In the Harry Potter series, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is divided into four houses, each bearing the last name of its founder: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. The houses compete throughout the school year, by earning and losing points for various events, for the House Cup. Each house also has its own Quidditch team that competes for the Quidditch Cup. These two competitions breed rivalries between the houses, the greatest of which is that between Gryffindor vs. Slytherin and Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw. Houses at Hogwarts are the living and learning communities for its students. Each year, year level groups of every separate house share the same dormitory and classes. The dormitory and common room of a House are, barring rare exceptions, inaccessible to students belonging to other Houses.
The house system is not unique to Hogwarts as it is a feature of many real schools in some English-speaking countries today. As with many...
