My House Changed as I Aged

I was, and still am, a huge Potterhead. Back in high school, I always thought I was a Gryffindor. Of course, it was the house of the main characters, so naturally, that was the one I wanted to be in.

So I took tests after tests. But every single time, as long as I answered truthfully, I ended up in Slytherin.

When Pottermore launched in 2012, I regarded it as a much more legitimate source than any of the other websites. So I answered the Sorting Hat questions as honestly as I could, expecting to be sorted into Gryffindor. But you probably know how this ends.

Yep, I got Slytherin. 

And I refused to believe it. So I took more tests, even on dubious websites, hoping one of them would finally put me in Gryffindor. 

Unlike Harry who had a sentient magical hat capable of taking personal preferences into consideration, I had a website and an online questionnaire that did not care about my feelings. The internet was apparently too powerful for me to exercise that free will.

I didn't like that I was sorted in Slytherin, but I was honest enough with myself to know that I was. Well, you can't blame me. I despised those Slytherins with every ounce of my 16-year-old heart. They've always been stereotyped as evil and have always been linked to villains.

But as I age, I came to love the house I was sorted in and I'm even proud of it. After all, many of the traits I had back then were unmistakably Slytherin.

"Slytherins tended to be ambitious, shrewd, cunning, strong leaders, and achievement-oriented. They also had highly developed senses of self-preservation. This means that Slytherins tended to hesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done." Source

Here are a few of my most Slytherin-esque traits:

- I don’t feel bad about putting myself first or doing whatever it takes to achieve my goals.
- I am selectively loyal and an extremely one if I want to be
- I am fiercely competitive
- I weigh outcomes before acting. I calculate before taking risks. Before I break the rules, I've thought about it a million times.

Looking back, I think this is probably how I survived the next 20 years of my life. Being resourceful, the ambition to keep moving forward, the resilience to pick myself up, the instinct to adapt, and the stubborn belief that somehow, I would figure things out. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, but somehow, my Slytherin traits always seemed to get me through.

But two years ago, out of nowhere, I found myself taking the Pottermore test again. And, while I wasn’t entirely surprised, I was sorted into Ravenclaw.

I think the shift came as I aged. 

In my 20s, I was more focused on ambition, drive, independence, strategy, and proving myself. I wanted to establish myself, prove my capability, or get ahead. I might have been more conscious of connections, influence, opportunities, and who could help me move forward.

Now in my 40s, I wouldn't say I'm now a walking encyclopedia (if the kids still now what that is). But I can get genuinely excited about learning something simply because it's interesting and not because it will give me any kind of leverage in the future (as I would as a Slytherin). The games on my phones are nothing but puzzles and crosswords. If my love for puzzles satisfies the logical side of my brain, my passion for digital art and design feeds the soulful side. 

Maybe I should also mention that I don't need to prove that I can do everything anymore. I get to decide what is actually worth doing. I became more selective with my energy. When I was younger, I have this feeling that I have to respond to everything. Every opportunity. Every opinion. Every conflict. Every challenge. But now? I've simply learned that not everything deserves my attention. 

I've become more selective about the people I spend time with, the things I commit to, and the arguments I engage in. I’ve become more selective about what I allow to take up space in my head. Experience taught me that energy is finite, that's why I am more intentional about where to spend it.

I don't know if these are Ravenclaw traits. But I've gone from proving myself to knowing myself. My younger self was focused on becoming someone. Now, I'm more interested in understanding who I've already become. And probably, I am finally wise enough to protect my peace.

I suppose the Sorting Hat didn't really change its mind.

I did.

The Slytherin got me here.

The Ravenclaw is helping me understand where here actually is.

Throwback. A day at Hogsmeade. ;) 

One thing is for sure: I was, and still am, a huge Potterhead. And that's one thing no amount of aging can ever change about me.