Self-selected housing, Groundsman Fleur, new crew

[Tabouli]

No: HPFGUIDX 31911

Wanda:
> Then why not just ask the students which house they want to be in instead of going through a sorting ceremony with a hat that just puts them where they think they ought to go? I don't think that children would always pick the right place for themselves.<

Students asked to pick their own houses... hmm, intriguing.  How many do you think would pick the house to which they're been assigned?  Would a diligent Hufflepuff *want* to go into Hufflepuff instead of one of the two leading houses (who dominate the House Cup, have the most significant alumni, etc. etc.)?  If the Hat selects for what people value, perhaps they would.  Perhaps the theoretical Hufflepuff wouldn't particularly want the honour and glory of being in a top house, s/he would just want to applaud politely and continue working hard behind the scenes.  And the theoretical Ravenclaw would be more interested in stimulating intellectual conversation than in competing for the Cup.  Not, of course, that either Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws would object to winning, if it happened, they're just not as driven by competitive instincts as the others.

Avonlea:
> After all, going by character's stock descriptions, 
Ron could be in Hufflepuff<

Slack Ron of the "make up his Divination assignment" and "d'you we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" and "copy Hermione's History essay to make the required inches" a hard-working Hufflepuff??  Surely not.

David:
>Perhaps Fleur will be Groundsman at Hogwarts in OOP?  It could totally revise Ron's 
attitude to Forbidden Forest detentions.<

But ze 'ut, eet ees so small and primiteeve!  Een Beauxbatons, ze groundsman 'as a palace all to 'imself, wiz perfumed stables for zee 'orses and a seeks course meal delivaired every night bah a choir of singing wood faihreeez!

Marybear82, new LOLLIPOPS crew member:
>I agree wholeheartedly and request  
> permission to come aboard the good ship, Captain Tabouli!

Ahaaaarrr!  Welcome aboard, Marybear82!  I'm currently off-ship visiting Friendship Isle with Tom Bombadil (see OT Chatter for further details), but I'm sure Deputy Captain Amanda and First Mate Alex will show you the ropes, as well as the secret collection of Love Potion recipes covered in Snape's fingerprints and candid photographs of Lily covered in his lip-prints which they found in a locked drawer in the Potions classroom... (btw First Mate Alex, our crew is larger than you think - at last count there were at *least* six of us...)

Tabouli.





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