Slytherin composition

[smorgan at access.digex.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 25271

> > >Talking about that, are there no
> > >Muggle-born or 'half-blood' currently
> > >in Slytherin?
> 
> >--- Kelly Hurt <klhurt at y...> wrote:
> > With a password like 'pureblood', I doubt it
> > seriously.
>
> themselves?  Also, *why* isn't there any Muggle-borns
> and/or 'halfbloods' currently in Slytherin?  Tom
> Riddle was in Slytherin, wasn't he?

There is no reason to think that muggle-born or half-bloods could not 
be part of House Slytherin - the sorting hat makes its choice 
depending upon what characteristics the child displays. If those 
match the ones that the House founder valued then they are sorted 
appropriately.

One can counter: But one of Slytherin's values was 'purity of blood' -
 granted, but when you have x values and the child matches y of them 
stronger than he matches those of the other houses, it's fairly 
likely the child will be sorted Slytherin.

We really have a fairly myopic view of Slytherin as it's focused on 
Draco's year, in which he's made a clique of hangers-on. I'm 
perfectly willing to believe that other years and other Slytherin 
chidren have different views. Draco's personal likes and dislikes 
come to the fore mainly because the other kids want to be in 
his 'pack' for lack of a better way to put it - they don't speak out 
about how they feel, but go along with the alpha and parrot his views.

Don't get me wrong, I think Malfoy's a prat - but I recall a 
discussion where someone notes that Slytherin are not evil, just 
posessed of a different set of morals/ambitions. The fact that Draco 
is the son of a Death Eater and trying very hard to be the boy he 
thinks his father wants him to be colors our impression of the House, 
since he's leading the lot of them that we see most.

Anyway, that's my take on it. Salt to taste.

Scott