WOLVES NEVER LOOK UP
“There’s nothing hidden in your head The sorting hat can’t see, So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be. You might belong in Gryffindor.
Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart” - Sorting Hat, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” As the fall season approaches, I mentioned before that I have curated a seasonal “to be read” list for the months of October and November, but there was one sub-genre missing: dark academia.
Now, to be fair, I was absolutely not looking to reread the Harry Potter series, but as I read many samples of books online, with none catching my attention, it was almost as though I had to reread it.
I would never be one to classify this series as dark academia, at least not in the first couple of books, but I think an argument could be made for the latter half of the series, so with my reread I began.
The first time I read this series was when I was 16, so I was a bit late to the party, but I still remember finishing the books and exactly how I felt when I took the online sorting hat test to find out what house I was in. The answer was not what I was expecting: Gryffindor.
I’m sure everyone probably wants to be in this house, as that is where the main trio was sorted, but I wanted to be in Ravenclaw.
While Gryffindor is celebrated for their bravery, Ravenclaw is noted for their incredible brain, which was always really important to me. To those that have read the series, I felt very much like Neville; That is to say, that I didn’t belong.
I mention this feeling because years later, I, one, do not care what house I am in, but also have come to realize that if I was to be sorted, Gryffindor is the house that fits me best.
As I have grown into an adult — learning who I am and what is important to me — I recognize that I share these same qualities that Harry, Hermione and Ron (who I named my cat after) do.
I know that I will stand up for my friends and those around me, that I am resourceful enough to do my own research and fight for my beliefs and I am loyal.
While these seem like small and obvious qualities, I did not see them in myself at 16. So, as I am conducting my reread, it brings a smile to my face to know that younger Brittany was so worried that she was sorted into the “wrong” house, when, in fact, the sorting hat was right all along.
Kelley is a reporter at the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch. She can reached via email at [email protected].
