Top 10 Signs You're a Slytherin

When Harry is first introduced to the idea of the Hogwarts houses in the first book and movie, it seems clear from the start that Slytherins are potentially people to be afraid of. After all, almost every dark wizard we’re aware of was part of Slytherin house. The Slytherins Harry meets early in the story are all tough bullies, but that doesn’t mean they’re all bad. In reality though, Slytherins are intimidating, no matter what their intentions are. Even if they have hearts of gold (which, let’s face it, they infrequently do) they can still come off as kind of scary.

Pride is an important quality that all Slytherins share, and one was to have your pride shaken is to lose at something. And that’s why no Slytherin can try anything but their absolute hardest at any game or competition. In the world of “Harry Potter”, we see this come out often when it comes to Quidditch, but in the real world, you may know you’re a Slytherin if you can’t bear to lose to your friends at board games and always need to have the last word in an argument.

Some people are nice to everyone they meet, even if they don’t like or respect them. But if you’re a Slytherin, that’s definitely not you. Slytherins don’t waste any time faking it in terms of pretending to be friends with anyone, because passive aggression is so not their style. They’re more likely to be up front from the start about how they feel, because even if they tried to hide their feelings, they wouldn’t be any good at it. You know if you like someone right away and believe that first impressions really do matter.

When Slytherins interact with one another, one of the major factors is respect. If a Slytherin feels disrespected, there’s no telling what sort of evil deeds they will perform in order to enact their revenge. They also put great importance on treating others with respect, especially their elders and those who hold a higher position than them. In the real world, you may realize you’re a Slytherin if you have a big problem seeing anyone be disrespected, and if this is a factor in how much you admire those around you.

If there’s one thing a Slytherin hates, it’s not being in control. They need to be the master of their surroundings, and sometimes even of those around them. In “Harry Potter”, this comes out very literally with Voldemort possessing both Harry and Ginny on separate occasions and using the Imperius Curse to literally control other people’s actions. In real life though, you will know you’re a Slytherin if you often find yourself trying to manipulate others in order to get what you want, and becoming incredibly frustrated if people don’t obey you.

In the modern day, so much of our lives take place online. Some people have stronger social media presences than others, and we all have that one friend who will only post a photo if they look incredible or share a post if it makes them look smart and cool. Slytherins like to be in control of the image they present to the world, and show great restraint to always maintain that image. You’ll never catch real world Slytherins posting embarrassing photos or throwbacks of themselves because they want the world to see them at their very best, always.

In the first book, the sorting hat sings of Slytherins, “Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.” Even though Ravenclaws get all the credit for being the smartest students at Hogwarts, they’re not the only ones with some intellect to spare. Of course, Slytherins can use their intelligence to get ahead in their classes, but they can also use it to achieve their goals and ensure that they only put in exactly the right amount of work to get what they want. When a Slytherin has a plan, they make sure that it’s enacted flawlessly, without any extra steps or risk of failure. While this can definitely be used for evil deeds, in the real world the skill can be versatile and applied in a variety of ways.

We know just from looking at the Black family tree tapestry that family is incredibly important to a Slytherin. Narcissa Malfoy even risked lying to the Dark Lord to ensure her son’s safety. And let’s not get into the whole pure blood thing. In the real world, you’re probably someone who puts a huge priority on taking care of their family members, and would do anything for their kin. It doesn’t need to take on such a dark or sinister tone either, but a true Slytherin knows that blood is thicker than water and you should never forget it.

While actual family is a huge priority for a Slytherin, their chosen families can have an equal or even greater importance in their lives. Be it with fellow Slytherins, or the Death Eaters, people from his house are unflaggingly loyal to those who matter to them. Outside of the magical world, Slytherins may display this loyalty by putting themselves at risk in order to do things for their friends or holding a major grudge on behalf of someone they care about. When it comes down to it, Slytherins stick together, and if they don’t show their loyalty, there can be serious consequences.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

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You Act Like You Don't Care- But You Do

Harry often misses the sorting ceremony, so we only get to hear a couple of versions of the sorting hat’s annual song. Perhaps the most important quality of a Slytherin however is pointed out in “Goblet of Fire” when it sings, “And power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition.” Whatever a Slytherin’s goals are, they take them very seriously, be it becoming the next Dark Lord or getting a job they really want. While their ambition is often seen as negative, it doesn’t have to be, because it could simply mean you’re someone who knows what they want, and more importantly, knows how to get it.