Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; The Forgotten Houses
By: AleeN
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise 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)
To be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. Never before have we ever read of such a rivalry since the Thundeelerra Thunderers and the Woollongong Warriors (read Quidditch Through The Ages to understand). We know the epic battle between the noble Gryffindors and the scheming Slytherins. But what of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw? Are they forever doomed to stay on the sidelines of the epic house rivalry? Forever cast aside due to their lack of identifiable qualities, these two houses are going to play a larger role in the upcoming novels and I'll tell you why.
Hufflepuff, the patient and hard working allies of Gryffindor, a re probably best known by their most famous member Cedric Diggory. While perhaps not given all the glory of the Gryffindors, the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff alliance does help the house get its due share of credit. Cedric Diggory lead their house to victory over Gryffindor in Quidditch (sure Harry fell off his broom, but he might not have made it anyway), and was even selected as Hogwarts champion. They work hard and play hard, which means that they do their fair share of the work around Hogwarts. And that allowed the Hufflepuffs to get their moment to shine, and it did come to them, and it will come again. The Hufflepuffs may not get their share of the glory, or be as popular as the other houses but, with darker times ahead, it'll be the Hufflepuffs alongside the Gryffindors working together to defeat their common foes.
Ravenclaw, the house of intellect. Perhaps only surpassed by the story of Slytherin, has a house been shrouded in so much secrecy. We don't know their true intentions, and we've never been given a real insight to how the members of the house work together. The Hufflepuffs are presented as open and friendly, while the Ravenclaws are presented as more distant and secretive. Perhaps their increased intellect leads to more secret pursuits. But, Ravenclaw's time has also come, and so far we can only credit Cho Chang for giving us an insight into their house.
Penelope Clearwater (Percy's girlfriend) hasn't had a major appearance since Percy has left Hogwarts, and though we might see her a bit more, I doubt we'll get any real insight into why she was a Ravenclaw. The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang is the only real representation of Ravenclaw the reader has left (anyone notice how the girls that the Harry, Percy and Cedric like are in the house of mystery?).
Cho Chang, is best known for being the object of Harry's romantic feelings. Should the relationship be built up (and it should given the hint of more romance in Order of the Phoenix), it is quite possible that we will see more about Ravenclaw in the upcoming books (though it'll have to be quick, Cho Chang is one year ahead of Harry). But will Harry be brave enough to act on his feelings in Order of the Phoenix? It is quite possible now that Cedric is gone, but will Cho Chang accept? That is part of the mystery of the house, no one really knows.
That being said, Ravenclaws' true intentions are clouded in mystery and this could lead to trouble should the houses really need to take sides against the dark arts. I lean towards the fact that given their relationship of mystery and secrecy, that they might join up with Slytherin, but it really is hard to say. Some members may be more inclined to help the Gryffindors, like Penelope, but who am I to judge.
So next time you see the sorting hat, and someone tells you they'll just die if they end up in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, you tell them that they may not be Slytherin or Gryffindor but that doesn't make them any less important. As Harry says, "They make them OK at Hogwarts" which doesn't make their contribution any less important to the story.