The House Point system is the traditional method of reward and punishment used at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is designed to foster a sense of competition, camaraderie, and discipline among the students of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Points are awarded for academic achievement, commendable acts, and good behavior, and are deducted for rule infractions. The cumulative total of these points determines the winner of the House Cup at the end of each school year. The system serves as a significant backdrop to student life and is often a source of great pride, rivalry, and, at times, injustice.
The official and public tally of House Points is magically kept in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. The points for each house are represented by enormous, enchanted House Point Hourglasses. Each hourglass corresponds to one of the four houses and is filled with precious gems of its respective house colour:
When a student earns points for their house, a corresponding number of gems fall from the top bulb of the hourglass to the bottom. Conversely, when points are lost, gems magically return to the top bulb. These hourglasses provide a constant, visible measure of each house's standing in the competition for the House Cup.
The primary function of the House Point system is to maintain order and incentivize excellence among the student body.
The ultimate goal of accumulating points is to win the House Cup, an honour bestowed upon the house with the highest point total at the end-of-year feast. The winning house has its colours displayed in the Great Hall for the following year, a matter of considerable prestige.
The House Point system is a recurring plot device that reflects the prevailing moral and political climate at Hogwarts.