At Harry Potter‘s Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat determines which house the students will be in when they are only 11 years old, but there were some Sorting Hat mistakes as far as personalities are concerned. The students are young when the storying occurs, so it’s no wonder the Hat sometimes makes the wrong choice. Dumbledore even mentions in the books he sometimes thinks they sort the students too young. While there is some discussion in the books about certain characters who might have been sorted wrongfully, there are even others who might have done better in other houses.
The Harry Potter fandom continues to grow on a daily basis thanks to theme parks, spin-off stories, and stage shows. There appears to be no end in sight to the interest in the wizarding world originally created for a series of children’s novels. There is now a new series heading to Max, rebooting the original Harry Potter novels, with a new cast and a season for each book. While the Sorting Hat was one of the things the movies got pretty much 100% right, there were still Sorting Hat mistakes, and it caused some problems with the Harry Potter character’s true houses.
12 Fred & George Weasley: Slytherin
There’s no doubt that Fred and George Weasley are funny and brave. They, after all, are some of the first Hogwarts students to stand up to Dolores Umbridge. It could be argued that they should have been in Ravenclaw thanks to their outside-of-the-box thinking and creative pursuit of a career. They were actually a better fit for Slytherin though. Their creativity went hand in hand with their ambition to make something of themselves and to have the security of their own business instead of following someone else’s plan for them.
There is some thought that the Sorting Hat mistakes included putting the twins in Gryffindor. They were great additions to that house, but their pranks and mischief really fit in well with the more Slytherin ideas of cunning and ambition. The twins did what they wanted, listened to no one, and set out to achieve their goals even if it meant doing it in the face of authority. Fred and George Weasley belonged in Slytherin for that reason alone.
11 Seamus Finnegan: Ravenclaw
Rumors have run rampant for years there are seven Sorting Hat mistakes, but J.K. Rowling maintains the Hat never made a mistake (via The Cut). However, Seamus Finnegan rarely comes up in those discussions. He didn’t exhibit the same level of bravery his Gryffindor roommates did. In fact, he shied away from the conflict concerning whether Voldemort ever returned by placing his belief squarely in his mother. Realistically, Seamus Finnegan belonged in Ravenclaw because he was the type of student who would do something just to see what would happen. That’s showcased in the movies with his propensity for pyrotechnics – no matter what spell he attempted.
10 Dumbledore: Slytherin
It’s clear to fans of the books that J.K. Rowling had a habit of sorting most of the main or important characters into Gryffindor. There’s definitely a bit of an imbalance, and the books definitely set up Gryffindor as the best house, which could easily account for some Sorting Hat mistakes. While Dumbledore might have been a Gryffindor, a good argument could be made for him actually being a Ravenclaw. But, even more than that, he belongs in Slytherin. Given his ambition and his cunning, also his propensity to lie to achieve his ends, he probably would have fit in well there.
Looking at the Harry Potter movies on their own, Dumbledore did nothing without intense thought and planning behind it. Many see him as a father figure for Harry Potter, but he put the boy in danger from the start. Dumbledore used his own students as pawns to reach his goals. Yes, he did sacrifice himself for the greater good, but no one was more ambitious and almost selfishly goal-oriented than Dumbledore, a true Slytherin trait.
9 Crabbe & Goyle: Hufflepuff
The four Hogwarts houses can sometimes be a pretty reductive system as most people don’t fit evenly into one of four categories. Crabbe and Goyle obviously were sorted into Slytherin because the books set it up that all bad wizards and Death Eaters come from that house. The truth is, however, that Crabbe and Goyle weren’t particularly cunning or ambitious. They simply followed Malfoy’s lead. In one way, it would make more sense to have them in a house like Hufflepuff. Their loyalty to Malfoy, and willingness to do any amount of work required of them, would have fit right in.
8 Percy Weasley: Slytherin
The Weasleys take great pride in always being sorted into Gryffindor. It’s a little disheartening how much pressure they put on their kids to be in this house. While most of the Weasleys are brave, they are all individuals. Percy was always all about ambition and working his way up in the Ministry. His entire life was about working up in the world and being the best he could be. When looking at Ron, Fred, and George, the brothers were all three heroic individuals who put others ahead of themselves. However, when it came to Percy, he was all about his job and status. These aren’t bad traits at all, but they are very Slytherin traits, clearly one of the Sorting Hat mistakes.
7 Remus Lupin: Hufflepuff
While having all the Marauders be in the same house makes sense from a storytelling perspective, some of them might have done better in another house. Remus was a hero and always the most level-headed of the group. An argument could be made that he would fit in well in Ravenclaw as he was more quiet and bookish while in school. He cared a lot about loyalty and fairness. During Remus’s brief time as a Hogwarts professor, he attempted to make every student in his class feel seen and heard, tailoring his lessons to their needs. He would likely have fit in very well in Hufflepuff.
6 Peter Pettigrew: Slytherin
This example is one of the most obvious Sorting Hat mistakes that is talked about in the book. The Sorting Hat took more than five minutes to put Peter Pettigrew into Gryffindor. However, Peter is not really brave in any sense of the word, just someone with a strong sense of self-preservation. He is very cowardly and willing to betray his friends to save himself. He was always a character that was looking to find powerful people to take care of him. While not all Slytherin are evil, his desire to use other people to achieve his ends makes him a Slytherin in this case.
5 Neville Longbottom: Hufflepuff
Neville Longbottom is definitely brave. There is no contesting that he has a lot of courage, especially as he grows up. He also, however, has a huge heart and isn’t reckless like many Gryffindors. He’s one of the most relatable characters for fans of the series. Neville argued with the Sorting Hat to put him in Hufflepuff, and it could have shown how much people from other houses can also be brave at times. Neville likely would have fit in really well in the Hufflepuff house, and it would have been great to have such an important character not be in Gryffindor. It was another of the Sorting Hat mistakes that were just there to put the heroes in one house.
4 Gilderoy Lockhart: Slytherin
Gilderoy Lockhart is another character who fell victim to the Sorting Hat mistakes. While he was a Ravenclaw, he would have made an even better Slytherin. While in one sense, he was smart enough to trick people and get away with stealing the stories of others, he wasn’t actually smart in the traditional Ravenclaw way. His intelligence was a lot more about using cunning and manipulation. Plus, he was really ambitious and was willing to do whatever it took to become famous. Fame was his primary motivator. One wonders if he fooled the Sorting Hat like he did everyone else in his life.
3 Luna Lovegood: Gryffindor
Luna Lovegood is definitely one of the most well-known and important Ravenclaw members in the entire book series. While Luna might have fit into Ravenclaw in some ways, she definitely has the heart of a Gryffindor. She was brave through and through and always loyal to her friends. While often the books sorted way too many characters into Gryffindor, Luna is the one time when a character wasn’t sorted into that house – but should have been. It was also one of the rare Sorting Hat mistakes where someone who ended up being important to the story was pushed into a different house.
2 Hermoine Granger: Ravenclaw
Hermione is another character that is briefly talked about in the books as having possibly been sorted into the wrong house. The Sorting Hat took its time making a decision about her. Hermione did well in Gryffindor at times, but she definitely was way more devoted to learning and studying than most of the other students in that house. While it was a refreshing change to have a character break some of the house stereotypes, she probably would have felt more relaxed in the Ravenclaw environment. From a storytelling perspective, having most of Harry’s friends by in Gryffindor made everything a lot simpler for his tale.
1 Harry Potter: Slytherin
This might be somewhat of a controversial example, but it’s the one that’s most talked about in the books. The Sorting Hat thought of putting Harry Potter into Slytherin, but Harry’s choice made the difference. While it’s powerful that some students can have some choice in their placement, having Harry not be in Gryffindor would have made an amazing point to the fans and the other characters. Showing that Harry could still be just as good and brave would have bucked all the Slytherin stereotypes.
However, he likely wouldn’t have fit in well if his rivalry with Malfoy is anything to go by. Fans can chalk Harry’s sorting up to the mythical seven Sorting Hat mistakes debate that rages on. However, Harry needed to be away from Snape, not be in the same house as Malfoy, and remain separated from the legacy of Voldemort. He never could have achieved that if he had ended up in Slytherin like the Sorting Hat wanted. In this case, it was a better option for Harry Potter but would have failed the story.
