If you’ve never played Final Fantasy XIV before, you should start now! With the expansion Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers on the horizon (out on July 2, 2019), it’s the perfect time to join this merry adventure. But where to begin?

First let’s talk about the Final Fantasy series and compare it to Final Fantasy XIV. XIV is an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game—phew, have to catch my breath there) which means (yes) the world is extensive and (yes) you play with other people. It also has a monthly subscription fee. Excluding Final Fantasy XI, every other main Final Fantasy is single player and is exclusively offline (well, except for a part of Final Fantasy XV, but only a small part).

The beauty of XIV is that instead of having a fixed group of preprogrammed adventures, you and your friends are the heroes of the story. Many people even role-play with others on their server and collaborate to create their own stories. What’s even better is that from the story to the gameplay to the wondrous world, XIV makes for quite the creative adventure. But wait, where to start? How to decide if you’ll be half cat/half person or if you want the edge lord scar across your nose? Well that’s a different problem for a different day. I will not tackle that, nor should I, since I nearly spent two hours on character creation. What I will discuss is how to choose a job according to your Harry Potter Hogwarts House.

Before that, let’s parse terms. In XIV, you must initially choose a base class, which just means that it’s a class you have to begin with and the step before you get to your job. Some base classes include Rouge, Lancer, and Archer. Once you’ve completed a certain level, you graduate to jobs wherein the real power lies. As you progress through XIV, your party can be made up of friends or random people, but each party is comprised of certain people who fill specific roles, which aren’t as important to discuss here. Mainly, a role is just a broader classification for your job. The roles are Tank, DPS (damage per second), and Healer.

Of course, I should mention that you can change jobs/roles any time during XIV after a certain level, so for those who can’t decide right away, no big deal. It’s like taking the Pottermore test until you get the House you really want.

Since Final Fantasy XIV is a role-playing game, why not choose your job according to your own Hogwarts House? (Note: I am including the new jobs that will be added in Shadowbringers: Dancer and Gunbreaker.)

Gryffindor

If you’re a person who craves power, strength, and courage, then you’re probably a Gryffindor. Right? Well not always, but for stereotypical Gryffindors, you would definitely appreciate Warrior and Dragoon. A Dragoon jumps into action (quite literally when he/she launches up into the air only to come plummeting to earth in a powerful spear attack) and asks questions later. A Warrior is your vanilla Gryffindor (brave, strong, has a sword, etc.). The Warrior job seeks glory in the name of glory itself. What could be more Gryffindor?

While the Warrior job uses brute force, Paladin is well versed in swordplay AND shield work so that job is perfect for any Gryffinpuffs (Gryffindor/Hufflepuff) out there who wish to leave their foes writhing in the dirt while simultaneously defending their friends in a perfect balance of power and protection. But not all Gryffindors are solely about strength. One of the new jobs, Gunbreaker, is more of a Gryffinclaw, possessing half brute strength and half magical spells because a Gunbreaker must have the clear mind to tinker with firearms and magical bullets all the while using their firearm as a bludgeoning weapon. This combination of combat skill and intelligence sounds a lot like Hermione.

Gryffindors are also keen on honor. Perfect for the Samurai job, since its history in the FFXIV setting has a sense of honor that only the truest Gryffindors hold. This job must also issue a volley of heavy hitting attacks on opponents at the correct time in battle, which will cause massive damage. A marriage between glory and power, hmm. If I were the Sorting Hat, I’d say Gryffindor!

Hufflepuff

Hufflepuffs should seriously consider the White Mage job, not only because this healer is the most attentive (and usually the most LOYAL!) of the entire party but also because this job (and all healers) are the most important. Additionally, Healers are usually blamed if the party dies even though it isn’t always their fault. It’s a thankless job, but someone has to do it. If you care about others and seek a way to help people through sacrificing your own player’s life sometimes to do so, White Mage is the way to go. Great, now I’m picturing hordes of Hufflepuffs in flowing White Mage robes.

If you’re a Hufflepuff with a heightened love for animals, consider Summoner, a job where the character must be in tune with ancient magical creatures’ essences and tame that power in battle. I’m sure Newt Scamander would have been a Summoner, especially since in the new update you’ll have small beasties that turn into big beasties…all fantastic beasts great and small.

Hufflepuffs also know how to entertain, and the new job Dancer is the life of the party! If you’re the cheerleader of the job, my friend, Dancer is the job for you. You must keep a watchful eye on your dance steps to perform this job correctly. You’re also able to choose a partner to support while you dance. Again, what a Hufflepuff.

If you’re a charismatic and/or musically talented Hufflepuff, consider Bard, a job that supports from afar, all while playing a magical crossbow. The focus is on taking care of your party members by remaining completely loyal to the group.

Slytherin

The stereotypical Slytherin is someone who is cunning and will do whatever is in their power to get what they need or want. This basically describes Dark Knight, an anti-hero job that involves using darkness as a means of protecting those they love. Sounds a lot like Snape. Another class that The Half-Blood Prince might be interested in is Black Mage, which has a similar type of flavor. Black Mage uses only destructive spells, such as fire and ice, to rend their foes asunder. A Black Mage uses whatever he/she must to enact the change he/she wishes to see in the world, even if it means sinking deeper into darkness and destruction. In Black Mage lore, it’s said that these particular mages drew upon the powers of environmental aether rather than the resources within them, making their magic thousands of times more powerful, but much more dangerous as well.

Another Slytherin job is Monk. It definitely has the cunning aspect down. Monk’s quick moves and fancy footwork make this job near unpredictable in close quartered fights. Similarly, Ninja is just as swift and, besides, it’s a job born out of the shadows that does not waste time on trivial matters. A Ninja is ambitious in his/her goals to become the best through extensive training.

Ravenclaw

Lastly, we touch on Ravenclaws. The easiest job to sort Raveclaws into would be Scholar, a job dedicated to copious amounts of study, in which the character can summon forth spell-weaving faeries. Scholar doesn’t seek to harm but rather to heal, another Hufflepuff trait, so it would be suitable for Ravenpuffs (Ravenclaws/Hufflepuffs). Red Mage would also work for Ravenclaws. Red Mage lore details people coming together to combine the healing properties of White Mage and the destructive forces of Black Mage, all to produce the balanced, eat-your-cake-and-have-it-too Red Mage job. What could be more clever? Besides, a Red Mage looks good doing it, so it’s also for those who are passionately creative (a Ravenclaw trait!) in fashion and art.

The Machinist job aligns themselves with Cid, a world-renowned mechanic, so this job had better be clever. They are all inventors and design their weapons to use in battle. In the new update, you’ll even send out a large robot to combat your foes. Ravenclaws could be mechanically smart as well!

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Astrologian, a job that divines the stars and changes the party’s fate through intense study and supportive spells contained in a sort of Tarot card deck. It’s a class Luna Lovegood would be intrigued about. The new update makes it even more Ravenclaw in that you must strategically choose which card to use, and not just randomly pull one.

Just as you can choose your own house at Hogwarts, so too can you choose your own Final Fantasy XIV job. These suggestions are not set in stone (or crystal) and nor should they be. XIV is all about having adventures, connecting with friends, training your Chocobo, and much more. Shadowbringers will usher in many new and exciting things on top of the already colorful world of Final Fantasy. Join other Warriors of Light to strike a balance in the upcoming expansion. In the meantime, I don’t know about you, but I’ll reread Harry Potter.