"You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends."
A History of Hogwarts
and the four houses of the school
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded around the 10th century. It is a British wizarding school, and considered to be one of the finest magical institutions in the wizarding world. The school is located in the Highlands of Scotland and accepts students from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Children with magical potential are enrolled at birth and the acceptance letter is sent to their homes by owl post at age eleven (although if the child is muggle-born, a professor from the school would come and inform the child's parents). The school's motto is Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus, which means "Never tickle a sleeping dragon" in Latin.
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Hogwarts was founded by two wizards and two witches: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, who each represented an aspect of personality that they wanted to bring out in new students. The surnames of these founders would become the name of their respective houses, which represented the personality trait of their choice: Gryffindor valuing bravery, Hufflepuff hard work, Ravenclaw wisdom, and Slytherin ambition.