Signs you’re lying to yourself about which ‘Harry Potter’ house you belong in

Which House are you in?

If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter book or movies, then you probably had a strong gut reaction that question. Potterheads, as fans of the series are known, definitely know which Hogwarts House they would be sorted into. Heck, even casual fans of the series (even people who have just seen Sorcerer’s Stone on ABC Family one time) probably know which House they feel they belong in. Diehard Potterheads have probably taken it even further, buying (or making) costumes and robes themed to their House. They might have changed their favorite color to match their new Hogwarts family and make jokes about their Common Room, even if they haven’t technically been in their Common Room (yet).

Which House you believe you would be sorted into says a lot about you. Do you see yourself as a hero and a leader? As a brilliant, witty type who might be bit of a bookworm? As someone with great ambition (and maybe a little evil streak)? As someone loyal and true? The Internet is full of quizzes that will tell you where you belong, with easy-to-manipulate results (because, seriously, what’s your favorite animal — a lion, an eagle, a snake or a badger?). The one “legit” quiz, Pottermore’s, looks to have vanished with the site’s not-totally-popular redesign, so now more than ever, it’s up to us to turn an honest eye inward and be our own Sorting Hat.

Sometimes, though, we struggle to be honest with ourselves, especially about something as important (it’s important and if you don’t think so, this is probably the wrong list for you) as which Hogwarts House you belong in. So proceed with caution, but below are some tell-tale signs that you might be lying to yourself (maybe intentionally, maybe not) about which House you’re destined for. On the flip side though, if none of the below apply to you, this could just reaffirm that you really, truly are a (insert House of Choice here).

When you tell people which House you’re in, they say, “Really?” 

Especially if these are people who know you really well, take note.

People send you links to lists with titles like “Things all Hufflepuffs understand” — even though everyone knows you’re a Gryffindor. 

Or, alternatively, maybe people give you Harry Potter gifts in the wrong colors, even though they know you’re a huge Potterhead and, yes, the colors do matter.

You were on the verge of a panic attack when you took the Pottermore Sorting Hat quiz.

Because, even though you don’t want to tell people, you were maybe not totally confident that you’d end up in the House of your dreams.

You chose your House based more on the fictional people who were already in it than on the real person you are inside. 

Maybe you want to be in like-minded company, but maybe you haven’t done your Sorting Hat soul-searching yet.

You’ve explained exactly why you belong in your favorite House so many times that you have a speech memorized.

And, frankly, you’re a little annoyed that everyone keeps asking for an explanation.

You know for a FACT that everyone in your family would all be in one House — but are convinced that you belong in another. 

Sure, maybe you defy tradition like Sirius Black, but maybe you’re like a Weasley or a Malfoy and there’s a strong House line in your family for a very good reason.

You picked your House based on what other people think of you, but it’s never quite felt right. 

Even though other people’s reactions to your House can be a helpful indication of if you’re being honest with yourself, at the end of the day, it’s even worse to try to fit yourself into a House just because other people think that’s where you belong. Until we get access to the real Sorting Hat, you have to be true to you and choose the House that you know in your heart is where you belong.

(Images via Warner Bros., Giphy, here, here, here, here, and here.)