Gryffindor

"You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart"

- The Sorting Hat

Gryffindor is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Godric Gryffindor. Its emblematic animal is the lion and its colours are scarlet and gold. Minerva McGonagall is the most recent Head of House. Nearly Headless Nick is the house ghost. The particular characteristics of students Sorted into Gryffindor are courage and chivalry, of which the lion is the symbol. Gryffindor corresponds roughly to the element of fire, which may partly be the reason for its colours.

The Gryffindor Common Room is located in one of the castle's towers, the entrance to which is located on the seventh floor and is guarded by a painting of the Fat Lady, who is garbed in a pink dress. She permits entry only after being given the correct (regularly changing) password. Behind her is a large common room, with a fireplace, and two staircases leading up to the boys' and girls' dormitories. Gryffindors are disliked by Houses such as Slytherin, according to Phineas Nigellus Black, because they apparently engage in pointless heroics. There might also be an element of jealousy; since the arrival of Harry Potter, Gryffindor has received a certain amount of publicity that they hadn't had before. Harry and his fellow Gryffindors tend to win in a lot of circumstances which, when viewed from a Slytherin's point of view, may be considered unfair. Examples of this include the last minute points awarded by the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, at the end of term feast, which conveniently put Gryffindor ten points ahead of Slytherin or when Harry gets special permission from Professor McGonagall to have his own broomstick for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, even though first years are not permitted their own broomstick. Another example is when Harry Potter is chosen as the fourth competitor in the Triwizard Tournament, and is accused of cheating, stealing Cedric Diggory's thunder and craving attention.

List of known Gryffindors

 * Bell, Katie (1990 - 1997)
 * Black, Sirius (1971 - 1978)
 * Brown, Lavender (1991 - 1998)
 * Coote, Ritchie (1990s)
 * Creevey, Colin (1992 - 1998) (died in what would have been sixth year, did not attend 7th year)
 * Creevey, Dennis (1994 - 2001)
 * Dumbledore, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian (1892)-(1899)
 * Evans, Lily (1971 - 1978)
 * Finnigan, Seamus (1991 - 1998)
 * Granger, Hermione J. (1991 - 1997) (did not attend final year but returned to Hogwarts to get N.E.W.Ts)
 * Hagrid, Rubeus (1940 - 1943) (expelled for uncommited crimes in his 3rd year.)
 * Johnson, Angelina (1989 - 1996)
 * Jordan, Lee (1989 - 1996)
 * Kirke, Andrew (1990s)
 * Longbottom, Neville (1991 - 1998)
 * Lupin, Remus (c. 1971 - c. 1978)
 * MacDonald, Mary (c. 1971 - c. 1978 ?)
 * McDonald, Natalie (1994 - 2001)
 * McGonagall, Minerva (1937 - 1944)
 * McLaggen, Cormac (1990 - 1997)
 * Patil, Parvati (1991 - 1998)
 * Peakes, Jimmy (c. 1994 - c. 2001)
 * Pettigrew, Peter (1971 - 1978)
 * Potter, Harry James (1991 - 1997) (did not attend final year)
 * Potter, James (1971 - 1978)
 * Potter, James Sirus (2015 or 2016) - (2022 or 2023)
 * Prewett, Molly (1961 - 1968)
 * Robins, Demelza (1994 - 2001)
 * Sloper, Jack (1990s)
 * Spinnet, Alicia (1989 - 1996)
 * Thomas, Dean (1991 - 1997) (did not attend final year)
 * Vane, Romilda (1993 - 2000)
 * Weasley, Arthur (1961 - 1968)
 * Weasley, Bill (1982 - 1989)
 * Weasley, Charlie (1984 - 1991)
 * Weasley, Fred (1989 - 1996) (left early)
 * Weasley, George (1989 - 1996) (left early)
 * Weasley, Ginevra Molly (1992 - 1999)
 * Weasley, Percy Ignatius (1987 - 1994)
 * Weasley, Ronald Bilius (1991 - 1997) (did not attend final year)
 * Wood, Oliver (1987 - 1994)
 * Nigel (1994 - 2001) (non-canonical; only appeared in the films)

Behind the scenes
Many members of the Gryffindor house seem to have a gift for transfiguration, there are 4 known Animagi from this house (James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Minerva McGonagall). Also, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall were both tranfiguration professors while they were Heads of this house.