It's a defining moment in a person's life when one single question can solve all of their internal mysteries. A question whose answer reveals an indisputable truth about a person that can alter their life forever... That most important question is... Which Hogwarts house do you belong in?
To take the one test that mattered, all you would have to do is look no further than Pottermore, the online HQ for all things of the wizarding world. Here, you could participate in the Sorting Ceremony, and figure out which house you'd call your home in Hogwarts! Are you crafty and clever like a Slytherin? Are you wise like a Ravenclaw? Loyal like a Hufflepuff? Or are you brave and bold like a Gryffindor? This sorting was basically every fans dream come true. Finally, there was one true answer of where you belonged! However, a world wide panic spread last September when Pottermore went under a relaunch and update causing members to lose their previous houses and wands. But never fear! If you haven't been told the good news already, I'm happy to announce that our beloved Sorting Ceremony is back in action!
Of course, all good things come with a catch. Because all of the houses and wands were lost during the previous months, all previous members are required to rejoin and get resorted. This caused a bit of a scare with the fans, because the one test that mattered had to be retaken. It was hard the first time, and they want us to take it again? Luckily, you are given a choice when you first begin. Fans could either reclaim their previous houses and wands, or they can try their luck and get resorted.
This is where I would like to take a long pause. R.E.S.O.R.T.E.D. For those who had an existential crisis previously, it's about to get a whole lot worse! Fans who dared take this path were completely shocked (and more than confused) when their previous sorting was different than the now! Slytherins were suddenly thrown into Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws were suddenly launched into Gryffindor! The balance of the world suddenly exploded! And the worst part is, is that this new sorting is 100% PERMANENT. There are no Talk about a dilemma! Only about half of the people who decided to get resorted were put into the same house they were in before. Everyone else? They are currently hiding from the world trying to figure out just what went wrong. So, where do you truly belong?
To shed a more personal light on the subject, I'll talk about my crisis when I was sorted in the official (and so painfully permanent) ceremony. In previous months, I have taken probably every single knock off sorting quiz there is on the world wide web. My first time I ever took a sorting quiz I got stuck between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, which ultimately turned out to be Gryffindor. But, to be sure, I continued to take more quizzes and low and behold, I got Ravenclaw 99.9% of the time. This is good news right? At least for a little bit, it was.
After the last quiz, I finally excepted my house. I was in Ravenclaw where "those of wit and learning will always find their kind." I mean, it made sense. I'm a rather intelligent, witty child, whose obsession with books and writing is almost unmatched. This was totally something I could categorize myself in! From there on, I was a proud Ravenclaw.
Well, when I heard about the new Sorting Ceremony on "Pottermore", I knew I just had to be officially sorted. Might as well 100% confirm I'm a Ravenclaw, right? It would be fun! So, I quickly go on the site, sign up, and bravely start the quiz. Most of the questions were odd, so I took a really long time to answer them to make sure I picked the best fit. When I got to the last question (which I didn't know what the last question at the time) and hit the submit answer button, I was completely and utterly stunned to receive a flash of red on my screen, and the big words of "Congratulations on being sorted into Gryffindor!"
Say WHAT? What did this test mean I was in Gryffindor?! I'm a Ravenclaw! At this point I was freaking out, because I knew these results were permanent. I then began texting my dear friend, Sam, about my problems (like a normal whiny girl). What do I do? Am I truly a Gryffindor, or am I really a Ravenclaw? I've been associating with being a Ravenclaw for so long that I don't know what I'm going to do with myself!
It came to a point where I had her take the test, just to see what would happen. My Slytherin friend obliged, and took the test. Suddenly, we were on the same boat. My previously 100% Slytherin gal, was sorted into Ravenclaw- MY SHOULD BE HOUSE. By then we were both freaking out (I was mostly livid and screaming, while Sam was just stunned, but whatever). Have we been living in a lie this whole time? Is this really where we belong?
We began doing some digging. Maybe there was a way out. Maybe the test was glitching. I checked all of the social media sites I have, and that's where I found out that a lot of people were having the same problem. I began clicking random tags (just to see how many people where switching their houses), when I accidentally clicked a tag I didn't even know existed.
This is when my lovely friend and I discovered what was to be our saving grace- combined houses. They are unofficial Hogwarts houses in the wizarding world, but, in the fanbase at least, they're pretty legit. These houses are for the ones who were so evenly paired off with two houses (like Hermione and Harry were) that there is no one answer. Instead, there is a combined house. These houses include Gryffinclaw, Slytherdor, Slytherpuff, Ravenpuff, Slytherclaw, and Gryffinpuff. The houses combine all of your attributes that are used for two separate houses, and puts them into one collective house. So, there's no need to suffer and choose just one or the other! Just accept that you're a perfect combination of both! You are a beautiful mess!
So, for those who are currently going through the Sorting Hat Situation, know that there is another option! Ultimately, it's your own choice that who defines who you are, not a test. You chose who you are. I suggest you take the chance to chose and roll with it!
Sincerely,
A proud Gryffinclaw