House Traits (was: Moaning Myrtle's House Affiliation)

[Jenny from Ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 29720


Eric (I think) wrote:
 
In fact, Myrtle's unhappiness could have been _because_ she was in
 Slytherin, and the "Purebloods rule, Mudbloods drool" attitude was 
already hardening in her day>

And Calypso responded:
  
> It seems to me that Myrtle's personality indicates that she is 
interested in self-pity and not much else. She's not really ambitious 
although one can say she is enduring. Hufflepuff does seem more likely 
than Slytheruin, in my opinion.>

Okay, I am very behind on all the postings right now because my 
internet access has been extremely limited, but I must address this.  
I apologize profusely if I come across this very idea after I post 
this response.  I know this had been discussed before, but I have to 
add my two sickles' worth in.

Why does everyone keep assuming that all students in Slytherin are 
bad?  There is no evidence in the books that Slytherins treat their 
co-housemates badly.  In fact, they seem quite protective of each 
other, and if Myrtle had been placed there, I imagine that her 
Slytherin peers would have been as friendly to her (as difficult as 
she may have been) as they were to the rest of their House peers.  I 
also have to add in an extra comment that we do not know if all 
Slytherins are bad in other ways, too.  We only know a very select 
few.  There could be Slytherins in there who are cunning, ambitious 
and hilarious or cunning, ambitious and generous.  I don't know for 
sure; I am just throwing the idea out there.

As for Hufflepuff, why would Myrtle be placed there?  Hufflepuff 
students are good kids - they work hard and are loyal to each other.  
I think many of us are guilty (and I am not excluding myself here) of 
thinking of Hufflepuffians as "losers" because they seem to often get 
the short end of stick not only in Hogwarts, but in life in general 
when those traits are presented.  Most of us seem to want to be brave 
or smart over loyal or hardworking.  The characters we met who are 
from Hufflepuff are decent enough - Cedric didn't seem stupid or 
dorky, and Justin, Ernie and Hannah don't seem much different from, 
say Lavender or Parvati.  

I don't see Myrtle as a Hufflepuff any more than I see her as a 
Slytherin, unless I'd count how hard she worked at feeling sorry for 
herself.  My problem with Myrtle is that I can't quite place her at 
all, but that could be because we really don't know her very well.

--jenny from ravenclaw, who, in real life, is very much a Hufflepuff 
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