[HPforGrownups] RE: Are all Slytherins rotten to the bone? e tc.

[ABoyko at starchoice.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 8437

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	heidi tandy [SMTP:heiditandy at yahoo.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, January 03, 2001 11:48 AM
> To:	HPforGrownups at egroups.com
> Subject:	Re: [HPforGrownups] RE:  Are all Slytherins rotten to the
> bone? etc.
> 
> > 
> .how many of you read the Little House books? 
> Nellie Olsen is evil in the begining, and evil in the
> end (of course, neither of her parents in the books
> are portrayed as killers, whereas Lucius is at least
> perfectly willing to stand around & watch a homicide)
> - she's laura's foil, she's described in very
> superficial ways at times, and she's mean, saracastic
> and BLOND! You're supposed to dislike her (although in
> the tv series, after she married the Nice Jewish Boy
> from NYC, she turns into a terrifically sweet person &
> great mother) because even Laura needs some teenage
> angst and a romantic rival (although, of course,
> Nellie Olsen as described never existed - she's a
> combination of at least 2 girls Laura knew, but,
> whatever)
> 
> 
	There's a big difference between picking on Laura Ingalls because
she's poor and wanting "Mudbloods" to be killed. Nellie may have been mean,
but if a vampire came to Walnut Grove and started attacking anyone not of
pure Scandinavian stock, I'd think she'd be hiding, not cheering.

	Vampires in Walnut Grove. This list brings out the weirdness in me.
;-)

	It could be that very deep, there may be a tiny spark of decency
within Draco. I suppose it was nice that he supported Cedric, also not a
Slytherin, but I think his motive was to hurt Harry. Maybe this is something
that has been covered before, but has anyone compiled a list of Draco's
redeeming qualities/acts? I'm curious as to why there is such a pro-Draco
fan base out there.

	I'm in the midst of rereading GoF, and was pondering the section
when Moody/Junior turns Draco into a ferret. (Very appropriate choice of
animal!) He isn't just doing it because he wants to continue the masquerade
of being Moody, he's doing it because he is Lucius's son, and if there's one
thing either Moody or Junior can't stand, it's a Death Eater who got
away/betrayed Voldemort. Draco is turning out very much like Lucius, if you
ask me.

> Second - how many of you read both Interview with the
> Vampire AND The Vampire Lestat. Slytherins are like
> Lestat & the Paris vampires in Interview - we only see
> them through the eyes of an outsider (louis) who makes
> conclusions about them without haivng the correct
> information and knowing the whole picture. Compare
> this to Harry determining at the first dinner in Book
> 1 that the Slytherins look like an unplesant lot.
> While we know more about individual slytherins in
> harry's year than we do about, say Ravenclaws (only
> one - Padma - has been mentioned by name) we don't
> know anything from any perspective other than Harry's,
> and he is, admittedly, biased against Slytherins,
> given that TWELVE PLUS YEARS AGO, a lot of death
> eaters were formerly of Slytherin House - which may
> have some bearing on the current house given that many
> of the death eaters have kids in that house (although
> I'm looking for little Jenny McNair to be sorted into
> Ravenclaw next year...) but doesn't necessarily mean
> that those students will have to walk down the Path of
> Evil.
	 
	I think Harry is biased against the Syltherins because they pick on
him, make fun of him at every opportunity (thank you, Rita Skeeter), and
wear "Harry Potter Stinks" badges. He was cautious about the Slytherins, and
didn't want to be in their house, because of their reputation. The current
students haven't done much to improve that.

	Picking on kids like Harry or Laura doesn't mean someone is doomed
for evil. But they aren't indications that someone will grow up and kind and
helpful either. It happens on TV, where Michael Landon's benevolent presence
makes even spiteful blondes grow hearts. Maybe it can happen in a Voldemort
ravaged world.

	Angela