Slytherin's Role

[avonlea0112]

No: HPFGUIDX 31973

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Brian Yoon" <Seiryuu_Avatar at m...> wrote:
> 
> Which reminds me of a question I had- isn't it because of Riddle 
(oh damn
> it, so many different ways to name him!) and his following that 
Slytherin
> received a bad rep?  It seems the biggest (in fact, the only) 
complaint most
> people had against the Slytherin.  Hagrid grumbles that Slytherin 
had the
> wizards that turned to Voldemort's side (who was a fellow 
Slytherin, and
> thus easier to understand?), but that's really all.  Sure, 
they're "tricky",
> but that doesn't constitute a bad person.
> 
> The reason I ask is because of a recent fanfic that was based in 
Riddle's
> time, and had the Slytherin already ridiculed before he arrived.
> 
> Brian Yoon
> aka Seiryuu

Didn't Slytherin already have a bad rap before Riddle's arrival 
because of 
Salazar Slytherin?  His bigoted ideas were pretty well known to the 
more perceptive students at Hogwarts, and Salazar did split with 
Gryffindor (whos first name I've forgotten.)  I get the feeling that 
their 
split was a little more than a cordial parting of the ways - after 
all, Slytherin had spent a major part of his life founding Hogwarts, 
and I would assume that he and Gryffindor were close friends before 
their split.  

It makes sense to me that Salazar's depature would have left a bad 
taste in the mouth of many students at Hogwarts.  The Slytherins 
of the time would almost certainly have been loyal to him, creating a 
rift between Slytherin and the other houses.  This rift could still 
exist years later, acerbated by Riddle/Voldy and the other dark 
activities.

~Avonlea~