Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Just a warning- this story does contain generalizations that will not fit every member of every house. I'm sorry if anything offends you; however, this is my story, and as such, displays my own opinions. I don't expect everyone to agree with me; you are entitled to your own opinion, just as I am. Still, if you'd like to debate something, send me a PM- I'd love to hear from you, though I'm not big on arguing publically, say- in the review box.

I hope you enjoy the story!

Being a hero, a real hero, isn't just a Gryffindor thing.

Sure, Harry and Hermione and Ron- they were all heroes. Absolutely. No arguments here. The Golden Trio were all courageous and brave and more, much more.

The thing is, though, Gryffindors aren't the only heroes at Hogwarts. Look at Tonks! Look at Luna! Look at Snape, for the love of Merlin. He was a hero, too, wasn't he?

Gryffindor heroes- they're the ones who are out in the heat of battle. They're the ones on the front lines. They're the knights in shining armor, the Round Table. They'll pull stupidly heroic ideas out of a hat and go through with them, with or without permission. Gryffindors will know something is a bad idea, and yet, they'll go ahead and do it anyway. And sometimes, sometimes, that idea is what turns the tide, wins the battle, ends the war.

Coincidentally, they often die premature deaths.

Ravenclaw heroes- oh, man. You have to watch out for those guys. Often, they'll be the puppet master, the one pulling the strings behind the scenes while they let the figurehead seem to be running the show. They're the advisors, the minds behind the masses. Ravenclaws have to come up with brilliant ideas, every time, else the puppet falls and the game is over. They have to come up with statistics, facts, and they have to do it emotionlessly and immediately. They're always thinking about what's best in the long run, even if sometimes it brings pain in the short term.

And before you ask one how they sleep at night, you should know- sometimes, they don't.

Hufflepuff heroes, they exist, too. Hufflepuffs are the foot soldiers, the bread and butter of every fight. They'll defend that which they stand for to the death- there just won't be another option for them. To go against what they believe to be right is as unthinkable as McGonagall suddenly rooting for Slytherin in a Quidditch match. They're beyond loyal, if you've earned it, and though they might not execute stupidly brave feats or come up with brilliant battle plans, they will fight and die at your side without a second thought.

Would you still poke fun at Hufflepuffs after one took a bullet meant for you?

Slytherin heroes are slightly harder to find than the other three. Not because they're not there- oh, they're there, all right. But you probably won't see them, at least until the battle's fought and the war's won. Slytherins are the secret agents, the spies, the ones who you think are on the other side until the moment they pop up with crucial information you need to win. They live in the deep dark area, and they are afraid- who wouldn't be? - but they stay there, because that is where they believe they can help the most. Often, they have to do things to keep their cover, things they're not proud of, so that you don't have to. They see things that others don't see. Everyone is a potential enemy- after all, the enemy side considered them a friend, so who's to say their friends aren't enemies, too?

Do you still believe they're all evil, when you see one shake themselves awake, shaking and shivering, still in the grips of a nightmare that for them, was just part of their past, so that it wouldn't be part of your future?

Heroism isn't owned by the Gryffindors. Really, it's more of a personal choice.

Are you sure that someone isn't a hero, or are you just not looking hard enough?

Aaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap, folks! I hope you liked it. If you disagree with something, feel free to PM me! I should respond fairly quickly, and I'd love to get other opinions. Otherwise, thanks for reading and please review!

Sincerely sending you hugs and feels,

Sockmonkey406