Helga Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuff came from a broad valley. She favoured loyalty, honesty, fair play, and hard work. Members of her house usually display at least one of these traits in varying degrees: Cedric Diggory, deceased Triwizard contestant, was one of the students who appears to embody all four.

She is further described as “good Hufflepuff” or "sweet Hufflepuff" by the Sorting Hat. She does not appear to have applied particularly strict standards of selection to her house: Although, in Goblet of Fire, she is stated as having considered “hard workers most worthy of admission,” she is elsewhere described as taking “all the rest” of the students after selection by her colleagues, and is quoted by the Sorting Hat as having said “I’ll teach the lot, and treat them just the same.” This sets her apart from the other Founders, by making her an egalitarian.

Hufflepuff was the May 2007 "Wizard of the Month" on Rowling's website. "One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts, Hufflepuff was particularly famous for her dexterity at food-related Charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with Hufflepuff." Her wizard card, penned by Rowling, describes her as having “brought people from different walks of life together to help build Hogwarts,” and being “loved for her charming ways.” Both the famous wizard card and the illustration on Rowling's website depict her as a plump woman with red hair.

One relic of Hufflepuff, a small golden cup, had been passed down to her distant descendant, Hepzibah Smith, who said the cup was supposed to have some magical powers, many of which she had not tested.[HP6] The cup fell into the hands of Voldemort, who transformed it into a Horcrux, and was destroyed by Hermione during the final battle of Hogwarts. Fans theorize that Zacharias Smith is related to Hepzibah and thus is a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff; though Smith is obviously a very common last name, both Zacharias and Hepzibah are uncommon names of Hebrew origin; it seems unlikely that the two first names are a coincidence.

The name Helga is of Scandinavian origin, meaning "holy".

Appearances

 * Wizard of the Month