Harry Potter has become a household name. The series (and the films) have sold countless copies. They have become beloved, even by those who don’t favour fantasy, and were the stories which introduced children the world over to reading. With that in mind, it’s easy to believe there are only a handful of series beyond Harry Potter, when, in fact, there are hundreds. There are even books which, while not making the top 100 lists, still created a healthy fan following.
The Warriors books, penned by a collective of authors who go under the name of Erin Hunter, is seldom mentioned among the most famous literary works—despite this, it has a cult following and has been well loved by more than one child. The book’s overall concept differs from Harry Potter: the Warriors books aren’t even about humans. They follow four Clans of wild cats, and a fifth Clan, StarClan, which all four communicate with and worship. It’s about religious cats who sometimes war with one another, must catch their own food, and face hardship when humans interfere with their carefully sectioned off territories.
Harry Potter and Warriors are different stories, but for one striking similarity: the cats, like the students of Hogwarts, are divided into four groups. Though they band together when their way of life is threatened, they also fight one another.
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ThunderClan
ThunderClan is the Clan the protagonist, Rusty, is accepted into. Like Harry, Rusty isn’t aware there’s another way of life. Just as Harry grows up among Muggles, believing he is one, Rusty is raised as what is known as a “kittypet.” That is to say, he belongs, and lives with, a human family just like one of our own cats.
When Rusty is introduced to ThunderClan, he doesn’t look back, just as Harry doesn’t hesitate to embrace his role as a Wizard, leaving his Muggle life behind. Both even have relatives who don’t transition with them. Harry has a Muggle cousin, Dudley, and Rusty has a kittypet sister, Princess. Despite this, both Harry and Rusty don’t regret the lives they have discovered, and subsequently chosen.
ThunderClan is also a bold name. It smacks of bravery and strength, and is the Clan the protagonist excels in. This makes ThunderClan the obvious parallel to Gryffindor, not least for the similar backgrounds of the main characters.
RiverClan
RiverClan has the most dubious connection to any of the four houses of Hogwarts, but there are some superficial comparisons to be made. For one, RiverClan, like ThunderClan, is one of the more “popular” Clans to belong to. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would be the houses most students would hope to end up in if they weren’t intrigued by the devious attitudes offered by Slytherin.
As to the weaker similarities, both RiverClan and Ravenclaw call the colour blue to mind, and they start with “R.” I said this was the Clan with the weakest connection, though it’s power in relation to the other Clans makes it comparable to Ravenclaw.
WindClan
WindClan is often bullied by the other Clans. Some, when territory becomes scarce, even suggest they be the first removed should the forest only have room for three Clans. The other Clans like to make fun of them, and their hardship means they are seen as weaker.
WindClan, therefore, is Hufflepuff. Despite being powerful in their own right, nobody respects Hufflepuff. Many students chafe at the idea of Hogwarts having a Hufflepuff for their champion, though Cedric proves the house is made up of students as capable of those of other houses. Being defined by their kindness, Hufflepuff is seen as the throwaway house.
WindClan, likewise, are seen as the push overs when it comes to the different Clans. Despite this, their members are tough and prepared to fight. Members of WindClan, like Huffelpuff, are not as powerless as they might seem.
ShadowClan
ShadowClan has the most obvious tie to another Hogwarts house. Like the name Slytherin, it’s name not only starts with “S,” but sounds ominous. ShadowClan and Slytherin might as well of had their names changed to “Sinister,” and the effect would have been the same.
Nobody trusts Slytherin. Most of the wizards who go bad hail from this house, and many Slytherins are renowned for being duplicitous and doing whatever it takes to gain what they want. Slytherin also produces Voldemort.
Though Tigerclaw is born in ThunderClan, the murderous tyrant is welcomed, with open arms, by Shadowclan, quickly becoming their leader.
Tigerclaw is very like Voldemort, attacking those who share mixed blood. While Voldemort promotes the idea of being “Pureblood,” killing Muggleborns and looking down on Half Bloods, Tigerclaw targets those cats who were born as a result of a tryst between cats from two different Clans. Because they are a mixture of two Clans, and therefore not seen as “pure,” he punishes them severely—despite being mixed in his own way. Tigerclaw came from ThunderClan, which would make his children a mix of ThunderClan and ShadowClan. Voldemort was Half-Blood, yet he persecuted others who couldn’t live up to the status of pure.
Slytherin and Shadowclan favour similar villians. Nobody trusts Slytherin, just as nobody trusts Shadowclan. Both are feared for their history of taking what they want, regardless of who they hurt. The lands occupied by ShadowClan are denser, darker; the Slytherins reside in the dungeons, and in a dimly lit common room. To an outsider, both places feel uncomfortable, cold and even menacing.
Moreover, there are similarities in other characters. Brambleclaw, Tigerclaw’s son, ends up in ThunderClan, while his sister ends up in ShadowClan. This division of siblings is not dissimilar to what happens when Sirius becomes a Gryffindor and Regulas becomes a Slytherin. Like Regulas, Brambleclaw’s sister isn’t even a bad person, though both siblings belong to a group known for it’s corrupt attitudes…and take a long time in questioning them.
Though not as well known as Harry Potter, Warriors enthralled readers for similar reasons. One has to wonder if the use of four groups (with one being seen as more wicked than the others) was a concept borrowed by the authors under Erin Hunter-or if the similarities are coincidental, borrowing, instead, on our innate desire to see group dynamics explored in relation to one another. Sometimes groups fight, forced apart by their differences…but in other instances, they choose to focus on what brings them together.
Hogwarts Houses jinx each other before Quidditch matches. Slytherins bully students outside of their house, and everyone makes fun of Hufflepuff. The Four Clans feud for food and territory; in extreme cases, Clans even invade other Clans, taking what they want by force. Even in peaceful times, there’s a stigma to visiting other Clans, coming too close to their borders, or swapping friendly words with those on the other side.
Despite differences, the Hogwarts houses band together to fight Voldemort; when the battle is over, students mix, sitting at the different tables regardless of their House. They’re no longer divided. Likewise, when humans destroy their territory, the Clans must leave as one. They start sleeping beside one another, the old divisions forgotten. Though they’ll eventually separate again, they’ll remember what it was to work together and care for one another despite their differences.
Both series share a similar message: though we might be different, and should even take pride in what sets us apart, there’s always room for common ground and an ability to not only work with, but to care for, even love, those who belong to an outside group.
Coincidence or not, the shared concept has allowed both series to do well. People in real life sort themselves into groups, making the idea of being loyal to a “Clan” or a “House” appealing, even relatable, for most readers. Some are born into a group, while others, like Rusty or Harry, choose the group they want to belong to. In their journeys, both Rusty and Harry learn to respect those who are different, and to thrive as a result—even as they are labeled as outsiders. In overcoming this label, they exercise empathy in helping others who aren’t accepted and in so doing improve not only their homes, but the attitudes of those around them.
What other books have had groups which reminded you of the Hogwarts houses? Do you have a lesser known series you grew up loving?
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