Ilvermorny House Analysis

If you’re anything like me, you were sorted into your Ilvermorny house the day J. K. Rowling put the quiz up on Pottermore, and now you’re “waiting until you know more” about the houses to “decide how you feel about that”.  Several people have done analyses of the quiz to determine which questions go with which houses.  So I’m going to focus on this one by Reddit user u/N1ffler to try and glean an understanding of which house does what over here in the States.

I know the houses don’t officially align with the Hogwarts houses, but there is speculation that Pukwudgie = Hufflepuff, Horned Serpent = Ravenclaw, Wampus = Slytherin, and Thunderbird = Gryffindor.  I’ll take the houses in that order, since I am both a Thunderbird and a Gryffindor and I am going to force myself to wait the longest for my own results because it will be more satisfying that way.

All of these will be based on the stereotypical member of that house, so of course they will be generalizations.  As we know well from a visit to Hogwarts, there are many, many different personalities within a single house!

Pukwudgie

So.  Pukwudgie.  Pukwudgies would rather heal than hunt, which to me suggests that they tend to be peaceful, patient, and gentle.  However, they would rather explore than plot, which suggests an eagerness to jump straight into a situation and deal with surprises as they come, rather than to prepare ahead of time.  Pukwudgies overwhelmingly prefer to experience than to remember, which again suggests they want to just be in the thick of things.  YOLO, I suppose a Pukwudgie might say.  Why live in the past when you can live in the now?

If faced with the choice between saving a baby and saving a potion that might save 1,000 lives, a Pukwudgie will choose the baby.  So while a Pukwudgie is out there exploring and comes upon this baby/bottle surprise, even though they haven’t planned this trip in advance, they would rather deal with what is known than with what is possible.  I am getting the impression of someone who is very hands-on and practical.

Pukwudgies would rather place their blind faith in something and then later find out they were wrong than have to deal with constantly worrying about whether or not someone can be trusted.  They also believe that curses are something that are done to a person; that person cannot prevent it through force of will.

Pukwudgies value individuality over freedom, service, and ambition.  They just want to be allowed to be themselves and do their own thing.

The thing they would most want to discover would be an all-magical city hidden from the No-Maj world.  This suggests that they yearn to move freely among their own kind.  It may also speak of a sense of imagination and possibility.

A part of who a Pukwudgie is is trying the patience of other people.  Maybe they are strong-willed and will not rest until they get what they want.  Maybe they’re a bit selfish or even a tad annoying sometimes?  Pukwudgies also accept their greatest weakness (whether or not this is their tendency to annoy people I suppose is up to the Pukwudgie) as just what makes them who they are.  It’s a part of them.  It can’t be changed.  Best to embrace it and move on.

Shame is the worst feeling to a Pukwudgie, suggesting that they might value other people’s judgment of them over their own, or at least a great deal.

Pukwudgies believe in the absolute existence of a soulmate for everyone.  Putting this along with their preference to believe and be deceived, it almost seems that Pukwudgies have a tendency towards gullibility.  But they firmly hold that their beliefs make them who they are.  Once again, their value over their own individuality proclaims itself loudly.  Even if their beliefs are to their detriment, those beliefs will set Pukwudgies at ease and they will probably face any consequences without complaining.

Pukwudgies can feel underappreciated; perhaps this stems from others not appreciating individuality in quite the way they do.  I get the impression that as a whole they are very prideful.  They do not see the value in asking “why” and even scoff at it.  This, again, goes along with their tendency to accept things at face value.

All they need to get where they’re going in life is a little help from their friends, showing that despite having a great deal of pride, they also recognize their own shortcomings and are humble when need be.  It seems Pukwudgies respect others as much as they respect themselves.  Though they often ask themselves whether or not they should do something, which again makes me think they value the opinions of others perhaps over their own.

In exchange for their heart’s desire, they would be willing to offer only that which they could afford to lose—which says that maybe their heart’s desire is not worth as much to them as the stability and reality of the here and now.  This reminds me of the question as to the baby or the bottle, and how they would choose to save one person who could definitely be saved over a thousand who only might be.  It seems maybe Pukwudgies do not like dealing in abstracts.  What they do not know and dearly wish they did is how to just get through.  They just want to survive and take each day as it comes.

They accept their own shortcomings and are okay admitting that their magic could maybe use some work.  But this also demonstrates a willingness to grow and learn from their own mistakes and maybe use them to their advantage.

Pukwudgies want to know when they will learn to keep their mouths shut.  This relates back to their desire to never feel shame, as well as their tendency to question whether or not they should act a certain way.  They are constantly worrying about whether they did or are about to do the right thing in the eyes of other people.

They consider themselves strongest when with friends or when feeling enthusiastic.  They definitely see friends as assets to a good life, and perhaps they are most productive when they are prepared to tackle the world head-on.  The things they would least like to lose are health and love, which kind of goes hand in hand with that, as it’s difficult to be enthusiastic when you aren’t healthy.  The people whose judgement Pukwudgies most fear are those who are closest to them, their friends and their family, which says that they care most about the people they have chosen to let into their lives.

The jinxes Pudwudgies would least like to experience would be those that struck them dumb or that made all food taste like straw, suggesting a love of both conversation and of good food.  I think a Pukwudgie would be right at home at a dinner party full of good friends.

A Pukwudgie would dearly love the power to make one person impervious to harm, again showing the side of them that cares deeply about their loved ones.  They would also love to be able to change one day in their past—maybe a day in which they felt shame, or a day they could change to make someone else’s life better?

They would least like to find themselves either imprisoned alone in a silent dungeon or in the dock in court, accused of a crime they did not commit (maybe they fear the silent dungeon outcome as a result, or maybe they would be more uncomfortable with the injustice of the situation).  Again I definitely get the impression that they are people-pleasers who are happiest when around their loved ones.

The answers Pukwudgies chose to a secret question they would ask an all-knowing being or device were: “Not for many years”, “only once”, “only if you agree”, and “never”, which seem to indicate that the question most Pukwudgies asked was something negative or something they feared.

Horned Serpent

Onto the Horned Serpents.  They would rather hunt than heal and plot than explore, which shows they are proactive rather than reactive.  They like to go into a situation prepared for the outcome.  Like Pukwudgies, they prefer to experience rather than to remember.  They would rather make memories than live in them.  Horned Serpents are also like Pukwudgies in that they would choose to definitely save a baby rather than to maybe save 1,000 other lives.

Unlike Pukwudgies, Horned Serpents believe that friends should not demand blind faith.  Horned Serpents allow for the fallibility of their friends or for the possibility that not everyone can be trusted.  They also believe that a curse cannot work without the victim’s secret consent.  Both of these demonstrate a colder overall outlook toward the world, perhaps with a dash of victim-blaming mixed in.  However, what they most value is service, so despite their sometimes negative outlook on the people around them, they still feel called to work hard for them.

A Horned Serpent would most like to discover a powerful magical creature loyal only to themselves.  Perhaps this shows a need for close companionship, or maybe a need for power.

What Horned Serpents most challenge is convention.  They firmly believe that just because something has always been a certain way does not mean it must remain so.

Horned Serpents’ greatest weakness is also their greatest strength, which shows a sense of innovation and creativity.  They know how to make something negative work in their favor.

The thing Horned Serpents would choose never to feel is pain, which maybe suggests a bit of selfishness, though not necessarily in a bad way.  Their idea of a soulmate is someone who is a psychic twin—in other words, the person they would most want to spend their life with is someone who is exactly like themselves, which lends further credence to the “selfish” idea.

A Horned Serpent’s beliefs are constantly evolving.  They add to them with every new experience and are always open to change.

They feel that their best ideas have gone to waste.  Maybe they have a tendency to procrastinate or to not do their best to achieve what they are capable of.

Horned Serpents’ answer to “Why?” is another question:  “Why not?”  This suggests they are curious beings, always prepared for a discussion or a debate, always looking to find the truth.

All a Horned Serpent needs is a little more time, which goes along with the suggestion that they are procrastinators.

They often ask themselves why they did something, suggesting that they are very analytical of themselves and of how their actions affected a situation.  Maybe they seek ways to change or effect desired outcomes by behaving differently.  For their heart’s desire, they would exchange blood, sweat, and tears, so despite procrastination, they would still work very hard to achieve what they want.  They wish they knew how to forget, so maybe what they need is a way to put the past behind them rather than constantly analyzing it in order to be more productive.

Horned Serpents believe their magic to be unique.  This makes me think they tend to be on the creative side.  They want to know when they will learn the secret, which lends itself to that theory.  They are focused on learning something they can only imagine.

They are strongest when they know they are right and when they are awake.  Simply being conscious can make them feel powerful, and this feeling is heightened when they know they have the advantage.

Horned Serpents would least like to lose either their luck or their reputation.  This suggests that maybe they do not believe they come by their talents naturally, and that their ability to achieve could be impacted if people were not so willing to help them or give them the benefit of the doubt.  Those whose judgment they most fear are history’s and their own.  They care about their own impression of themselves, but only a little less than they care about how they will be remembered after death.  The jinxes they would least like to experience would be that which kept them awake and that which played music constantly in their heads.  The first suggests that, despite feeling strongest when awake, they know that that strength is dependent on their being well-rested, and that they fear the distraction of something in their minds louder than their thoughts.

If they could choose only one power, Horned Serpents would choose first to know the answer to any single question, and then to bring one person back from the dead.  Both of these lend themselves to the curious and imaginative personality trait.

Horned Serpents would least like to find themselves either on a rope bridge fraying over a canyon, or locked in a crowded cage, standing room only, suggesting that they strongly value safety and freedom.

The answers to the mysterious question Horned Serpents would ask were:  “Without a shadow of a doubt”, “It is impossible”, “I will show you everything”, “No, I didn’t”, and “If you want to”.  These differ so vastly from one another that I’m not quite sure how to make a judgement call about them.

Wampus

Now we get to Wampus.  I was actually sorted into this house first, but after taking the quiz twice more (and receiving different questions each time), I got Thunderbird both of those times.  I’m very curious as to the biggest differences between the two.

A Wampus would prefer to hunt, explore, and remember.  I’m going to reserve judgement about that combination for the moment.

A Wampus would save the bottle over the baby because the chance of saving 1,000 lives is too important to miss.  The possibility is more important to them than the risk.

Like Horned Serpents, they believe that friends should not demand blind faith.  They are not prepared to put their trust in someone without good reason.

Horned Serpents do not believe that a person is at fault for their own curse.

What a Wampus most values is ambition.  Whatever their situation, they believe in always striving to improve it.  And what they would most like to discover with that ambition is a spell more powerful than any other.  They want to win every duel, every contest, every exhibition.  Maybe even rule the world?  And what they challenge is authority.  They will not allow anyone to stand in their way.  Their greatest weakness is nobody’s business but their own; that secret might give someone else some power over them, and they can’t risk that.  If they could, they would never feel fear; again, this feeling would only hold them back.

Quite the opposite of the Pukwudgie here, a Wampus believes that a soulmate is an illusion.  No one out there can be that one equal, that one most important person to them, because to a Wampus, they already are that person.  The beliefs a Wampus holds are few but strong.  They prefer to deal in facts, but those things they must take on faith, they do so fervently.

Wampuses’ best ideas get them into trouble.  This goes along with their penchant for challenging authority.  Their answer to “Why?” is, “Because I want to”, because again, no one and nothing will stop them from getting their way.  And to their credit, they feel that everything they need is already inside them.  They don’t need to depend on anyone else to get what they want.  A Wampus often thinks, “Why can’t I do that?”  If they are told no, they will find a way around it.  They would be willing to exchange literally anything for their heart’s desire, and what they want to know is how to win.  They perceive their magic as inborn, again requiring no help from outside sources.

Wampuses may also have an issue with procrastination, as what they can’t seem to do things on time.  They may be working toward their hearts’ desires, but can’t quite get a grasp on time management.  But they are strongest when awake and enthusiastic.  Being alive gets them going.

What a Wampus would least like to lose is hope and reputation—they count on themselves and their good favor with others to keep their strength alive—and the people whose judgement they most fear are nobody’s or history’s.  Nobody is stopping them today, but they’re still concerned with how they might be remembered after they die.

The jinxes that Wampuses would least like to experience would be one that forced them to tell the truth and one that made all food taste like straw.  The first one makes me think that they feel they have something to hide from the world, from society, or from their friends or family.

If they could only have one, a Wampus would choose the power either to eradicate one quality from all humans, or to know the answer to any single question.  The first suggests that they can be judgemental and would like a degree of control over other people.

The places Wampuses would least like to find themselves are trapped in the attic as the house burns below them and on the deck of a ship as a tidal waves comes over the horizon, both of which suggest that they most fear their own death.

The answers to the single question a Wampus wants a guaranteed answer to are:  “Very soon”, “Yes”, “If you come with me”, “Yes, you may”, and “If you want to”.  All of these are very positive and lend themselves to their determination to let nothing and no one stand in their way and to get everything they want.  (I think we know who the Slytherins are!)

Thunderbird

And now we get to the T-Birds.  Apparently as a whole we would rather heal than hunt, plot than explore, and remember than experience.  Like Wampuses, we would choose the possibility of saving 1,000 lives over the immediate guarantee of saving one baby.

Thunderbirds tend to believe it is nobler to be deceived than to be mistrusted, again showing a bit of naivety, though they also demonstrate a bit of victim-blaming in that they think if someone gets cursed, they must have secretly wanted it.

What Thunderbirds most value is freedom, and what they would most want to discover is a magical plant that would cure any illness.  Both of these suggest a deep caring and respect for other people.

Thunderbirds challenge themselves more than anyone else, and their greatest weakness is something they must change.  It seems that they are determined to better themselves and constantly work at it.  If they could, they would never feel regret.  They would choose to never miss an opportunity and never make a mistake.

To a Thunderbird, a soulmate is someone who is strong where they are weak and weak where they are strong.  They desire a partner who is their perfect complement rather than a carbon copy of themselves.

A Thunderbird’s beliefs are hard won.  They own them as a result of having survived something or fought for something, and they require some kind of evidence for their views.  Their best ideas have changed their life.  It seems Thunderbirds thrive on and learn from their own experiences, both good and bad.  Perhaps this is why they prefer to remember than to experience.  Reflection seems to be what propels them forward.

Their answer to “Why?” is “We may never know”.  Thunderbirds are content with not knowing if they cannot see a way to find the answer.

All a Thunderbird needs is an opportunity.  They have confidence in themselves to accomplish what they want, but accept that they may need help from outside sources to get it.  They often think, “I wish I had done that”, so perhaps they do not always choose to take the opportunities that come their way.

For their hearts’ desire, Thunderbirds would be willing to exchange what it is worth.  No more, no less.  They will work a bit harder if or when they need to but feel that fair is fair.

Thunderbirds wish they knew how to escape.  All they are looking for is that opportunity.  They know their magic is powerful, but apparently not quite how to put it to good use just yet.

Thunderbirds want to learn how to say no.  Perhaps they make too many commitments and put others before themselves when they should be working on what they want and need.  They feel they are strongest when they are alone; maybe they don’t feel complete when being pushed and pulled in multiple directions and need to be alone to feel like they’re all there for themselves.

What a Thunderbird would least like to lose is their dreams and their hope.  They know there is a better future out there for them if they can just get a hold of it.

The judgement Thunderbirds most fear is the world’s and their own.  They care what everyone thinks of them, and not least of all what they think of themselves.

Thunderbirds would least like to experience jinxes that meant nothing was funny or that played music constantly in their heads.  I get the impression that maybe Thunderbirds have difficulty with focusing.  If they could choose only one power, Thunderbirds would either change one day in their future or cure one illness worldwide.  Again their focus seems to be all over the place, worrying about things that haven’t happened yet and about the entire world all at once.

They would least like to find themselves locked in a cage, standing room only, or lost in the forest at night, eyes staring at them through the dark.

The answers to the single question a Thunderbird would ask include: “Very soon”, “I will show you everything”, “You are”, “Yes, you may”, and “Forever”. Many of these seem to indicate a tendency to wait for something—like an opportunity, or maybe permission to pursue their dreams. Maybe they are the biggest procrastinators of all.

What are your own thoughts on the Ilvermorny personalities, using the question analysis?