I have been a fan of Harry Potter my entire life. So, because of that, I know my Hogwarts Houses. No, that’s not a typo. I am a Slytherdor, a byproduct of Slytherin and Gryffindor. Yes, that is possible because human traits are not mutually exclusive. You can be, or grow to be, both brave and ambitious at once. You’re just likely to be sorted into whatever House fits the best at the time.

Take Hermione Granger, for instance. She is the brightest witch of her age, but she is also a Gryffindor. This is because, while she loves to accumulate knowledge, the Sorting Hat saw that she would take her knowledge and use it as a sword to fight for what she believes is right. He probably also saw a bit of a rule breaker to come, but her recklessness is usually calculated. She doesn’t go wandering about the Forbidden Forest for kicks, she does so to help out her friends when they need it.

Neville Longbottom is also a good example of this. Early on, he is not one for the showy chivalric bravery that many Gryffindors are prone to. On the contrary, one would think, given the rest of his personality, that he would be sorted into Hufflepuff. However, he is extremely brave in subtle ways. For instance, his worst fear is Snape. And yet, Neville always goes to Potions Class. Even though he not only has to face Snape, but he is also often Snape’s object of ridicule. Basically, that’s the equivalent of an arachnophobic allowing a tarantula to climb all over them multiple times a week. That is the epitome of bravery.

There are also characters in characters who obviously go against the stereotype for their House. For instance, Gryffindors are thought to be selflessly loyal, their bravery stretching to encompass all they care about. For example, one would expect a Gryffindor to dash in front of a bullet to save her sister with no regard for her own well-being. Peter Pettigrew, a Gryffindor, sells one of his closest friends out to Voldemort. While this is, in its way, an act of cowardice, you have to look at it from Peter’s perspective. The Marauders were his only friends. To sell them out meant that he would swap their protection and comradery for a life as Voldemort’s servant. However, Peter does not want to die. He values his life above those of his friends. So, he gives up what makes him happy in order to stay alive. Self-serving? Yes. Cowardice? Not for Peter. It just isn’t selfless bravery.

Regulus Black is a foil to Peter Pettigrew in this manner. Slytherins, in opposition to Gryffindors, are stereotyped as selfishly cunning and ambitious. They will sell their friends’ kidneys to raise money for a political campaign. And yet, Regulus uses his cunning to find a horcrux, even though it means dying a horrible death at the hands of inferi. His ambition is to see Voldemort die. In this way, he is selflessly Slytherin.

Of course, these characters may not have been like that when they were eleven—we don’t know. However, their actions demonstrate that we are not our Hogwarts Houses. We are individuals.