Imagining yourself in the Harry Potter world is one of the exciting things you can do; however sometimes it can be trickier than it seemed at first glance. Even casual fans know what House they are in, but what if you don’t fit perfectly within one of the four Houses? What if your Sorting Hat test results are perfectly tied between two houses?

If you follow my articles, you’ll know that a few months ago I wrote an article about some Ravenclaw struggles. But I will let you in on a little secret. I’m not 100% committed to the Ravenclaw House. I’m what some may call a “RavenPuff,” though I prefer “HuffleClaw,” which means I exist between two Houses. Do you relate to this divide? If you do, then this article is for you. So without further ado (we’re rhyming now) here are 15 struggles of existing between different houses.

15 Don't Ask What House I'm In Unless You Are Prepared For A Three-Hour Speech

“What House are you in?” seems like an innocent or basic enough question to ask a Harry Potter fan. But for someone as obnoxious and prone to overthinking as me, it’s the worst question you could think of. No matter how much I've warned you beforehand, you will never be prepared for the verbal essay in which you are about to receive. My answer will always be received with judgement, so I have to prepare myself for the condescending replies that will be thrown my way by “real fans” (what does that even mean anyways? I think you’re not a real fan unless you’re made of plastic, plug into a wall, and oscillate while blowing cold air at warm people). I take a deep breath and the words, which you never asked for, begin, “I mean sometimes I consider myself a Ravenclaw due to my creative and curious nature, however, I am fiercely trusting, loyal, and good friend type person, so I’m not really sure where I fit. But when I was a kid I would have asked the Sorting Hat to put me in Hufflepuff. But the Pottermore quiz doesn’t take your preferences into account so…”

14 House Tattoos Are Off Limits For You

I’ve seen so many beautiful Harry Potter tattoos in my lifetime. I’m currently mapping out a Luna/Alice in Wonderland tattoo for myself that I’m really excited for, but sadly House tattoos are not for me. How can I brand myself permanently with a certain House crest, phrase, or color when I can’t even mentally commit to one House? "But Zooey," you ask, "why don’t you just get HuffleClaw/RavenPuff tattooed on that beautiful milky freckled flesh?" And to that I reply, "that’s a good question (and a weird compliment), but what if I grow out of this 'in between' phase and eventually commit to one house? Would I want a permanent reminder of my cursed indecisiveness on my skin? A permanent brand reminding me on how much I overthink fictional things and how I couldn’t make up my mind if my life depended on it?"

So, for now, I will admire those beautiful tattoos from afar and sigh to myself, wishing I could be like the cool kids and brag about my House pride freely, without a second thought.

13 People Accuse You Of Not Playing Properly

“Bleh! You’re not playing this fictional game right! One House per person! What would you do if you actually went to Hogwarts? You can’t just BE in two Houses! You’re breaking the laws of the universe.” Cool story bro. I don’t mean to sound like a total jerk and crush your dizziest daydream, however, we’re in our 20s. If Hogwarts was real, we wouldn’t be attending it so this really shouldn’t be an issue.

Also, if I had gone to Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat would have sorted me and you can’t argue with or second guess his ruling—so this wouldn’t be an issue. So, unless we can invent a machine that will simultaneously render us magical, European, 11-years-old, and in the universe in which Hogwarts is an actual thing; I don’t see my House bouncing to be a pressing issue. In the meantime, I will be over here enjoying life and minding my own business and you can take your negativity over there.

12 Buying Merchandise Is No Easy Task

"Wow, this is such a cool shirt. Wait - do I buy the Ravenclaw version or the Hufflepuff version? Does the blue version look better or the yellow? Which House am I feeling more aligned with today? Am I feeling more creative, intelligent, and curious? Or trusting, loyal, and fair?"

This whole “sorting” children into different Houses based on perceived traits is so archaic anyways. I mean, can anyone truly fit inside a box? Humans do not need to adhere to any label. I am a complex, multifaceted, three dimensional human being and I cannot be summarized by a few simple terms. Am I overthinking this? I mean, I overthink literally everything in life so one more thing can't hurt, can it? Oh well, I might as well buy both shirts at that point. Never mind, it only comes in Gryffindor or Slytherin. Ugh.

11 Both Emma Watson And Lin-Manuel Miranda Have Publicly Shamed Us

It’s true. Pedantic nerds in bookstores and the merchandise section of Spencer's Gifts aren’t the only people who have decided to shame us indecisive, ambivalent, House bouncers. In the HeForShe interview Emma Watson conducted, her and Lin-Manuel Miranda sort the characters of his play into the Hogwarts House best suited for each of them. But not before they both agree that existing between Houses is cheating, bad, and something that you just don’t do. I know I’m being annoying, not playing properly, and that I’m going to have to make up my mind eventually. But for right now, I’m stuck in the middle and I’m stressed enough about this decision as it is without being shamed for not being able to decide. I do not work well under pressure, you guys.

10 No One Agrees On What House You Are

If you can’t choose what House best describes you, your friends and family are going to be very vocal about their opinions of where you truly belong, and most of those opinions are either going to conflict or hurt your feelings.

“Well one thing is for sure. There is no way Zooey is brave enough to be a Gryffindor. She overthinks everything and is far too timid and shy.” “She doesn’t have the self esteem to be a Slytherin nor does she have the ambition.” “She’s too lazy to be a Hufflepuff but not analytical enough for Ravenclaw.”

You guys, I know you’re trying to help but now I'm more confused than ever and you all need to stop. Why don’t we talk about my amazing virtues and why you think I should be in X House rather than why I’m not up to snuff for all the other Houses? Or we could just change the subject entirely. Let’s talk about bees instead. I love bees...

9 You Try To Find The Weirdest Reasons To Finally Choose A House

I mean, I’m more of a Ravenclaw than a Hufflepuff because I tend to slack off at school. However, I do value relationships and trust more than being right or proving someone wrong. Wait - I couldn’t be a Ravenclaw! The common room is guarded by a riddle demanding knocker. I suck at riddles. Although the Hufflepuff dormitory entrance is a barrel that Pottermore may or may not have said that I’d have to crawl through. I can’t crawl through tubes. Not since that incident at Crash Crawleys (think of a McDonald’s play place and then multiply that by 1,000). But I really love the color yellow and plants are always great to have around. I do love navy blue and space, however. The first time I logged onto the original Pottermore site, my House was Hufflepuff, however, my middle school was divided into Houses and I was in Ravenclaw.

I don’t know where I belong anymore, maybe I should take that Pottermore test 15 more times and add up which house wins the most results.

8 You Have Two 'Pottermore' Accounts To Lose The Password For

Though my Ilvermorny House and my wand description never change (Pukwudgie and cypress wood, 10 ¾ length, slightly springy flexibility, with a phoenix feather core—just in case you were curious), anyone who has found themselves nestled between two Houses like a bird in a tree will know that you just have to create two Pottermore accounts so that each House gets its own profile. The only differences are the Houses and the patronuses.

My Ravenclaw account is accompanied by a beautiful fox patronus whilst my Hufflepuff account contains a lovely doe under the “my patronus” tab. Now I have two accounts to mix up, lose the passwords for, forget I have, or even accidentally delete. Does anyone else miss when Pottermore had games and competitions? I mean, I love the new sleek - more adult style as it’s great for older fans; however, I do miss going to Ollivanders and seeing which House will win the House Cup.

7 You Have To Plan A Multi-Day Harry Potter World Adventure So You Can Represent Both Houses

Now, I’ve never really traveled. I’ve visited a couple places in British Columbia and I went to Edmonton once, but I’ve never left my country. So I’ve never gotten to visit any of the amazing Harry Potter attractions the world has to offer. But when I eventually do get to go, I’m going to have to make my trip last a few days so I can rep both of my Houses while strolling around Diagon Alley. I’m going to have to bring both my Ravenclaw and my Hufflepuff robes and ties and also my Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw casual wear. I don’t know how many suitcases this is going to take, though. What if my bag goes over the weight limit just from the extra weight from the second set of House robes? What if the Sorting Hat at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter sorts me into one of the other four Houses? What will I do then? What if it sorts me into Ravenclaw whilst I’m decked out in my Hufflepuff gear? This vacation suddenly sounds a lot more stressful.

6 You Never Know What House To Cheer For

Do I cheer for Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? What if I look like that annoying kid in elementary school that switched teams when his team started losing? If only one of my Houses were playing, then I would know who to cheer for. But I don’t even know what I would do if they went up against each other. Oh my gosh, what do I do if the match is between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw? Which team do I support? Which color should I slather my face with? Which teams merchandise should I wear? Am I cheering on Hufflepuff because they are winning or because they are my true House? Who would have thought that Harry Potter could be so overwhelming? Why can’t I just belong in one House like everyone else? I’m not doing this to be cool or different, you guys. I just really can’t decide.

5 No One Listens To Your 'Pottermore' Sorting Hat Quiz Rants Anymore

Sometimes I get Hufflepuff and sometimes I get Ravenclaw; it all depends on which questions the Sorting Hat asks. I have a rule that I always give the same answers for each and every question every time I'm asked. That way I don’t change my answers to get one House instead of the other. And somehow, my results still change when different questions are asked/not asked. Also, isn’t our personal preference supposed to be taken into account? Sometimes it’s overruled, like with Neville and his Hufflepuff pleas. But sometimes, like in the case of mister Potter himself, your choice can push the Hat in one direction or another if you’re on the edge of two different Houses.

If I were able to improve the quiz, I would make every question available asked every single time and the last question would be asking your personal preference. That way, the only possible way for you to get a different result would be if you changed your answers. I think these changes—especially the preference question—would really help sort us in-betweeners. At least I have you to share this rant with because my friends are sick and tired of hearing it.

4 You Envy Those Who Know Where They Belong

I can’t even imagine what it’s like to take the Pottermore sorting quiz, find out your in X House, and be totally cool with the program's decision. You never question it or second guess it—you just go about your life and never look back. It must be so freeing. I feel like my mind is full with reasons why I do or don’t belong in one House or the other. But maybe that’s just the mind of an over thinker. Maybe my brain won’t be happy unless it's fixating, overanalyzing, and overthinking some non-consequential thing. I just wish I could know my House without second guessing it. I would save so much money on merchandise, stop being teased by fellow fans, and I would feel like I finally belonged with my fellow Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. I think I understand the plot of Hercules now. He just wanted to belong and he would do anything to get that feeling of comradery and security. It sounds so magical and wonderful. I wonder what it feels like... I wanna be where the decisive people are!

3 You Constantly Feel Like Your Betraying Your Other House

If I cheer on Hufflepuff, am I denying the Ravenclaw side of myself? I could never play for the House Cup because I’d either be fighting against one of my Houses (and betraying my fellow House-mates) or I’d be giving one House an unfair advantage by increasing the number of people playing for them. If I embrace the Hufflepuff side of myself, am I betraying and neglecting my Ravenclaw tendencies? What was life like before I was so torn apart? I know it’s a non-consequential, fictional sorting system but for some reason that makes my indecision even more frustrating. How can I cheer on one House without betraying the other? Is it cheating to cheer for two Houses? I just don’t know anymore. Somebody help me.

2 Seriously, I think I've Spent All My Money On Merchandise Again

Do you know how much it costs to buy two of everything? Merch does not come cheap, especially Harry Potter merch. A nice set of robes costs a pretty Galleon and now I have to buy two? Can’t Hogwarts robes be like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume? Like, can’t I just buy one set of robes and then have a button or a patch that I can switch up whenever my loyalty fluctuates? Wait a minute...that’s actually a great idea. Someone who can sew should go and make this! Also, add a clip on hood in the different House colors and include the four different ties (please). I would spend close to $200 for a House changing robe.

Merch is insanely expensive. If I saved all of the money I spend on House merch, I could probably afford to go to Disneyland/World (whichever one is closest to Diagon Alley) for an extended vacation. It costs a pretty Galleon to be so indecisive.

1 Everyone Tells You To Just Choose...But You Can't

I repeat: “Zooey, it’s just a fictional sorting system. Why are you putting so much thought into this.” I just can’t choose! Am I curious and creative or loyal and trusting? I don’t even know my own name anymore. Someone take this decision out of my hands and make it for me because clearly I am not qualified to make this decision on my own. But, in the same breath, there really isn’t any need for me to decide. I’m never going to Hogwarts and I really don’t care if someone doesn’t agree with my House jumping or not. There are people in the world who are dying, there are far more serious things to get our panties in a twist over. Who cares if you can’t decide what House you belong it? Live your life. Write #HuffleClaw on your forehead and sing your multi-House pride from the rooftops. Don’t be ashamed of your indecisiveness—embrace it, celebrate it, and own it. Choose a House if you want, but don’t feel bad about not being able to. Besides, we're all going to die one day so does it really matter what House colors we hang on our walls?