JK Rowling changed the world when she wrote the Harry Potter series. Not only did she write seven amazing novels, but she created a new and exciting world for all of her readers to lose themselves in.

If you don’t already know the story of Harry Potter, there’s too much to summarize here, so we recommend picking up the books already (you’ll thank us!) or checking out the HP Wikipedia Page for a detailed summary. Suffice to say the books revolve around Harry, an orphan boy who, on his 11th birthday, finds out he is a famous wizard, and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hogwarts is separated into four houses, each named after one of the founders of the school: Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. Once students arrive at Hogwarts for their first year, the magical Sorting Hat is placed upon their head to choose which house they belong in according to their personality.

Each Hogwarts house has a distinct set of characteristics that it values, along with an interesting historical background. This series of articles features fashion inspired by each of the four Hogwarts houses. Today it’s time to talk Slytherin fashion. (If you’re not a Slytherin, see our articles on Gryffindor fashion, Ravenclaw fashion, and Hufflepuff fashion.)

Table of Contents

Slytherin History and Facts

• Founder – Slytherin was founded by Salazar Slytherin, a very intelligent wizard who was a Parselmouth, meaning he had the rare ability to speak to snakes. Salazar Slytherin also created the Chamber of Secrets.
• Animal Mascot – Snake, naturally.
• Colors – Green and Silver
• Head of House – Severus Snape, until the 7th book when Snape becomes Headmaster and Slughorn become Head of Slytherin.
• Common Room – The Slytherin Common Room is located in the dungeons underneath the Hogwarts Lake. To enter, one must speak the correct password to a wall in the cellar of the castle. The light is greenish, due to the location under the lake, and there are dark green and black sofas. There are dark wood cupboards and skulls as decor. The atmosphere is regal, yet eerie. Harry and Ron enter the Slytherin Common Room in their second year in attempt to find the identity of the heir of Slytherin.

Do you have what it takes to be a Slytherin?

Salazar Slytherin had a strict set of traits that he valued when choosing students for his house. To be chosen as a Slytherin, you must be clever, resourceful, determined, ambitious, and cunning. According to Dumbledore, Slytherins also have “a certain disregard for the rules.”