Peter, where did you live?

[Lumen]

No: HPFGUIDX 25925

Personally, I would be rather disappointed if Peter was not a member of Gryffindor.  The books would loose their credibility for many readers if only the Slytherins went sour.  There are two contradictory statements in the books as regards evil wizards and witches: in PoS Hagrid tells Harry in chapter five,  
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."  

Yet in CoS one finds, "For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other-but he had ended up in Gryffindor" 

How that is to be resolved remains to be seen.  However, if one of the major themes of the books is the freedom of the individual to choose what she or he does in life, then casting all the "you're sure to go rotten" people in one house kicks against that.  That's fatalistic, and puts us back with the Greek myths.  The fall from grace is always a possibility for everyone in the real world...  

There is this added perspective, which has more power now that the Marauder's Map has made murder within the walls of Hogwarts possible.  James and Sirius are responsible for masterminding the creation of a map that was a tool for breaking rules, and even in their time placed the lives of others in serious risk, as Lupin states. The example of James and Sirius didn't particularly encourage Peter to learn to really reflect on where his actions might ultimately lead...

Lastly, if Peter were a member of Slytherin during his school years, would Sirius ever have considered asking the Potters to make him the secret keeper?  Would they have considered it?  Everyone knew there was a spy in their midst, so it seems IMHO to be stretching it to think they would have turned to a weak person, someone who had been in Slytherin, to entrust with something as vital as your life!

I will now duck before the tomatoes fly.

Also, uh, we are hoping in a few weeks to open an educational section at the site, any donations of papers, essays, etc would be deeply appreciated. Please take note all you Binghamton students.  Why stick your works of genius in a trunk once the prof hands them back?!

Maria
www.the-sorting-hat.com
lumen_dei at freeler.nl


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