Ravenclaw

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Ravenclaw
Ravenclaw.jpg
House information
Founder

Rowena Ravenclaw

House colours

Blue and Bronze

Animal

Eagle[1]

Element

Air

Traits
  • Intelligence
  • Wit
  • Wisdom
  • Creativity
  • Originality
  • Individuality
  • Acceptance [2]
Head
Ghost

The Grey Lady

Common room

Ravenclaw Tower

Members
“ 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, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

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.[3] The house ghost, who in life was the daughter of the house's founder Rowena Ravenclaw, is the Grey Lady[4].

Ravenclaw roughly corresponds with the element of air[5]; the House colours blue and bronze were chosen to represent the sky and eagle feathers respectively, both having much to do with air[6].

Traits[edit | edit source]

“ Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure. ”

–Rowena Ravenclaw, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Ravenclaw House prizes learning, wisdom, wit, and intellect in its members.[3] 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.[7]

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

Reputation[edit | edit source]

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.[8] Notably, many Ravenclaws joined Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts along with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

Common Room[edit | edit source]

Knocker: "Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"
Luna: " [...] I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."
Knocker: "Well reasoned."
— Luna solving a riddle to enter Ravenclaw tower[src]


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.[4] 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[edit | edit source]

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.


Known Ravenclaws[edit | edit source]

Ravenclaw Period Attending Hogwarts Notes
Helena Ravenclaw

[9]

Founder's time Daughter of the house founder, Rowena Ravenclaw and house ghost.
Uric the Oddball

[10]

Medieval Famous for his eccentric habits, such as wearing a jellyfish as a hat, and sleeping in a room with fifty pet Augureys.
Ignatia Wildsmith

[11]

c. 1238 - 1245 Inventor of Floo Powder.
Lorcan McLaird

[12]

Unknown Was Minister for Magic from 1923 - 1925.
Laverne de Montmorency

[13]

c. 1834 - 1841 Inventor of the several Love Potions.
Basil Fronsac Mid-19th century (most likely) Was Headmaster sometime prior to Armando Dippet
Perpetua Fancourt

[14]

c. 1911 - 1918 Inventor of the lunascope.
Garrick Ollivander

[15]

unknown Talented and famous wandmaker.
Myrtle

[16]

1940s Was killed by Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk and is now a ghost that haunts the Second-floor girls' lavatory.
Millicent Bagnold

[17]

Unknown Minister for Magic from 1980 to 1990.
Filius Flitwick

[9]

Later became Professor of Charms and Head of Ravenclaw House.
Gilderoy Lockhart

[18]

1975 - 1982 Celebrity author and adventurer, later exposed as a fraud. Served as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts in the 1992-1993 school year.
Sybill Trelawney

[19]

Unknown Divination teacher in Hogwarts since 1981. Prophesized the birth of the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord.
Quirinus Quirrell

[20]

1960s or 1970s (possibly) Muggle Studies professor, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor during the 1991-1992 school year, and host to Lord Voldemort's disembodied soul.
Robert Hilliard

[21]

1980s and 1990s A Prefect.
Penelope Clearwater 1987 - 1994 A Prefect, dated Percy Weasley in 1992
Roger Davies 1989 - 1996[22] Chaser and Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team from 1993 to 1995.
Bradley 1990s Chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1995–1996 school year.
Chambers Chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1995–1996 school year.
Duncan Inglebee Beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1993–1994 school year.
Felicity Eastchurch In 1996 she competed in the school Exploding Snap tournament.
Grant Page Keeper on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1993–1994 school year.
Hemani Roshan
Jason Samuels Beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1993–1994 school year.
Jeremy Stretton Chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team during the 1993–1994 school year.
Latisha Randle In 1996, she took a pair of shoes that belonged to Luna Lovegood, with the intent of hiding them as a prank.
S. Fawcett She made very brief appearance during the Yule Ball in Trio's fourth year.
Marcus Belby 1990 - 1997 Member of the Slug Club.
Cho Chang Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team from at least 1993 to 1997; member of Dumbledore's Army. Harry Potter's love interest in 5th year.
Eddie Carmichael
Marietta Edgecombe Member of Dumbledore's Army (betrayed DA to Dolores Umbridge).
Anthony Goldstein 1991 - 1998 A Prefect and member of Dumbledore's Army.
Kevin Entwhistle
Lisa Turpin
Mandy Brocklehurst
Michael Corner Member of Dumbledore's Army. Dated Ginny Weasley and later Cho Chang.
Isobel MacDougal
Padma Patil A Prefect and member of Dumbledore's Army, though incorrectly placed in Gryffindor in the films.
Stephen Cornfoot
Sue Li
Terry Boot Member of Dumbledore's Army
Andrew 1992 - 1993 Dueling Club member.
Rebecca
Luna Lovegood 1992 - 1999 Member of Dumbledore's Army and close friend of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley. Eventually married Rolf Scamander and became a Magizoologist.
Orla Quirke 1994 - 2001
Stewart Ackerley
Jatin Agarkar
Becky Arncliffe
Arjuna Balaji
Loretta Cornhill
Shruti Dev
Ananyo Dhillon
Nathaniel Douglas
Harriet Ellesmere
Hilary Erskine
Margaret Ettington
Austin Guthrie
Noel Harwich
Sanford Humberston
Joan Kerridge
Danny Kershaw
Ashok Khanna
Biko Kisawahi
Roberta Lutterworth
Sterling McCubbin
Godfrey Midhurst
Takashi Noda
Sherwood Partington
Swati Pevekar
Asma Rahman
Ophelia Rushden
Lewis Thorverton
Sachin Tripathy
Miyuki Tsuji
Gerald Vickers
Gerard Willerby
Aron Woodbridge
Mizuho Yoshii 		Seen during the 1993–1994 school year
Yutaka Amano

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

  •  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[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes and references[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Chapter 3, "Letters from No One"
  2. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  5. ↑ The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling
  6. ↑ Pottermore - New from J. K. Rowling: Colours
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 F.A.Q. question on J.K. Rowling's Official Site
  10. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  11. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  12. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  13. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  14. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  15. ↑ Pottermore background information on Ollivander (transcription available here)
  16. ↑ F.A.Q. question on J.K. Rowling's Official Site
  17. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  18. ↑ Pottermore - New from J.K. Rowling: "Gilderoy Lockhart"
  19. ↑ Pottermore - New from J.K. Rowling: "Sybill Trelawney"
  20. ↑ Pottermore background information for Quirinus Quirrell (screenshot available here)
  21. ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
  22. ↑ Roger must be older than Harry Potter, as Fleur Delacour dismissed him as a "little boy" but attended the Yule Ball with Roger. He was captain of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team for at least Harry's third year, fourth year, and fifth year, making him approximately two years older than Harry.
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