Mighty Lions,

Welcome to all Gryffindors new and old! As I'm sure you know, Gryffindor has a very long and proud history that can be traced back to the beginning of this school. In fact, Gryffindor was named after, and created by one of the four founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor.

Gryffindor House is one of the four houses in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is named after it’s founder: Godric Gryffindor. As you may, or may not know, Godric Gryffindor believed all students with magical ability should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. Then, of course, each of the four founders looked for certain traits in students being sorted into their Houses.

The four founders sorted the students themselves, during their lifetime at Hogwarts. The question of how to sort the students when they were dead and gone soon arose. Gryffindor came up with a solution, using one of his own hats. The hat was enchanted by each of the founders, and was soon named “The Sorting Hat”. The enchantments gave the hat brains and a bit of a personality, which would give the hat the ability to sort the students into the correct houses.

“You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart."
--The Sorting Hat

Gryffindor’s mascot is the Lion, which symbolizes bravery, the most valued virtue of Gryffindor House. House colors are red and gold, which I believe, is due to Godric Gryffindor’s red, mane-like hair and the golden mane of a mighty lion.

Gryffindor House is located on the seventh floor, in Gryffindor Tower. The entrance is hidden behind a large portrait of The Fat Lady, in a pink silk dress. Only those knowing the password may enter, otherwise, you will be left out in the corridor until another Gryffindor enters. Inside the large common room, you will see large comfy couches and overstuffed chairs scattered about the room. Along one wall, near a window, you’ll find a small wizards chess table, ready and waiting for students to wile away the time.

There is also a large fireplace which is perfect for warming up the entire room, and for communication, through the Floo Network. Naturally, the Floo Network is strictly monitored, except late at night, when students should all be asleep. There are two types of communication that can be used with the Floo Network. One is through Floo Powder, which works like a portkey, I suppose, and the other is talking to someone, through the fire, who is also connected to the Floo Network. Because of the strict monitoring of all fireplaces, students communicate with their families and friends using owls.

A large notice-board takes up a good portion of the wall near a long window. This board is used to post information about different House and School events, such as the date of the next Hogsmeade visit and club announcements. Students also post notices of looking to buy or sell books, or if they’re looking for a study partner, and other similar notices.

Along another wall are two staircases, one to the boys dormitories and the other to the girls. Each dorm room contains 5 four-poster beds, which are immediately next to long windows. In the center of each room, is a pot-bellied stove, which is used for heat. Both boys and girls dormitories are identical, but if a boy should be so foolish as to try to climb the staircase to enter the girls dorm, he would instantly find himself sliding quickly back to the base of the stairs. On the other hand, girls are allowed to enter the boys’ dormitories. Since the beginning of Hogwarts, professors have found that girls are more trustworthy than boys, and have put an enchantment upon the staircase to the girls’ dorms. The enchantment causes the staircases to transfigure itself into a slippery stone slide whenever a boy tries to climb them.

Gryffindor House’s ghost is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (also known as Nearly Headless Nick or just Sir Nicholas) , who was sentenced to death by beheading when a teeth-straightening spell went wrong on Lady Grieve. His execution took place on October 31, 1492, but did not go as easily as planned. He was struck 45 times in the neck with a blunt axe, and still had a half inch of skin and sinew connecting his head to his body.


”nick”

"I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However--"
-- Nearly Headless Nick


Nearly Headless Nick hosted a Deathday Party for himself, in the dungeons, on October 31, 1992. The guest list included all the ghosts of Hogwarts, including Peeves the poltergeist, Moaning Myrtle and the Headless Hunt, which is a type of club for ghosts that were beheaded. (Nearly Headless Nick was rejected for membership into the Hunt by it’s leader, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.) There were three ‘special’ guests in attendance, much to Nick’s delight. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley attended the party as a favor to Sir Nicholas.

Less than two months later, on December 18, 1992, Nearly Headless Nick was Petrified by the gaze of a basilisk. The basilisk is the creature from the Chamber of Secrets, and it’s gaze would normally kill. Since Nick was already dead, he couldn’t die again, so he was Petrified instead. He stayed Petrified for a little over 5 months, until a cure was brewed by Madame Pomfrey. On May 30, 1993, Sir Nicholas, Hermione Granger, Colin Creevey and several others were un-Petrified.

The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick

It was a mistake any wizard could make
Who was tired and caught on the hop
One piffling error, and then, to my terror,
I found myself facing the chop.
Alas for the eve when I met Lady Grieve
A-strolling the park in the dusk!
She was of the belief I could straighten her teeth
Next moment she'd sprouted a tusk.
I cried through the night that I'd soon put her right
But the process of justice was lax;
They'd brought out the block, though they'd mislaid the rock
Where they usually sharpened the axe.
Next morning at dawn, with a face most forlorn,
The priest said to try not to cry,
"You can come just like that, no, you won't need a hat,"
And I knew that my end must be nigh.
The man in the mask who would have the sad task
Of cleaving my head from my neck,
Said "Nick, if you please, will you get to your knees,"
And I turned to a gibbering wreck.
"This may sting a bit" said the cack-handed twit
As he swung the axe up in the air,
But oh the blunt blade! No difference it made,
My head was still definitely there.
The axeman he hacked and he whacked and he thwacked,
"Won't be too long", he assured me,
But quick it was not, and the bone-headed clot
Took forty-five goes 'til he floored me.
And so I was dead, but my faithful old head
It never saw fit to desert me,
It still lingers on, that's the end of my song,
And now, please applaud, or you'll hurt me.

Throughout that long history Gryffindor has always shown great bravery, you too may share in our house trait.


  1. Bravery is standing up for what you believe in even if you're standing alone.
  2. Bravery is being your own person.
  3. Bravery is fighting even though you're losing the battle.

You see my lions, bravery has been the trait that's strengthened this house and led it to many victories, and it’s also held us together through many sorrows. All of us must show bravery and courage at all times throughout even the most mundane of days because one never knows just when you might need to be a pillar of support for a fellow lion, or even for a fellow student.

I invite you all to show bravery and courage. For those new students that are in our midst, you must be brave in getting acquainted with such a famous school. For those of you that have been a lion for longer than you can remember, you too must act bravely in standing up to your friends when the choose to pick on first years because they must have had their memories modified other wise they would remember how scary their first year at such a large school was.

If you're just beginning your long journey here at this magical school, you've got a long and exciting road ahead of you! If however you're in the twilight of your time here at Hogwarts fare the well, soon you'll be changing the wizarding world, as we know it! Whatever you do, and whoever you are, remember that you're a Gryffindor and that you have a family right here waiting for you at Hogwarts Online!



Sources used to gather and collect information, are compliments of: HP-Lexicon; Harry Potter Wiki Complete; Harry Potter Wikia; Hogwarts Online; and The Complete Harry Potter Series




 
Hogwarts Online
Gryff Common Room
Staff
Welcome to Gryffindor
HoH & DHoH's
Head Prefects
House Points
Quidditch History