House Point Counters

• Type: Magical Device
• Owners: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
• Maker: Unknown

The House Point Counters are four giant, enchanted hourglasses located in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts castle. Each hourglass represents one of the four Hogwarts houses and is emblazoned with its corresponding emblem: a lion for Gryffindor, a badger for Hufflepuff, an eagle for Ravenclaw, and a serpent for Slytherin. Instead of sand, the hourglasses are filled with thousands of tiny precious stones, with each type corresponding to a House's colours. The novels explicitly state that the Gryffindor hourglass contains rubies and the Slytherin hourglass contains emeralds. The contents of the other two are not specified in the original seven books.

• Gryffindor: Rubies (red)
• Slytherin: Emeralds (green)
• Ravenclaw: Sapphires (blue) (film), (Pottermore)
• Hufflepuff: Diamonds (yellow) (Pottermore)

The level of the gems in the bottom bulb of each hourglass serves as a real-time, visual representation of the total House Points accumulated by that House.

The primary function of the hourglasses is to magically and automatically keep score in the annual competition for the House Cup.

• Adding Points: When a student is awarded points by a professor or a prefect, an equivalent number of gems falls from the top bulb of their House's hourglass into the bottom bulb. This is accompanied by a musical chiming or rushing sound.
• Deducting Points: Conversely, when points are lost, gems magically flow upwards from the bottom bulb back into the top.
• Automatic Tallying: The enchantment is powerful and instantaneous, reflecting changes in points totals from anywhere within Hogwarts castle and its grounds as soon as they are declared.

The counters provide a constant and public measure of each House's standing, fostering a sense of competition and pride among the student body.

The origins of the House Point Counters, including their creator and the date of their installation, are unknown. They are presumed to be an ancient and integral part of Hogwarts's history, having been used to track the House Cup competition for centuries. The counters stand as a testament to the enduring tradition of the House system established by the four founders.

The House Point Counters are a recurring feature that reflects the shifting dynamics of school life and the ongoing rivalry between the Houses.

• In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the counters play a dramatic role in the final chapter. During the end-of-year feast, Albus Dumbledore awards last-minute points to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. The Great Hall watches as a flood of rubies cascades into the Gryffindor hourglass, allowing them to narrowly win the House Cup from Slytherin for the first time in seven years.
• In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore once again awards Harry and Ron 400 points for their bravery in the Chamber of Secrets, securing the House Cup for Gryffindor.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the hourglasses become a symbol of Dolores Umbridge's tyrannical control over the school. Her Inquisitorial Squad, composed mostly of Slytherins, abuses their power to unfairly dock points from other Houses. Harry at one point observes that the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff hourglasses are completely empty, showcasing the extent of the squad's corruption.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry becomes particularly invested in watching the counters, feeling a surge of pride when Horace Slughorn awards him points and satisfaction when Slytherin loses them. He also distinctly hears the magical chiming from the Entrance Hall when Severus Snape deducts points from Gryffindor.

• Location Discrepancy: There is a minor inconsistency in the books regarding the counters' location. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they are described once as being behind the staff table in the Great Hall during the leaving feast. However, in the same book and in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, their location is firmly established as the Entrance Hall. The Entrance Hall is considered their canonical primary location.
• Film Representation: The House Point Counters are visually prominent in the film adaptations, often shown in the Great Hall. Their design features large, ornate hourglasses filled with shimmering gems, closely matching their description in the novels.
• Wizarding World: The Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website officially confirmed that the Ravenclaw hourglass contains sapphires and the Hufflepuff hourglass contains diamonds.