The House Point Hourglasses

• Type: Magical Device, Score-keeping
• Owners: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
• Maker: Unknown, though likely enchanted by the Hogwarts Founders

The House Point Hourglasses are a set of four giant hourglasses, one for each of the four Hogwarts Houses, located in a large niche in the Entrance Hall opposite the front doors. Instead of sand, each hourglass is filled with a different type of precious stone that corresponds to its house colour. The level of the gems in the bottom bulb of each hourglass indicates the current total of House Points for that house. The specific gems for each house are:

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

The hourglasses are enchanted to update in real-time as points are awarded or deducted anywhere in Hogwarts Castle.

The primary magical function of the hourglasses is to serve as the official, public scoreboard for the annual House Cup competition.

• Adding Points: When a professor or prefect awards points to a student, an equivalent number of gems magically fall from the top bulb to the bottom bulb of that student's house hourglass. This is often accompanied by a soft, musical clinking sound.
• Deducting Points: When points are taken away, gems from the bottom bulb will fly back up into the top bulb. Harry Potter witnesses this when Severus Snape deducts points from Gryffindor, causing rubies to shoot upwards.
• Authority Enchantment: The hourglasses are magically bound to the legitimate authority structure of Hogwarts. They will not respond to individuals who lack the proper authority to alter House Points. This was demonstrated when Dolores Umbridge, despite being the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, was unable to dock points from Gryffindor; the rubies in the hourglass simply did not move. As Minerva McGonagall explained, only Heads of House and the Headmaster have this power. However, during the 1997-1998 school year, the hourglasses did respond to points awarded by the Carrows, suggesting that their Death Eater-backed authority was recognized by the castle's magic.

The hourglasses are ancient magical artifacts that have been part of Hogwarts for centuries, serving as a constant and central feature of student life and the inter-house rivalry. Their exact origin is not recorded, but they are presumed to have been created and enchanted around the time of the school's founding. During the Second Wizarding War, particularly in the 1995-1996 school year, the hourglasses became a symbol of resistance against Dolores Umbridge's regime when they refused to obey her commands. At the outset of the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor Minerva McGonagall used her authority to empty the Slytherin hourglass of all its emeralds as the Slytherin students were evacuated from the castle, effectively removing them from the House Cup standings and symbolizing the school's united front against Lord Voldemort.

The House Point Hourglasses are a powerful visual representation of achievement, failure, and the ever-present competition between the Hogwarts Houses. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, they provide a dramatic climax to the school year. The Slytherin hourglass is shown to be far in the lead, only for a “shower of rubies” to cascade down in the Gryffindor hourglass after Albus Dumbledore awards last-minute points to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom, securing the House Cup for Gryffindor. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the hourglasses play a crucial role in defining the limits of Dolores Umbridge's power. Her inability to manipulate the points is a significant, public blow to her authority and a small victory for the students and staff who oppose her.

• According to the Pottermore website, the hourglasses were shattered during the Battle of Hogwarts. After the battle, they were magically repaired. As a permanent symbol of the unity forged during the conflict, they were enchanted so that the four house gems no longer fall separately. Instead, the sands of the four houses now mingle and flow together. (Pottermore)
• In the film adaptations, the hourglasses are a prominent and detailed set piece in the Entrance Hall, appearing largely as described in the novels. (film)
• The concept of a public, house-based point system is a staple of the British boarding school story genre, which served as a major inspiration for the culture of Hogwarts.