Four founders established Hogwarts in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.
According to the series’ fictional history, the four witches and wizards founded the school in Scotland more than a thousand years before Harry Potter attends it. Each founder created a house bearing their name and valued different qualities in students.
Gryffindor favored bravery, Hufflepuff valued loyalty and hard work, Ravenclaw prized intelligence and learning, and Slytherin selected students for ambition and resourcefulness. These distinctions shape Hogwarts life throughout the books.
The founders did not agree on who should be admitted. Salazar Slytherin wanted the school to exclude Muggle-born students, while the other founders opposed that restriction. Their disagreement eventually led to the creation of the Chamber of Secrets.