HBO's Harry Potter is officially changing Hogwarts' house logos. One of the Harry Potter franchise's most infamous staples is the four houses into which students are sorted when they arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The students are assigned their houses by the all-seeing, all-knowing Sorting Hat based on their personalities and characteristics, later competing for their house in the annual House Cup and, for a lucky few, on the Quidditch pitch.
HBO and Warner Bros. officially revealed the next generation of Hogwarts house crests, which will be featured in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot show, one of which fixes a major error from the original eight movies. The revised symbols were showcased as part of the marketing for the September 1 annual Back to Hogwarts event, which will debut a new Season 1 trailer.
The Gryffindor lion roars proudly on the red-and-gold banner, representing the house's values of courage, bravery, and standing up for what is right, just as its founder, Godric Gryffindor, once did, and people like Harry have gone on to.
The Hogwarts houses were once represented by classically British crests, but have been replaced by round emblems featuring the house name, mascot, and color. It isn't just Harry Potter's house symbol getting a redesign for HBO, as his infamous lightning scar will also look very different from what has come before.
Those sorted into the house belonging to Salazar Slytherin often hail from the Wizarding World's greatest villains and dark magic-using families. Slytherin has produced students like Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle), Draco Malfoy, and Severus Snape, many of whom are ambitious, cunning, prideful, and self-preservative.
HBO is gearing up to explore Slytherin's lore even further as Season 2, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is about to start production. The Heir of Slytherin and the Basilisk are integral to the Wizarding World's second chapter, and the reboot could expand its lore with new tidbits that weren't in the movies.
Ravenclaw has produced some of the brightest minds in the Wizarding World, such as Filius Flitwick and Garrick Olivander, as the house embodies wit, wisdom, and creativity. Rowena Ravenclaw has a special place in the franchise, as her lost diadem is revealed in The Deathly Hallows as one of the last Horcruxes.
Ravenclaw's house crest has fixed one major error from the movies: its mascot is now an eagle, as in the books, rather than the arguably more fitting raven that was on the blue crest across Warner Bros.' eight movies and its associated merch.
Hufflepuffs are known to be fair, dedicated, loyal, and patient - all traits that apply to students like Cedric Diggory, Newt Scamander, and Nymphadora Tonks.
As with any major change to a beloved franchise, the new Hogwarts crests are bound to be divisive, even if they maintain the essence of the originals. Recently, HBO split the fanbase with a new take on the Hogwarts school emblem.
HBO Max unveiled the first look at how these new Hogwarts crests will be displayed in the magical Scottish Highlands castle in Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, a special preview documentary for the upcoming TV remake. The crests are hung on stunning banners across the castle, and are seen in the behind-the-scenes sneak peek before a powerful flaming lantern.
Interestingly, alternate versions of the new Hogwarts crests were hung on banners outside of the Hogwarts grounds' Quidditch pitch ahead of Harry's sophomore match as the team's seeker, in which Gryffindor played Hufflepuff.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is expected to begin with the premiere of Episode 1 on Christmas Day (December 25) this year, when audiences will finally start to uncover all the ways the franchise has been reinvented.
As the studio re-adapts a franchise that only ended 15 years ago, albeit in a different medium, HBO is trying to make its take on Harry Potter as different as possible, at least as far as a second take on the same seven books goes.
Find out how Harry Potter Season 1's trailers have been altered after criticism.
