Forum:Umbridge's House

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I'm just re-reading Deathly Hallows and I realised, despite all the specualtion about Umbridge belonging in Slytherin House she couldn't have been because Phineas Nigellus says that Snape was the first Slytherin to be Head of Hogwarts since himself. So where does she belong? Certainly not Gryffindor given her hatred for them, which leaves either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. I'm guessing Hufflepuff assuming she was the sort of student that most people associate with that house, that is not being talented enough to belong anywhere else. I think that is more likely given her ineptitude which is shown throughout the fith book. What does everyone else think about this? Jayce Carver ^Talk 08:23, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

It may be a technicality, but Umbridge never had access to the Headmaster's office. Phineas may not have considered her a "true" headmaster because of this. - Cavalier One^{(Wizarding Wireless Network)} 08:41, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

Hufflepuffs aren't students that just aren't talented enough. You make it sound like Hufflepuff is for the misss-fits, those who couldn't find their place in the other houses, but they had to put them somewhere. Wrong! A hufflepuff's main qualities are his/her high sense for justice, loyalty and kindness. Just because a student isn't in Gryffindor does not mean he is not brave. Take Luna's example for that. Or just because a student is in Hufflepuff does not mean he "is not talented enough": take Cedric Diggory's example.--Ohmbun 09:11, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

I didn't say it applies to all Hufflepuffs, it's just how most people view them, which is true, as the Sorting Hat said Hufflepuff took what was leftover because they didnt posses any of the qualites valued by the other founders. Jayce Carver ^Talk 09:48, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

Either way, it is unlikely that Umbridge would be in Hufflepuff anyway. She was neither kind or just. No true loyalty is shown during the series either. So, that leaves Ravenclaw. It is possible given Umbridge;s theoretical side but it seems unlikely. ShirleyA^{(The Quibbler)} 10:58, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

I don't think it's even mentioned she studied at Hogwarts... -- Seth Cooper ^{(Owl Post)} 00:40, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

The text mentioned by Jayce above is found in DH16: "He venerated Snape, the first Slytherin headmaster since he himself had controlled the school, and they [Harry, Ron, and Hermione] had to be careful not to criticise, or ask impertinent questions about Snape, or Phineas Nigellus would instantly leave his painting."

I, too, took this to mean that Umbridge wasn't in Slytherin. Even though Hogwarts castle didn't consider Umbridge to be a "true" headmistress, Phineas Nigellus may very well have done so on a personal level, especially since he seems to have shared her views on education and blood status. Since Phineas Nigellus is described as "venerat[ing]" Headmaster Snape for being a Slytherin, wouldn't he have had the same praise for Umbridge, if she had also been in Slytherin? Of course, from a purely semantic perspective, Snape would still be "the first Slytherin headmaster since [Phineas Nigellus]" even if Umbridge was in Slytherin, because Umbridge was a headmistress. I do think the comment definitively establishes that Headmasters Dippet and Dumbledore weren't in Slytherin.

I once asked myself what a bad Hufflepuff would be like and decided the answer was Umbridge. Her homey office decor — dried flowers, doilies, decorative kitten plates — reminds me a little of JKR's description of the Hufflepuff common room: "It is a very cosy and welcoming place, as dissimilar as possible from Snape's dungeon. Lots of yellow hangings, and fat armchairs, and little underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, all of which have perfectly round doors, like barrel tops." Plus the affected sweetness in the way Umbridge spoke could be interpreted as a corrupted form of Hufflepuff kindness. Yes, she was a truly horrible person as an adult, but there's nothing to suggest that she wasn't kind, just, and loyal when she was Sorted at age eleven. People change, after all, often for the worse. Also, Zacharias Smith was in Hufflepuff, but he wasn't exactly kind, nor was he particularly loyal. Of course, this is just speculation of my part. :) ★ Starstuff ^{(Owl me!)} 03:56, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

That was my line of thinking too. She definatley went to Hogwarts as a kid, as she mentions something about her childhood in her start of term speech I think. There seems to be "best and worst of" examples of students from all houses. For example, Cormac McLaggen was the worst example of a Gryffindor and Slughorn was probably the best example of a Slytherin. I've yet tofind a bad Ravenclaw however. Jayce Carver ^Talk 07:08, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

One of Hufflepuff's distinguishing features is the value of "fair play". Umbridge's treatment of her students was distinctively UNfair. 70.244.80.248 13:02, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Cormac McLaggen wasn't the worst Gryffindor, Peter Pettigrew was =/. And the worst Ravenclaw so far is Cho's friend Marietta 90.204.60.169 21:44, 3 June 2009 (UTC)
I believe the worst Ravenclaw was the Grey Lady, the ghost of the Ravenclaw house. As I remember it, she was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw and she stole her mother's diadem in her desire to outwitt her mother. As she tells Harry in the battle of Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw died shortly afterwards.--Ohmbun 09:10, 4 June 2009 (UTC)