Here's the Hogwarts House You Belong In, Based on Your DISC Style

There are a few things that literally everyone under the age of 30 knows: the Renegade dance, how to hold a cell phone for the most flattering angle, and their Hogwarts house.

Ever since the Harry Potter books were released, fans—or Potterheads—have been obsessed with sorting themselves into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin.  There's a "Sorting Experience" quiz on Wizarding World if you want the "official" take on which of the four houses you would belong to if you ever got that Hogwarts acceptance letter, or you might instinctively know your house based on its description in the books.

But what if we told you that there is another way to determine your Hogwarts house? One that has nothing to do with magical hats or secret preferences, but rather with your DISC personality style?

What is DISC?

DISC is a well-known and widely used personality assessment tool, based on the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston. It categorizes individuals into four main styles: Drive (D), Influence (I), Support (S), and Clarity (C). Just like the Hogwarts Houses, each style has its own set of strengths, weaknesses and preferred approaches to communication and problem-solving.

Strictly speaking, DISC isn't a personality test. Rather, it looks at how you are likely to behave in certain contexts—usually those related to the workplace. So, while a 'true' personality test like the 16-types assessment based on Myers and Briggs will identify your in-built preferences and tendencies, DISC focuses more on how you adjust your style based on the team you're in and the type of work you are doing. Most people prefer one style that they default to. But they can adapt to another style if the situation calls for it, for example, because they're working on a more creative project than usual or they're mentoring a group that needs lighter-touch guidance.

What Does That Have To Do With Hogwarts?

Simple answer: each of the four Hogwarts houses very clearly maps to each of the four DISC styles. Here's how it breaks down:

Hufflepuff and Support

Support types are your ultimate team players. Loyal, dependable, hardworking, stable and often humble, Support types never seek the spotlight, but instead keep everyone else pulling together as a cohesive unit.

This description is an exact match for Hufflepuff house, which values patience, dedication, loyalty and fair play above all else. In The Philosopher’s Stone / Sorcerer's Stone, the Sorting Hat describes Hufflepuffs as "just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil.” In Goblet of Fire, we learn that “For Hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission."

Just like Support types, Hufflepuffs are often overlooked or underestimated—they’re not even featured that prominently in the books until Goblet of Fire. But their quiet strength and dedication make them essential members of any team.

Example: Remember Cedric Diggory? Loyal friend and skilled wizard, he may not have been the most flashy student at Hogwarts, but he proved his worth in the Triwizard Tournament. Even after death, the ‘echo’ of Cedric distracts Voldemort and encourages Harry to keep fighting. Supportive to the very end.

Ravenclaws and Clarity

Clarity is all about cold, hard logic. People who score high in this trait are known for their analytical approach, complex problem-solving, attention to detail and preference for data over feelings. They're also the kings and queens of planning (read: 'over-planning'), and can be seen as a bit too nitpicky by others. But they're not perfectionists for the sake of it—they just want to make sure that things are done right, and nothing is rushed into without thinking it through.

So what about Ravenclaw? This is the house that values “wit and learning” above all else. Ravenclaws are intelligent. They want to know the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of everything, just as Clarity types do, and they want to think about things in depth. The only real difference is that Ravenclaws tend to be more big-picture thinkers whereas Clarity types can get bogged down by the details. Both can be seen as 'know-it-alls' in their own way.

Example: The classic example of Ravenclaw/ Clarity is Professor Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw House and master of charms. He taught the students the importance of very correctly enunciating their spells—with explosive consequences for those who did not share Professor Flitwick's meticulousness!

Slytherin and Drive

Drive types are the natural leaders of the DISC system. They are bold, assertive and resourceful, and they love taking calculated risks. These types jump into action quickly. They are extremely focused on the goal to be achieved, they like to be in charge, and they like to win.

Which house does that sound like? If you said Gryffindor, we can see where you're coming from. After all, Gryffindor is known for its courage and risk-taking. But Gryffindors can be too much like the class clown to be truly Drive personalities. They have a tendency to act before thinking, whereas Drive types are more direct, strong-willed and forceful. Slytherin house is a much better match.

Slytherins are ambitious and cunning. They do whatever it takes to achieve their goals and are not concerned with playing fair.  They definitely like to take control—Lord Voldemort was always vying for power, and even the 11-year-old Draco Malfoy couldn't resist trying to one-up others. "Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends," sings the Sorting Hat. This aligns perfectly with the “Do it now, ask for forgiveness later" attitude of Drive types.

Example: Who better to represent the Slytherin/Drive combination than Tom Riddle himself? His relentless pursuit of power and willingness to do whatever it takes, regardless of consequences, is a classic indicator of Drive style.  We're not saying that all Drive types are as power hungry as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named... but they definitely have a similar drive to succeed at (almost) any cost.

Gryffindor and Influence

Last but not least, we have Influence types. Influencers are the social butterflies of the DISC world—outgoing, persuasive, optimistic and always bringing people together. They thrive on people, expression and praise, and can be quite dramatic when things don't go their way. But they are also incredibly charismatic leaders who inspire others to follow them.

Sound familiar? It should, because these traits perfectly describe Gryffindors as well. The students of this house are known for their bravery and courage, yes, but also for their open nature and tendency to throw themselves wholeheartedly into any adventure or cause. They can be impulsive, headstrong and somewhat disregarding of rules, but they have a natural charm and care for people that makes others want to follow them. 

"Their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart," the Sorting Hat says—we later learn that Gryffindors are excellent at building alliances, just like Influence types.

Example: It's hard to talk about Gryffindor/Influence without mentioning the famous trio: Harry, Ron and Hermione. Each of them embodies the Influence style in their own way—Harry with his bravery and natural leadership qualities, Ron with his sense of humor and dramatics (“I — don't — like — spiders!” ), and Hermione with her intelligence and ability to rally others to her cause (anyone remember S.P.E.W?).

Together, they make a powerful- if somewhat impulsive- team, just like Influence types in the workplace. But they're even better with Dumbledore's Army standing behind them, just like work teams need a mix of all four DISC styles to achieve success. "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided,"  Dumbledore wisely reminds us. And the same goes for any team, whether at Hogwarts or in the real world.

Interested in learning your DISC style? Take the free personality test here.