While we’ve only been lucky enough to experience the journey in audio, it’s impossible not to daydream about those first days at Hogwarts. As first years approach the final stretch on the Hogwarts Express, they’re met with the castle warmly looming, sparkling in the distance, no doubt abuzz with anticipation and excitement about what their years at Hogwarts will soon hold. They’ll get their first taste of the school’s enchanting atmosphere with the Sorting Ceremony, a rite of passage that sees first-year students divided into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw.
These houses foster a strong sense of belonging, as students share dormitories, wear their house colors with pride at Quidditch matches, and engage in friendly competition with the other houses. These houses become a united team, but for many, they're more than that—something akin to family.
Ravenclaw house is said to be home to witches and wizards of great intelligence. The motto “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure,” spoken by Rowena Ravenclaw, captures the essence of her house, celebrating intelligence, creativity, and a deep love of learning as the highest virtues a witch or wizard can possess. Would you fit in among Hogwarts’ brightest and brainiest? Read on to find out.
What are Ravenclaws like?
Ravenclaws, more than anything, are known for their intelligence and love of learning. It’s where the most curious, creative, and clever among us would most like to call home at Hogwarts.
Ravenclaws are studious and bookish, with logic and a true love for learning guiding their decisions. These traits are said to take after the house’s founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, who prized not only intelligence but the pursuit of wisdom in all its forms, much in the same way the other houses mirror their own founders. Here are just a few of our favorite Ravenclaws and why we think they showcase the house’s signature traits.
Professor Filius Flitwick demonstrates the traditional intelligence emblematic of Ravenclaw
As the Head of Ravenclaw and the school’s Charms professor, Professor Flitwick is a renowned wizard with vast knowledge he imparts to his students. He’s often seen perched on top of a stack of books due to his short stature, and he is known to be an excellent teacher, emphasizing the importance of their studies and O.W.L.s. But we feel as if Flitwick doesn’t embody Ravenclaw simply for his smarts; though he can often be a bit by-the-book, he isn’t opposed to using his cleverness to fight back and rebel, either, as we find out later in the series.
From Chapter 13: Detention with Dolores
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 13: Detention with Dolores
Performed by Stephen Fry
Cho Chang demonstrates that intelligence isn’t only relegated to academics
Ravenclaws excel at Quidditch, showing their intelligence isn’t only useful in bookish matters. In both Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Gryffindor is up against Ravenclaw in tense Quidditch matches. Ravenclaws prove to be fierce competitors. And it’s our opinion that Cho Chang is among the very best of them. In a match against Gryffindor, even Harry notes that Cho Chang is a particularly good flier as she goes head-to-head with Harry as Ravenclaw’s Seeker.
From Chapter 13: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 13: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw
Performed by Stephen Fry
Luna Lovegood demonstrates the open-mindedness and curiosity of Ravenclaw
There are few Ravenclaws—let alone Hogwarts students!—that we at Audible love more than the quirky, meditative Luna Lovegood. While she’s sometimes perceived as a bit odd and off-kilter, Luna Lovegood demonstrates the intelligence of Ravenclaw in her open-mindedness, curiosity, and outside-the-box thinking. She’s willing to believe even the wildest of theories; after all, all of it, to her, is knowledge. Throughout the latter part of the series, Luna contributes inventive, thoughtful plans and approaches every situation with creativity and interest, noticing things others may miss and bringing an artistic flair all her own.
From Chapter 19: The Lion and the Serpent
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 19: The Lion and the Serpent
Performed by Stephen Fry
What is the history of Ravenclaw?
Sometime around the 10th century in the remote beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Each founder was the head of their eponymous house and selected students for that house based on the traits they most valued and wished to nurture in students.
When the question of how to handle sorting in the future arose, a solution came in the form of the Sorting Hat—an enchanted pointed wizard’s hat, imbued with the founders’ knowledge and perception. From then on, the Sorting Hat would perceive and predict the capabilities and potential of students to sort them into one of the four houses. The hat is still in use when Harry takes his first steps into the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
From Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat
Performed by Stephen Fry
Rowena Ravenclaw was one of Hogwarts’ four founders. Ravenclaw valued wit, cleverness, intelligence, and wisdom above all other traits; as such, these became the core attributes associated with the house that bears her name. As is revealed later in the series, sadly, Ravenclaw’s life was marred by loss and grief.
Who is Ravenclaw’s house ghost?
While we don’t get to see much of her, Ravenclaw’s house ghost is the Grey Lady. She doesn’t make much of an appearance until the last novel of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where Harry learns a tragic secret about the Grey Lady’s identity that reveals a devastating backstory. (No spoilers here—you’ll have to listen in to uncover the mystery for yourself!)
From Chapter 31: The Battle of Hogwarts
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 31: The Battle of Hogwarts
Performed by Stephen Fry
Our other favorite notable Ravenclaws
Moaning Myrtle: Myrtle was a Ravenclaw student who died on Hogwarts grounds; she now haunts the second-floor girls’ bathroom and is often heard sobbing or wailing.
From Chapter 8: The Deathday Party
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 8: The Deathday Party
Performed by Stephen Fry
Professor Sybill Trelawney: Trelawney is a Seer and the Professor of Divination at Hogwarts. Throughout the series, she foretells prophecies both genuine and off-the-mark. She’s also known for having a bit of a penchant for predicting the untimely demise of her students.
From Chapter Six: Talons and Tea Leaves
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Six: Talons and Tea Leaves
Performed by Stephen Fry
Gilderoy Lockhart: Lockhart is a celebrity in the wizarding world, a famous writer who routinely monologues about his many adventures and exploits. In Harry’s second year, Lockhart teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts for a time at Hogwarts.
From Chapter Six: Gilderoy Lockhart
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Six: Gilderoy Lockhart
Performed by Stephen Fry
What is the Ravenclaw common room like?
The Ravenclaw common room sits in a tower on the west side of the castle, giving students views of the mountains surrounding the school. Though the Ravenclaw common room doesn’t feature much in the series, we do get a glimpse into it in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The room is circular, airy, with arched windows, many bookshelves, and stars painted on the ceiling—the perfect environment for tucking into some cozy fantasy or diving deep on a long-haul nonfiction listen.
From Chapter 29: The Lost Diadem
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter 29: The Lost Diadem
Performed by Stephen Fry
To enter their common room, unlike that of Gryffindor, where students must know a password, Ravenclaw students must solve a riddle presented by their knocker, a bronze eagle.
