The House Cup

• Type: Annual Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Competition and Award
• Owners: Not owned, but awarded annually to the Hogwarts House with the most points.
• Maker: Presumed to have been established by the Hogwarts Founders.

The House Cup is an annual award presented at the end of the school year to the Hogwarts House that has accumulated the highest number of House Points. The competition fosters a sense of community and rivalry among the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The official score is tracked publicly in the Entrance Hall by four giant, enchanted hourglasses, one for each House. Instead of sand, these hourglasses are filled with precious gems corresponding to each house's colours:

• Gryffindor: Rubies
• Hufflepuff: Diamonds
• Ravenclaw: Sapphires
• Slytherin: Emeralds

Whenever a student earns or loses points, the jewels in their respective hourglass magically fall to the bottom bulb or rise to the top bulb, providing a constant visual representation of the standings. The prize for winning the House Cup is primarily one of honour. During the End-of-Term Feast, the Great Hall is decorated with the colours and emblems of the winning House. While a physical trophy is implied by the name, its specific appearance is not described in the novels.

The competition is based on a system of House Points, which are awarded or deducted based on students' actions throughout the school year.

1. Earning Points: Students earn points for their House for a variety of positive actions, including:
   • Correctly answering difficult questions in class.
   • Demonstrating exceptional magical skill.
   • Performing acts of bravery or chivalry.
   • Winning the Quidditch Cup for their House.
   • General good behaviour and helpfulness.
2. Losing Points: Points are deducted for infractions of school rules, such as:
   • Being out of bed after hours.
   • Entering forbidden areas of the castle or grounds.
   • Disobeying a professor or Prefect.
   • Using magic improperly in the corridors.

Points can be awarded or taken away by members of the Hogwarts Staff, the Headmaster, the Head Boy, the Head Girl, and Prefects. The final point totals are announced by the Headmaster during the End-of-Term Feast, where the winner is declared.

Before Harry Potter's first year, Slytherin had won the House Cup for seven consecutive years. The competition results during Harry's time at Hogwarts were as follows:

• 1991-1992 School Year: Slytherin was in the lead and expected to win. However, at the feast, Albus Dumbledore awarded last-minute points to Harry Potter (60), Ron Weasley (50), Hermione Granger (50), and Neville Longbottom (10) for their bravery in stopping Professor Quirrell from stealing the Philosopher's Stone. These points secured a dramatic victory for Gryffindor.
• 1992-1993 School Year: The competition was suspended, and final exams were cancelled due to the events surrounding the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. However, Dumbledore awarded 400 points to Gryffindor for Harry and Ron's defeat of the Basilisk, noting they would have won the cup.
• 1993-1994 School Year: Gryffindor won the House Cup for a third consecutive year. Their victory was greatly helped by also winning the Quidditch Cup for the first time in many years.
• 1994-1995 School Year: The winner is not stated. The competition was largely overshadowed by the Triwizard Tournament and the tragic death of Cedric Diggory.
• 1995-1996 School Year: The winner is not mentioned. The points system was heavily manipulated by Dolores Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad, who unjustly took points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff while excessively rewarding Slytherin.
• 1996-1997 School Year: Gryffindor won the House Cup. Before leaving Hogwarts with Dumbledore, Harry observed that the ruby-filled hourglass was significantly fuller than the others.
• 1997-1998 School Year: The House Cup competition was effectively dismantled as Hogwarts fell under the control of Lord Voldemort, with Death Eaters serving as professors and Severus Snape as Headmaster.

The House Cup is a fundamental part of the Hogwarts experience and serves several key narrative functions in the series.

• Establishing Rivalry: It is the primary engine for the inter-house rivalry that defines much of school life, particularly the ongoing competition between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
• Plot Device: The competition is central to the climax of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore's public rewarding of points for moral courage over rule-following establishes a core theme of the series and validates the trio's secret heroism.
• Atmospheric Barometer: The state of the House Cup competition often serves as an indicator of the overall stability of the school. Its disruption or suspension in years two, four, five, and seven signals that a more significant crisis has eclipsed the normal routines of school life.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Great Hall is initially decorated with green and silver Slytherin banners. When Dumbledore announces the final point changes, the banners magically flutter and transform into the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, a visual flourish not detailed in the book. (film)
• The Pottermore website (now Wizarding World) featured a long-running interactive House Cup competition where users, sorted into one of the four houses, could earn points for their house through participation in site activities. (Pottermore)