Out of the worst reputation - as the most boring and least memorable House. They hardly factor in the story, and whenever one of their students plays a prominent role, they're painted in quite the unflattering light, like Zacharias Smith, Justin Flinch-Fletchley, and Ernie Macmillan.
Hufflepuffs are known to be trustworthy, hard-working, humble people who are dependable and loyal. In short, they seem to be the House with the overall best people. They're not conceited like Ravenclaws, hot-headed like Gryffindors, or power-hungry like Slytherins. So if they're so nice, why aren't they more respected? Why does Hufflepuff always get the short end of the stick? And why does the House seem to often go against its own principles?
Why Are They So Irrelevant To The Story?
Hufflepuff is the House with the least involvement in the main Harry Potter story. It's also the only House that has no major ing character to aid Harry during his journey. Slytherin has Draco and Ravenclaw has several, like Luna and even Cho. Except for Cedric, who is there only to die at the end, Hufflepuff is nearly irrelevant. Despite being incredibly loyal and plucky, no Hufflepuffs are deemed worthy enough to help Harry in his mission.
This is perhaps the reason why Newt Scamander, the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts saga, is a Hufflepuff. However, considering how divisive those films were, it's unlikely the House's reputation will improve any time soon.
Why Are They So Bad At Quidditch?
If Hufflepuffs are so persistent, why are they so bad at Quidditch? During the early books of the series, the Hufflepuff team never wins the Quidditch Cup. It's often implied that they're actually good players, they just perhaps lack some of the most savage instincts required for the violent sport.
In later books, Hufflepuff becomes more of a threat. However, this coincides with Quidditch becoming less of a focal point in the series. Indeed, as Harry turns his attention to the fight against Voldemort, Quidditch seems to be less of a concern both for him and for the story.
Why Isn't Hogsmeade More Hufflepuff-y?
Hogsmeade, the all-wizard village nearby Hogwarts, is a major location in the books and movies. Third-year students and above take weekend trips to the village, which houses popular shops like Zonko's and Honeydukes, as well as the supposedly haunted Shrieking Shack.
The village was founded by Hengist of Woodcroft, a medieval wizard who was also a Hufflepuff. Considering the House regularly gets ignored and overlooked, one might think that they would take advantage of every bright spot they got. Why doesn't the village have a statue of Woodcroft or even one of a badger? The House's colors could also be employed, yet Hufflepuffs, ever humble, seem to not be interested in such self-congratulatory displays.
Why Aren't They Better At Caring For Magical Creatures?
The aforementioned Newt Scamander is an authority in the Wizarding World, considered to be the utmost expert in magical creatures. Hufflepuffs often use him as an example of the many great wizards that came out of the House. Yet, no student actually seems interested in caring for magical creatures.
When the class gains prominence during Harry's third year, Hagrid's teaching it and the bond between the groundskeeper and Gryffindor seems to imply the House of gold and scarlet has the upper hand. Shouldn't Hufflepuffs make an extra effort in the class, considering the world authority in magical creatures comes from their House?
Why Are They So Judgemental?
If Zacharias Smith and Justin Flinch-Fletchley proved anything, it is that Hufflepuffs are far more narrow-minded than they like to think. Throughout the course of the story, Hufflepuffs are shown to be very judgemental and critical of others, all while trying to act morally superior.
The Hufflepuff welcome message boasts about how they're the House from which the least amount of Dark Wizards come from, seizing the opportunity to take a dig at the other Houses. Like Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs are also wary and distrustful of Slytherin, judging them all under the same criteria. So much for being kind.
Why Are They Always Underestimated?
Hufflepuff's main trait is that they're hard-working. Under that description, one might think that Hufflepuff would at least rank higher than impulsive, overly-emotional Gryffindors, and even at the same level as resourceful and ambitious Slytherins.
Yet Hufflepuff is always thought of last and is widely considered to be the House that takes everyone who doesn't fit either of the other three. Their welcome message for new students states that nobody intimidates them, yet they usually are. What gives, Hufflepuff?
Why Aren't They More Popular?
And speaking of being intimidated, Hufflepuffs aren't very popular in Hogwarts. They're looked down upon by Slytherins and Ravenclaws, and even Gryffindors consider them soft. Goblet of Fire is the one time when Hufflepuff becomes prominent because of Cedric's involvement in the Triwizard Tournament and even then, they're turned into the antagonist to poor, misjudged Gryffindors.
Hufflepuffs are portrayed as not being athletic, ambitious, or prominent in any meaningful way. This seems to be mainly because of the very obvious bias J. K. Rowling has in favor of Gryffindor (and against Slytherin), but it's still no less strange when taking everything into consideration.
Why Don't They Ever Win The House Cup?
The Hogwarts House Cup is all about hard work. It's a continuous, year-long effort that's meant to challenge students, forcing them to work as a team to achieve a common goal. Under this understanding, the obvious implication would be that Hufflepuff or Slytherin would always win. Ravenclaws are too selfish and Gryffindors too reckless.
However, and while Slytherin indeed wins the six previous years before Harry's first year at Hogwarts, Hufflepuff never does. Once Harry arrives, Gryffindor wins three consecutive cups. They might come in second every time, but the books never bother to give any clarity on the matter.
Why Is Their Common Room So Sunny?
The Hufflepuff Common Room is described as always being sunny. It's round, low-ceilinged, and earthy. Because it's in the basements, the windows have a view of grass and dandelions. The main idea behind it is that it should resemble a badger's sett, which kind of makes sense.
However, badgers are nocturnal and rarely seen in the day. Because they live underground, their homes are pitch dark and private. So why is the Hufflepuff common room so well-lit if it's meant to be a badger's sett? And how does that light even get down there, if it only has a few round windows at the top of a low room - logically, this wouldn't allow for much light, as anyone who has lived in a basement suite knows!
Why Is Their Common Room A Basement?
And on the subject of the Common Room, why is Hufflepuff's in the basements, next to the kitchens? That seems like a very unconventional place for students to sleep in. Wouldn't it make more sense for it to be located near the gardens?
After all, their Head of House is also Head of Herbology, and their Common Room is described as having many plants either hanging from the ceiling or sitting on the windowsills - another element that makes little sense, given that a basement room wouldn't likely have enough light to this many plants. Some of the plants even dance and talk! The House is also closely associated with the element of Earth. With such a strong connection between Hufflepuffs and Herbology, the obvious choice for their common room would be somewhere near or under the Greenhouse.
