Pottermore Identity Crisis?
Pottermore opened to the public (finally) last week. Since I was in a break period between papers and finals (which are this upcoming week- ugh), I decided to make another account and get sorted again to see what would happen. I had a beta account, which I don't think I logged into again after I finished the first book, where I was in Hufflepuff. I was totally fine with this. As anyone reading this may know from my previous posts, I identify a lot with Hufflepuff and it's the house of many characteristics that I admire and would like to demonstrate in myself. But I had seen a bunch of other people posting their sortings on Tumblr, and some of my friends were making accounts for the first time, so I decided to try again. It was actually really fun, because I got to go through the experience at roughly the same time as three of my friends. Funnily enough, all four of us ended up in different houses, which I thought worked out very well.
Only I wasn't in Hufflepuff this time, I was in Gryffindor. I thought it was hilarious, because it meant the four of us filled out the set perfectly. I was a bit surprised, but it wasn't totally out of the blue. I had considered that Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor were all potential possibilities. I am most definitely not a Slytherin, so that's the only house that really would have shocked me. Mostly I was surprised because I had expected Ravenclaw to be my secondary house and thus most likely outcome besides Hufflepuff. I didn't like the welcome letter at all (it was way too short and also written by Percy Weasley), but the common room background was pretty cool and I didn't mind seeing the red everywhere. I've earned about 880 points for the house at this point, so obviously I don't have a major problem being in Gryffindor. I'm not upset that I bought a bunch of merchandise for the wrong house (as I've heard some people complain), because I have a beanie and tie for both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and a jacket in Gryffindor colors, so I was well-prepared for whatever house I got. I'm just a bit confused.
The really baffling bit is that I took the sorting hat quiz twice more. I signed up twice the first time because my verification email didn't come until hours after I had given up on it, so I activated that link and then went through the process again, deleting my account afterward. Last weekend, I was at home and my sister (who had received a somewhat unexpected sorting of Slytherin) and I decided to stay up until 5 am redoing Pottermore for the lulz. (Fyi, she got Hufflepuff once and Gryffindor once). I got Gryffindor both times I retook the quiz. Apparently Pottermore is utterly convinced that I am a Gryffindor.
I don't mind it, it's just that I never thought my Gryff characteristics were my most prominent. I knew I was a bit of a daredevil who used to have somewhat of a temper when I was younger, but I thought that was overshadowed by my intelligence/academic success or overall niceness and hard work. I don't really fit the stereotype and most people I know probably wouldn't expect me to get Gryffindor. I'm not loud, outgoing, show-offy, rash, emotional, assertive, or a major risk-taker. I'm quiet, passive (though I'm starting to gain some more skill being assertive, which is good), generally emotionally stable, and I prefer to only take minor risks or take risks when I know I've got a good chance of a positive outcome. Personality wise, I probably fit better in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. I suppose I am stubbornly independent, fond of challenges and improvisation sometimes in the place of planning, good in stressful situations, and willing to try new things. I do admire Gryffindor, much like I admire Hufflepuff, and would like to have some of its qualities like bravery and loyalty.
I see how I could fit in Gryffindor, I just didn't think it was my primary house but Pottermore has started to make me wonder. I mean, the test was written by JK Rowling herself and I got the same result three times in a row, so that has to mean something. I do wonder, however, if my results were influenced by having taken the test relatively quick in succession. I know that some of my answers changed between the beta test and my first this time around, but I generally picked the same answers when I had the same questions on different tests. I'm not sure if this is because I genuinely think those answers are the best-fitting or if it's because I had already chosen an answer for them once and saw little reason to reconsider. I've done a lot of searching about analysis of the questions, considered my potential answers to all of them following these results, and realized that I would be likely to get Gryffindor no matter which questions I got. Second most likely would probably be Ravenclaw, because I don't tend to choose the plant and animal-loving questions that the quiz tends to favor for Hufflepuff. All of the forest questions apparently have a strong Gryffindor association, which I think is a definite contributor to why I kept ending up there, since I adore forests and trees. Similarly, my sister probably got Slytherin her first time because she really likes water, and that's the Slytherin element. But some of the other answers I picked had Gryffindor associations based on things other than forests, so I'm not sure...
I've also been reading a lot about people's reactions to their Pottemore sorting, particularly if they felt they wound up in the wrong house. A lot of people mention childhood associations, or having associated with a particular house since they were young. I didn't really have that, which I suppose is why I am somewhat confused. When I first started reading the books, I thought that I would be a Gryffindor. Mostly because that's where the main characters were and I thought it would be cool, but I explained it to myself as saying that I'm brave and stuff, so I could totally fit there. But around middle school I really started prioritizing my intelligence, so I associated more with Ravenclaw for a while. I didn't start identifying so much with Hufflepuff until about a year ago when I was unexpectedly sorted Hufflepuff on Hogwarts is Home (which I have sadly been neglecting, but hope to get back to once school is over). I wrote a post similar to this one justifying why I felt that I was now more of a Hufflepuff than I had been when I was eleven. I identified fairly strongly with that house, and my beta sorting only seemed to confirm it. But now I feel torn between loyalties because I'm more of a hybrid and could honestly see myself fitting in either of the three houses (though probably not Ravenclaw so much anymore, because I don't value those qualities above all else as much as I used to, though I am certainly still good at school).
So in conclusion, I have spent way, way too much time thinking about this. I really don't mind being Gryffindor on Pottermore, even though I didn't want that house when I was doing beta (because I'd heard you didn't get as much new information- which is very true because the welcome letter sucks so much) and for a long time I sort of shunned it as being too mainstream. I really do wish the books had focused on characters in houses other than Gryffindor and Slytherin, because now I feel sort of guilty for identifying somewhat with the hero house that everyone wants to be in. I know I'm not doing it to be cool anymore and that I got in on my own characteristics in Pottermore, but it seems weird to be in the most popular house and the one that everyone seems to want.
Only I wasn't in Hufflepuff this time, I was in Gryffindor. I thought it was hilarious, because it meant the four of us filled out the set perfectly. I was a bit surprised, but it wasn't totally out of the blue. I had considered that Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor were all potential possibilities. I am most definitely not a Slytherin, so that's the only house that really would have shocked me. Mostly I was surprised because I had expected Ravenclaw to be my secondary house and thus most likely outcome besides Hufflepuff. I didn't like the welcome letter at all (it was way too short and also written by Percy Weasley), but the common room background was pretty cool and I didn't mind seeing the red everywhere. I've earned about 880 points for the house at this point, so obviously I don't have a major problem being in Gryffindor. I'm not upset that I bought a bunch of merchandise for the wrong house (as I've heard some people complain), because I have a beanie and tie for both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and a jacket in Gryffindor colors, so I was well-prepared for whatever house I got. I'm just a bit confused.
The really baffling bit is that I took the sorting hat quiz twice more. I signed up twice the first time because my verification email didn't come until hours after I had given up on it, so I activated that link and then went through the process again, deleting my account afterward. Last weekend, I was at home and my sister (who had received a somewhat unexpected sorting of Slytherin) and I decided to stay up until 5 am redoing Pottermore for the lulz. (Fyi, she got Hufflepuff once and Gryffindor once). I got Gryffindor both times I retook the quiz. Apparently Pottermore is utterly convinced that I am a Gryffindor.
I don't mind it, it's just that I never thought my Gryff characteristics were my most prominent. I knew I was a bit of a daredevil who used to have somewhat of a temper when I was younger, but I thought that was overshadowed by my intelligence/academic success or overall niceness and hard work. I don't really fit the stereotype and most people I know probably wouldn't expect me to get Gryffindor. I'm not loud, outgoing, show-offy, rash, emotional, assertive, or a major risk-taker. I'm quiet, passive (though I'm starting to gain some more skill being assertive, which is good), generally emotionally stable, and I prefer to only take minor risks or take risks when I know I've got a good chance of a positive outcome. Personality wise, I probably fit better in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. I suppose I am stubbornly independent, fond of challenges and improvisation sometimes in the place of planning, good in stressful situations, and willing to try new things. I do admire Gryffindor, much like I admire Hufflepuff, and would like to have some of its qualities like bravery and loyalty.
I see how I could fit in Gryffindor, I just didn't think it was my primary house but Pottermore has started to make me wonder. I mean, the test was written by JK Rowling herself and I got the same result three times in a row, so that has to mean something. I do wonder, however, if my results were influenced by having taken the test relatively quick in succession. I know that some of my answers changed between the beta test and my first this time around, but I generally picked the same answers when I had the same questions on different tests. I'm not sure if this is because I genuinely think those answers are the best-fitting or if it's because I had already chosen an answer for them once and saw little reason to reconsider. I've done a lot of searching about analysis of the questions, considered my potential answers to all of them following these results, and realized that I would be likely to get Gryffindor no matter which questions I got. Second most likely would probably be Ravenclaw, because I don't tend to choose the plant and animal-loving questions that the quiz tends to favor for Hufflepuff. All of the forest questions apparently have a strong Gryffindor association, which I think is a definite contributor to why I kept ending up there, since I adore forests and trees. Similarly, my sister probably got Slytherin her first time because she really likes water, and that's the Slytherin element. But some of the other answers I picked had Gryffindor associations based on things other than forests, so I'm not sure...
I've also been reading a lot about people's reactions to their Pottemore sorting, particularly if they felt they wound up in the wrong house. A lot of people mention childhood associations, or having associated with a particular house since they were young. I didn't really have that, which I suppose is why I am somewhat confused. When I first started reading the books, I thought that I would be a Gryffindor. Mostly because that's where the main characters were and I thought it would be cool, but I explained it to myself as saying that I'm brave and stuff, so I could totally fit there. But around middle school I really started prioritizing my intelligence, so I associated more with Ravenclaw for a while. I didn't start identifying so much with Hufflepuff until about a year ago when I was unexpectedly sorted Hufflepuff on Hogwarts is Home (which I have sadly been neglecting, but hope to get back to once school is over). I wrote a post similar to this one justifying why I felt that I was now more of a Hufflepuff than I had been when I was eleven. I identified fairly strongly with that house, and my beta sorting only seemed to confirm it. But now I feel torn between loyalties because I'm more of a hybrid and could honestly see myself fitting in either of the three houses (though probably not Ravenclaw so much anymore, because I don't value those qualities above all else as much as I used to, though I am certainly still good at school).
So in conclusion, I have spent way, way too much time thinking about this. I really don't mind being Gryffindor on Pottermore, even though I didn't want that house when I was doing beta (because I'd heard you didn't get as much new information- which is very true because the welcome letter sucks so much) and for a long time I sort of shunned it as being too mainstream. I really do wish the books had focused on characters in houses other than Gryffindor and Slytherin, because now I feel sort of guilty for identifying somewhat with the hero house that everyone wants to be in. I know I'm not doing it to be cool anymore and that I got in on my own characteristics in Pottermore, but it seems weird to be in the most popular house and the one that everyone seems to want.