'm Professor Julian Womble and if you liked today's episode. First of all, thank you. Please feel free to like, rate, subscribe and do all the things that one does where pods are cast, y'. All. Don't forget about the discord. If you're a chronic overthinker or a deep diver. Don't forget about Snape's survey coming up. I know you're not. Get the essays ready. Okay? Please feel free to join us for the post episode chat on this episode. Patreon.com criticalmagictheory if you are not already there to join us. I know it's going to be a time. Y'. All. Don't forget the merch. Don't forget anything of the. Don't forget any of the stuff I said at the beginning of the episode. I know that some of us don't make it all the way to the end and I like to crack a little joke here and there just to make sure that you're there. But anyways, if you're not, that's okay. I'll see you in the post episode chat. Until then, be critical and stay magical, my friends. Bye.
