Loyalty may be a Hufflepuff virtue, but everyone in Gryffindor is pretty good at it too. Face it, in this book nearly everyone's loyal – even the bad guys are loyal to their own side. Loyalty provides much of the motivation for plot points throughout Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: characters stand up for the ideas they believe in and each other. However, sometimes people – or creatures – have to behave in what seems like a disloyal manner for the greater good.
Questions About Loyalty
- Who do you think is the most loyal character? Why?
- Should loyalty really categorize Gryffindors instead of Hufflepuffs? What should Hufflepuffs be known for?
- Can Malfoy's praise of purebloods over Muggles be understood as some kind of weird, twisted loyalty? Why or why not?