Sorting MFMM characters into Hogwarts Houses
I've been a Potterhead for over half of my life and I've bingewatched MFMM and I'm well on my way for a very slow rewatching, so I think I'm half-qualified to bring my two cents into this debate - if there even is one. Alas, this is a great opportunity for more analysis of characters, which I absolutely love. Feel free to contradict me if you disagree, I wanna hear other opinions.
Our Honorable Private Detective Miss Phryne Fisher
Slytherin/Gryffindor (with a strong side of Ravenclaw)
Slytherin: She’s cunning, clever, resourceful and has manipulated the situation to her favour when needed, over and over again. She has no issue changing the argument in some way so she’s winning. (just one ex: when Hugh brings Miss Gay over in episode 2, he says the inspector will want to hear her explanation as to why she took Jane. She says that she’s sure she’ll have an explanation by then). She’s quite ambitious in solving her cases; she doesn’t stop until she finds the answer ( a bit of Ravenclaw ). She’s particularly more protective of the people she cares about (I would suspect she got Jane as a ward, both because she likes her and reminds her of her sister. And we know she’d do anything for her close people.)
Her Gryffindor-ness expresses in the way she recklessly follows the danger at times, her love of adventure (the infamous ‘Adventuress Club’ she creates). She has brushes with death far more often than advisable. She’s very much interested in justice; she decides she won’t bring her laundry anymore at the church that abuses those poor girls. (but only after she cannot use them anymore to find information about the girls who disappeared). She’s come to Melbourne to bring justice for her sister and have some more adventures (away from her family)
Slytherin and Gryffindor have quite a lot in common, both being very passionate. Just that Slytherins are much more deliberate, which I really think it’s something Phryne is. She can be very reckless, but she’s rarely impulsive or thoughtless and almost everything she does is well-calculated. Also, Gryffindors have a tendency to see the world in black-or-white morality, which is not really Phryne’s style.
The side of Ravenclaw expresses itself in her insurmountable curiousity, as well as being a cultured, well-read, extremely open-minded and quick to learn woman (and possessing the desire to learn).
Final House: Ultimately, I think I would choose Slytherin (but if someone else prefers Gryffindor, I wouldn’t rage. I just think she could also be an excellent Slytherin role model, which I think she would also love. And Gryffindors would agree she’s one of the agreeable Slytherins).
Edit: Sorry folks, I think I will have to go back to Gryffindor. I have received many excellent arguments as to why, ultimately, she represents Gryffindor better than Slytherin - despite her cunningness. I want to present all facts as well as I can; And I think I owe a couple of more arguments.
1. Slytherins are more focused on image. Sure, Phryne is focused on looking well, but she will put aside thoughts of her appearance when a case is in the way. She also loves to toy with society’s expectations and has little care for propriety - compare her to Aunt P, if you want to.
2. This morning when I woke up I suddenly remembered that she has gone on more adventures than one can count (to the point where there can be plotholes, but I haven’t done the math yet.) And if that’s not Gryffindor in a nutshell, I don’t know...
Detective Inspector Jack Robinson
Ravenclaw/Gryffindor with strong Hufflepuff
This one was a little harder to pinpoint. At first, he could seem very well a Gryffindor, with his strong set of morals (marriage is still a marriage, even if they’re not talking anymore); he wants to bring justice and make the world a safer place. Everyone who knows him knows that he’ll try to find the truth and be fair, responsible. (Hufflepuffness)
His former wife trusts him in this regard so much, she knows he’s telling the truth when he accuses her fiance and father of...quite enough illegal things)
However, I could bring many good arguments for Ravenclaw: He’s just as curious as Miss Fisher, even if less obvious about it. He’s very rarely reckless and very deliberate about it. (ex: In the episode where he eventually arrests Sydney and his former father-in-law, he doesn’t rush thoughtlessly in the situation. Analyzes pros and cons and decides to take the risk.) He likes doing things in A Certain Way, but he’s also quite open-minded (and tries daily to be more so, both for those he cares about and himself); he’s willing to hear others opinions and debate them and doesn’t take anything as set in stone. (even in situations where he doesn’t have concrete evidence, he accepts arguments that make sense and seem to be as true as possible). He’s quite thoughtful and rarely impulsive.
Final House: My final take will be Ravenclaw. He’s also a huge nerd (I mean, I know not all Ravenclaws are nerds, and not all nerds are Ravenclaws, but I think he’s a Ravenclaw who’s a huge nerd.)
Cinnamon Roll Dorothy “Dot” Williams
Hufflepuff with a strong side of Gryffindor (and a learned bit of Slytherin, especially later in the show)
Oh, nobody could possibly deny she’s a Hufflepuff! She practically radiates it, from the way she behaves, believes and dresses. She’s kind, hardworking, caring, down-to-earth, sensible, practical, deeply loyal (all of which are very Hufflepuff sentiments). She’s very attached to the idea of belonging to a community and helping it ( that’s why she’s so involved in Church; and she cares deeply about the little family she found with Miss Fisher & Co.) She follows Miss Fisher everywhere and is willing from the beginning to help, even in the craziest of the plans. She’s a very sensible person, down to the way she dresses.
Now that it’s quite so settled, I want to bring a bit of shine on her Gryffindorness, because that’s not so obvious. But she is a very brave person and she’s willing to move past her fears, especially for the sake of those she loves (again, quite Hufflepuffish). Even from the very first episode, she’s willing to go in danger in order to find the truth (she also puts a great deal of trust in Miss Fisher). With a bit of encouragement from Phryne, her Gryffindor side shines more and more: she’s the one to ask Hugh to the ball and in many situations, she’ll go investigate on her own and then bring back whatever she’s found either to Miss Fisher or Hugh. She’s quite a traditional woman compared to Miss Fisher, but she’s also willing to change the Father she goes to when she learns he’s a violent person.
Bits of Slytherin are learned from being with Miss Fisher. She’s always been quite a clever girl, she likes solving puzzles and she has quite a keen eye for detail, but being with Phryne and Co. has taught her that it’s alright to be all of these things. She’s willing to try to bend the situation a little to be in her favor, through....knowing her value in quite a few situations (when she tells the Father that prohibited her from being with Hugh that she won’t bake and make clothes for the Church charity anymore if she cannot be with Hugh, as well as telling Father O’Leary - was it the same Father in both situations? - that she could convert to Protestantism if he keeps on with that ‘wife must obey to husband’ philosophy).
Final House: Hufflepuff, naturally. I just wanted to shine more on what an amazing and complex character she is.
Hufflepuff with a side of Hufflepuff
Arguments: At most, if I squint, I could see a bit of Gryffindorness in there, but I would suspect it’s more learned through being in the workforce, rather than something he possesses more naturally. He’s dependable, kind, hardworking. He’s a bit set in his stone, believing that things are the way he’s learned them and having a bit of a hard time to adapt (for instance, his difficulty in accepting that Dottie wants to keep working for Miss Fisher, and that she’s more modern than most of the other women her age). He’s sweet and very quick to try to help, friendly and a little gullible, but he’s willing to listen and try to get better (especially for the sake of those he cares about). He’s relatively down to earth, rarely does reckless things, unless explicitly told (particularly by Jack Robinson, on occasion by Phryne Fisher). He’s a man attached to the idea of family - particularly making his own - and very loyal, both to the DI as well as Dottie. He’s one of the main characters most pressured by societal expectations and rules and abiding by them. (which in turn brings the despair and hopelessness that he’s a failure if he cannot provide for his future family and makes him run away).
Final House: Hufflepuff. There’s really no question about it. There would be more to talk about in a character analysis, but I’m not sure which percentage could go into a definition of Hufflepuffness and which is mainly just him (especially since both Hugh and Dottie are Hufflepuffs, but very different ones).
As I’ve mentioned before, Slytherin and Gryffindor have more in common than you’d think, and in particular for Bert it’s hard for me to choose.
Bert is deeply passionate (either for his footbal team or his causes); and that’s when he becomes impulsive, in defensiveness or desire to protect. While he’s a reckless man, he doesn’t strike me as the man who does many things without thinking; he often accepts in going in errands for Miss Fisher, but he’s more aware of what he gets on than would seem at a first glance. He’s a deeply loyal man, but his loyalty and trust is also hard bought and easily lost (he becomes very angry when Cec decides to marry, because it jeopardizes their partnership, and because Cec hadn’t told him).
Final House: I think he’s a fairly good match between the two. Ultimately, I think he’d be in Gryffindor; I don’t think he could stand being in Slytherin.
Hufflepuff with a side of Gryffindor
Arguments: Between the two, Cec is definitely the friendlier one, more concerned with helping strangers (Bert admonishes him in the first episode that he takes in strays), as well as more polite. He’s also less impulsive than Bert and not so quick to get into a fight unless it’s a must. He’s caring, loyal and willing to put aside differences for other people (think of the episode with the football teams when he comes to check on Bert when he hears of the victim’s death). I think his Gryffindorness comes more from his association with Bert and Miss Fisher (as well as the nature of his job), but I understand that Bert and Cec are a pair and most people would put them both in the same house.
Final House: Hufflepuff, in my humble opinion.
Hufflepuff with a side of Ravenclaw
Arguments: While I think Mr. Butler could make a fine addition to either house, he’s more of a Hufflepuff. He is helpful, hardworking, loyal, anticipative of other people’s needs and willing to try and meet them. He cares deeply about his job. Non-judgmental, he rolls quickly with the whole hurricane that is Miss Fisher’s life, without making much fuss (and quite enjoys it, if you ask me). He also cares about other people, listening to their problems and offering sound advice when needed. He’s diplomatic, knows what to say and which secrets to keep. His calm and respectful manner hides quite unexpected knowledge (fighting, guns, birds and many others). He’s also patient, willing to teach Kip how to do a good job, and generally sounds like a good teacher.
