10 Harry Potter Characters Who Were Sorted Into The Wrong House

10. James Potter

Sorted House: Gryffindor

Correct House: Slytherin

James Potter was not heavily featured throughout the series because the bulk of the story took place long after his death. The information that was offered, however, suggested that he should not have been in Gryffindor.

In The Order of the Phoenix, Harry experienced some of the actions of his father via the Pensieve, and said actions were far from brave or noble. Purely for entertainment, James humiliated Snape without warning in front of a number of onlookers. He also had an irritating habit of showing off his Quidditch skills by playing with a recently caught Snitch.

In this sense, James was more like a Slytherin than a Gryffindor. In particular, his unprovoked attack on Snape was pure cowardice, and his constant desire to show off and be noticed suggested that he was someone who enjoyed the spotlight.

Granted, this moment was only a small snippet of James’s life, but there was little evidence to indicate that he belonged in Gryffindor based on Harry’s experience in the Pensieve.