Head of Ravenclaw House

The Head of Ravenclaw House is a senior teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, held by a professor who is responsible for the students of Ravenclaw House. This staff member serves as the primary authority figure, pastoral guardian, and representative for all Ravenclaw students from their first to their seventh year. Throughout the events of the Harry Potter series, the role of Head of Ravenclaw House was held by Professor Filius Flitwick, the school's Charms Master.

The Head of Ravenclaw House shares a common set of responsibilities with the other Heads of House, acting as a crucial link between the students and the school's administration. Key duties include:

• Discipline: Awarding and deducting House Points, as well as assigning detention and other punishments for rule-breaking.
• Student Welfare: Serving as the main point of contact for students' personal, social, and academic issues. Heads of House conduct career advisory meetings with their fifth-year students to help them choose their N.E.W.T.-level subjects.
• Permissions and Authorisation: Signing permission slips that allow eligible students to visit the nearby village of Hogsmeade.
• Communication: Relaying important school announcements, schedules, and security information to the students in their House.
• Security and Safety: Enforcing school rules and assisting in maintaining security. Professor Flitwick, along with the other Heads of House, was involved in the castle-wide search for Sirius Black and later helped erect magical defences for the Battle of Hogwarts.
• House Representation: Representing the interests of Ravenclaw House at staff meetings and official school functions, such as the Start-of-Term and End-of-Term Feasts in the Great Hall.

• Filius Flitwick: The only known Head of Ravenclaw House mentioned in the original novels. As the Charms Master, Professor Flitwick was a diminutive but exceptionally powerful and knowledgeable wizard, said to have been a duelling champion in his youth. He was generally good-natured and fair, taking immense pride in the academic achievements of his students. He remained a loyal defender of Hogwarts and its students, fighting bravely against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War.

The formal process for selecting a Head of House is not explicitly stated in the books. It is understood that the appointment is made by the current Headmaster or Headmistress of Hogwarts. The position is typically given to a senior professor who is believed to exemplify the core traits of their respective House. While not a stated rule, it is strongly implied that a Head of House was a member of that same House during their own time as a student.

• In the film adaptations, the physical appearance of Filius Flitwick changes notably. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he is portrayed as a very old, white-haired wizard with a somewhat goblin-like stature. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and all subsequent films, he appears as a younger, more human-looking wizard with dark hair and a moustache, who also conducts the school's Frog Choir. (film)