It’s hard to believe that the popular FX horror anthology, American Horror Story, is on its ninth season. The series has already been renewed for a tenth. Before we were introduced to witches, the apocalypse, freak shows, and slasher summer camps, all we knew was the story of a haunted house and the Harmon family. Into which Hogwarts house should each Murder House character be sorted?
Ben Harmon (Slytherin)
Ben Harmon’s sense of self-preservation at the cost of all the most important relationships in his life could only make him a Slytherin. Not only is Ben duplicitous and a cheater, but he is an expert at emotional manipulation.
How many times did he try and convince Vivian he was a changed man only to continue lying and sneaking around with Hayden behind her back? He gaslit her on multiple occasions, including when she began to feel the full effects of the house ghosts tormenting her psyche. Ben frequently used his psychological expertise to bend people to his will.
Vivian Harmon (Gryffindor)
The matriarch of the Harmon family went through more trauma than perhaps any other character in Season 1 of American Horror Story. Vivian has a cheating husband, a distant daughter, and she gets ritually abused by the ghostly inhabitants of her new home. Despite this, Vivian tries her best to be a good mother to Violet and to protect her unborn twins.
Then there’s the way she patiently waits for Ben to get his act together. It may have taken Vivian time to come back to Ben, but no one can say Vivian wasn’t loyal to her family. She tried her best to keep them together at any cost and showed tremendous bravery in the face of unspeakable horrors.
Constance Langdon (Slytherin)
Jessica Lange’s first mesmerizing character on American Horror Story is scheming neighbor Constance Langdon. Constance has several children who cause all sorts of trouble for the Harmons. Sincerity is certainly not her strong suit. She judges everyone in her family and outside her family.
Constance’s ability to manipulate people like Vivian Harmon repeatedly is the sure sign of a Slytherin. Her cruel streak is another undeniable component of the serpent. On the positive side of the spectrum, Constance is a proud and resourceful woman. She does whatever it takes to get what she wants. Unfortunately, what she wants often comes at the detriment of others.
Tate Langdon (Slytherin)
You’re thinking, “wow, Tate is a murderer, so of course you put him in Slytherin!” But there is a valid reason. No, not all murderers should automatically be considered Slytherin just as not all heroes should be assumed Gryffindors. In Tate’s case, however, Slytherin fits. The main reason why is due to his similarities to two other Slytherins on this list, Ben and Constance.
Like the two adults, Tate is extremely manipulative, which is one of the biggest negative Slytherin traits. He is also a pathological liar. Tate spends the majority of the season doing terrible things and denying his guilt. He’s too abrasive to be a Hufflepuff. One could argue that the young Langdon is a Gryffindor due to his loyalty to Violet. Except we have to bear in mind that he doesn’t care about anyone else. That’s less loyalty than it is an obsession.
Violet Harmon (Hufflepuff)
Violet Harmon is a Hufflepuff masquerading as a Slytherin. When we meet Violet, it’s easy to believe she is a stereotypical edgy sullen teenage girl. She is rude to her parents and enjoys antagonizing girls at school.
As Season 1 progresses, it becomes evident that Violet is still very young. She is naive and quickly led to believe Tate is a good guy despite the glaring red flags. Tate manages to take advantage of her. She is also brave, which could make her a Gryffindor, but overall, Hufflepuff fits her personality best.
Larry Harvey (Hufflepuff)
It was a little challenging to figure out which Hogwarts house is best-suited for Larry. He has traits of several houses. His sense of self-preservation is pure Slytherin, but ultimately we chose Hufflepuff due to how Constance gets him to do her bidding.
Larry is something of a pushover. He’s emotionally unstable, and he’s not at all loyal, except to Constance. His disloyalty to his wife and children leads to their eventual demise. He’s relatively spineless. Larry is the true definition of how Hufflepuffs can turn monstrous when the circumstances are right.
Moira O’Hara (Gryffindor)
Like many of the Murder House victims, Moira O’Hara has witnessed her fair share of tragedy. Constance murdered her after her husband tried to assault Moira. She spends her days working as both a maid and a temptation to the Harmon family. Moira is a Gryffindor due to her loyalty to Vivian Harmon and the Murder House in general.
That said, she is also very callous towards people who make poor decisions. Her entire “young” Moira act is about tempting men to prove their “true nature.” It’s understandable why Moira believes this, but we cannot deny her judgmental nature, which is often a fault of many Gryffindors. Look at Hermione Granger.
Nora Montgomery (Hufflepuff)
Poor Nora was one of the early victims of Murder House. Her husband Charles devolved into a monstrous mad scientist during their time at the residence. All Nora ever wanted was a baby of her own. Sadly, Charles misled Nora into believing the things he did were for a good cause.
His homegrown abortion clinic and experiments wound up ending in catastrophe. Nora’s naivete led her to become complicit in many of the horrors committed by Charles. She is also patient like a Hufflepuff, considering how long her spirit waits to get a baby at the end of the season finally.
Adelaide Langdon (Hufflepuff)
Addie was one of the most lovable characters of the first season. She was funny, cheerful, and generally a blast to watch on-screen. Sadly, Addie dies on Halloween night and we don’t get to see her again. But her mostly gregarious nature makes her a Hufflepuff.
Despite being somewhat mischevious, Addie never became as cruel and twisted as some of her other family members. Living in Constance’s shadow and under her strict rule couldn’t have been easy for Addie, especially as she clearly wanted her mother’s acceptance and never got it.
Billie Dean Howard (Ravenclaw)
While nowadays Sarah Paulson is considered one of the many gems from American Horror Story’s core cast, she only had a small role in the first season. Thanks to Howard’s sixth sense, she works as a medium. Constance Langdon has hired her for many years to assist her on various matters.
In the show, it’s hard to figure out which direction Billie’s moral compass points. She is a businesswoman first, and her personality traits align most closely with those of a Ravenclaw. Billie’s shrewd skills of perception make her both cunning and wise.
Next: American Horror Story: The 10 Scariest Scenes From Season 1, Ranked
