there are approximately one thousand students attending hogwarts at any given time. upon arriving at the school on 1 September, students are sorted into four houses: gryffindor, hufflepuff, ravenclaw, and slytherin, based on the qualities and aspirations of the student. houses are rewarded with points for good behavior, quidditch match victories, and so forth, while points are taken away for wrongdoing. at the end of each term, the house with the most points wins the house cup.