Ranking the Hogwarts houses by their Quidditch fans

It should be obvious to anyone who spends time on this site that I love Harry Potter. What you might not know is that if someone were to do an impersonation of me for good fun, they'd write a long article about why Ron Weasley would have wanted the Boston Red Sox to win. Major League Baseball is, in my hometown of Boston, as big a thing as Quidditch and that means I've always enjoyed reading about the Quidditch Cup in the books. With the 2025 baseball season having started this past week, I want to talk about how the four houses rank based on the quality of their devoted followers. I'll go worst to best.

1. Worst: Slytherin

Professor Snape, as head of Slytherin House, is known for favoring his own house in lessons, but he's known to be an ungracious winner where Quidditch is concerned as well. We know that he has good intentions for refereeing a match in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but he has such a history of bending the rules that this is cause for great concern. Professor McGonagall complains about how Professor Snape gloats about Slytherin's winning streak.

You can probably guess that the worst of Slytherin behavior has to do with the anti-Weasley campaign in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It's bad enough that Ron is taunted in the halls and mocked at practices, but the Slytherins compose and perform a song to distract and belittle him during his first game. It insults his family, his Quidditch skills, and his upbringing and while I absolutely do not condone violence, I can understand why it led other Weasleys to getting in a fistfight over the matter. I remember sitting behind someone who wouldn't stop calling players rude and vulgar names and I took that moment to tell my young nephew that I never wanted to be mean as the person sitting in front of us because I loved the game too much. I wish the Slytherins had sat in on that lecture.

2. Slightly better: Hufflepuff

It hurts to rate this house second-worst. They've got great students and Cedric Diggory was a good sportsman from the first time he showed up on page. Most of the time, Hufflepuffs are my favorite house.

My beef with them starts in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where not even Cedric trying to intercede on Harry's behalf gets them to stop unfairly turning against Harry. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the irritating Zachariah Smith takes over as temporary Quidditch commentator and begins by making unfair accusations about why Ron was kept on as Gryffindor Keeper. He all but calls Ron's remarkable performance a fluke and body-shames one of the Gryffindor Beaters.

3. The bad examples: Gryffindor

Let's name names and start with Hermione. It's bad enough that she casts a Confundus Charm on Cormac McClaggen, but she does it to a member of her own house. That's underhanded, no matter the circumstances..

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Gryffindors mean well in the leadup to the Quidditch Final, but they still get into "small scuffles" that lead to students being put in the Hospital Wing. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it is while banned from the team that Fred and George trap Montague in a Vanishing Cabinet that does him lasting damage. It's taking it too far.

4. Laying low and taking the high ground: Ravenclaw

There are some fellow students I remember from school for being good guys and that is the best way I can describe Ravenclaw. We know they have had Quidditch success and even "steamrollered" Gryffindor in the match that Harry missed in the first book, but we don't hear about this being lorded over other students. We know that Cho Chang has had problems with injuries, but she is popular and supported by her house members.

Simply put, we see Ravenclaw being good sports and that, for me, is the quality of a good fandom and a good team.

Whatever game you enjoy and whatever house you support, follow the good examples. And remember, Weasley is our king.