Ravenclaw

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind."

- The Sorting Hat

Ravenclaw is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. Members of this house are characterised by their wit, learning, and wisdom. Its house colours are blue and bronze, and its symbol is an eagle. The house ghost, who in life was the daughter of the house's founder Rowena Ravenclaw, is the Grey Lady.

Ravenclaw roughly corresponds with the element of air ; the House colours blue and bronze were chosen to represent the sky and eagle feathers respectively, both having much to do with air.

Traits
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

- Rowena Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw House prizes learning, wisdom, wit, and intellect in its members. Thus, many Ravenclaws tend to be academically motivated and talented students. Ravenclaws also pride themselves in being original in their ideas, and methods. Its not unusuall to find Ravenclaw students practicing especially different types of magic that other houses might shun. Hermione Granger, an extremely intelligent witch and the top student in her year, was sorted into Gryffindor, though she admitted that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered placing her in Ravenclaw.

Students in Ravenclaw can also be quirky and possess unusual intellectual interests. Ravenclaws generally accept and celebrate these eccentrics.

Reputation
Ravenclaws are so competitive when it comes to academic success that they are known to backstab each other, and likely other students, in order to get the top marks, while Hufflepuff prefect Gabriel Truman noted that they are so proud of the success of famous members, such as Laverne de Montmorency, that they claim any intelligent wizard as a member of Ravenclaw, such as Bridget Wenlock, who was in fact a Hufflepuff.

Ravenclaw House appears to have little rivalry with the other houses, except in Quidditch (in which case it is most fiercely competitive with Hufflepuff). Harry Potter believed that they tended to side with Gryffindor in its rivalry with Slytherin, as did Hufflepuff house. However, during the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, Ravenclaws supported Hufflepuff Champion Cedric Diggory over Harry. Notably, many Ravenclaws joined Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts along with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

Common Room
The Ravenclaw common room is in one of the castle's towers and is wide and circular. You have to climb a tight spiral staircase to get there. It has graceful arched windows, and the walls are hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling is painted with stars, which are echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases cover the expanse of the floor, and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sits next to the door that leads to the dormitories above. Harry Potter entered the common room in 1998 while searching for clues to the location of one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Unlike the other common rooms in the school, a logical riddle given by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker must be answered to enter. This could prove troublesome as anyone with enough intellect could intrude into the dormitory, as is shown in 1998 where Professor McGonagall had no trouble entering by answering the riddle correctly (though she was a "hat stall" between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw). However, Hermione stated in her first year when figuring out the complicated riddle, beneath the trapdoor, that most wizards and witches do not have much sense of logic, which might be something that Ravenclaw noticed herself and decided to use clever riddles instead of passwords, as they are safer than some words.

Head of House
The head of house before and during Harry Potter's time was Filius Flitwick. It is unknown when he became head of house, but it is known that he was teaching Charms in 1971. It is also unknown who he succeeded.

Behind the scenes

 * In the books, Ravenclaw colours are blue and bronze; however, in the films they were changed to blue and silver.  Likewise, Ravenclaw's symbol is an eagle in the books and a raven in the films (though in the last film an eagle does appear in the Ravenclaw mascot).
 * Eagles are a symbol for a broader vision and strength of mind and heart.
 * It is revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that the Sorting Hat had originally considered putting Hermione Granger in Ravenclaw, due to her intelligence, but ultimately decided on Gryffindor.
 * Basil Fronsac was likely a Ravenclaw.
 * Gilderoy Lockhart was a Ravenclaw. This can be seen on his Quidditch robes from a picture of his past while at Hogwarts, and was later confirmed by J. K. Rowling on Pottermore.
 * In the Romanian version, the Ravenclaw house is changed to "Ochi-de-șoim", literally "Eye-of-Hawk", possibly because ravens are better known as signs of death or danger, and the members of the house have a broader way of thinking, being smart and witty, thus the name of the house.
 * In the original Italian edition of first three books, the Ravenclaw's house name was changed in Pecoranera (black sheep). Subsequently, the name was changed in Corvonero (Black crow or Black raven).
 * In the Brazilian version, the Ravenclaw house is changed to "Corvinal". As the word "raven" means "corvo" in Portuguese.
 * In the French version, Ravenclaw house is changed to "Serdaigle" which means in English "Eagle's claw".
 * The Ravenclaw Common Room does not appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but it is still possible to glimpse the stairwell inside the Tower. The Common Room's door can also be glimpsed at. This is the same for LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
 * Minerva McGonagall was a hatstall, having approximately equal Ravenclaw and Gryffindor traits; the Hat finally Sorted her into Gryffindor. Hermione Granger was also considered being Sorted into Ravenclaw but Gryffindor was chosen once again. Filius Flitwick was in the same situation at the time of his Sorting, but in his case the Hat decided on Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * Wonderbook: Book of Spells
 * Pottermore