“You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart.”
Those of us who identify as Gryffindor might be accused of being a bit narcissistic, what with our heritage lying in the hands of such heroes as Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Hermione Granger, and Mr. Harry Potter himself- but we’re actually quire humble.
OKAY NO WE’RE NOT. However, in our defense, this must be how fans of sports teams feel- like they are the absolute greatest, and all other teams pale in comparison. Right? Whatever. I’m done making excuses for who we are. Instead I will tell you that we Gryffindors not only identify with bravery and adventure, but we are especially apt to loyalty and friendship. When we add you to our Tribe, you stay there for life. We’re ‘lifers’, we Gryffindors; Ride or Die. If you are so inclined, we welcome you into our Group- we open our arms and our hearts and our minds, and we learn from you, and live by you, and bleed Gold and Scarlet, screaming until the end. We do, also, however, get ourselves into trouble from time to time. Our inclination to lead with our hearts can get our mouths into trouble; This is why (thankfully) another strength we have is balance. We have a way of finding those who balance us: the Yin to our Yang. In the spirit of Balance, and Bravery, and Seeking more, my required reading lists for all Gryffindors is as follows:
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy bring about some of the worst qualities of bring a Gryffindor, but they none the less are sterling examples. TBH, it’s all in the name. This story centers on two lovers skirting the realm of ‘togetherness’. NEVER was there more Pride than in the space between Darcy and Lizzy. I mean, COME. ON. Anywho. Long story short, they let their loyalty for their family, and their need to be right blind them from their truth. Love prevails, cold hearts melt, and stubborness takes a cliff dive: huzzah! #HearThemRoar #GryffindorLove #ItsComplicated
4. The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo:
The Alchemist is, I am ready to admit, did not live up to the hype for me. HOWEVER, I think it is a lovely book with amazing moral compassing, that could have used some more editing in translation. Now. Looking past the technical issues, what’s at hand is an adventure fit for a Bard. A story to tell around the world- one we can all root for: a story of Finding Your Self. Go on a journey with Santiago- a meek boy who hones his fearlessness, and literallyfollows his dreams. Gryffindors are marked by risk taking, and Santiago sets the scene. Dream Big, and take the leap. #YOLO
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman:
Speaking of Stubborn….Buttercup can be a bit of a See-You-Next-Tuesday before arriving at her ultimate bliss (finally being in the arms of Westley, or course). This classic Romance is steeped in adventure, loyalty, comedy and vengeance: it has all the markings of a Gryffindor anthem. Gryffindors would be wise to add this to the list, and learn more about being a badass, and wooing the shit outta your lady. HINT: Whatever she likes : “As you wish.” #BossAssBitch #LoveWins #HelloMyNameIsInigoMontoyaYouKilledMyFatherPrepareToDie
2. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis:
To be sure, the Pevensie children occasionally strayed from greatness (get it together Edmund!), but on a whole we’re an inquisitive and unstoppable force. My girl Lucy led the excursion into a new world with an open mind. Dragging along the rest of her siblings they set out to change the course of a world apart. Their bravery and sacrifice leads them through many great years as Kings and Queens, restoring Narnia to greatness, and letting Aslan breathe love, intrigue, and hope through out the land. Long may they Reign. #YASQueen #LucyForLyfe #UghSusan
Gods, Demi-Gods, Super Humans, Love, Lust, Anger, War, Revenge, Mystery, Inrigue, ADVENTURE. The Odyssey is basic OG Gryffindor reads. Godric surely set his sites on the stories of Old, and borrowed some thematic-qualities to shape his house. Being a part of Gryffindor, one must always be open to and prepared for Adventure. So, crack open Homer’s Epic, and surf the pages for research. #AdventureAwaits #GryffindorAF
Join Gryffindor’s around the world, toasting to Adventure, Bravery, and to being Bragadocious. #BeYourself #YouDoYou
-Cheers,
Morgan Messick
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Mic’s Honorable Mention: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo is a fussy little coward when the story begins. As he travels with the company, his courage slowly grows and matures until, by the end, he is capable of facing down dragons, giant spiders, elf kings, weirdo mutant cave-dwellers, orcs and, perhaps most difficult of all, a friend. This book is ALL about courage and perfect for any Gryffindor!
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By the way:
T5W (Top 5 Wednesday) is a weekly book meme created by gingerreadslainey and hosted by Sam @ThoughtsOnTomes. You find out more about T5W and the weekly topics on the Goodreads group here.
Originally posted on Beauty and the Bitch
Morgan Messick is a Pop-Culture fanatic, Podcast Host, and total #BookBabe living in Austin, TX with her Husband and little dog Scoop. She aspires to grow her #TBR pile, do all of the hiking, travel as often as possible and make a joke at every turn. She utilizes laughter and yoga for daily medicine, thinks that Harry Potter is magic for all ages, and truly believes Die Hard is a great Christmas movie (SO DEAL WITH IT.) Catch her musings here, and around the web — links in the “about” page!
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