[HPforGrownups] Re: Discussion: Sorting Hat, Founders, and the Hogwarts Houses

[Rowena Grunnion-Ffitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 26422

--- Nethilia De Lobo <nethilia at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 1)    The classic question: (Did you really think we
> could have an
> essay on Houses and not bring this up?) Slytherin
> House: evil or just
> bad press? 

     Bad press. I don't think Malfoy is any more
representative of the Slytherins than the Weasley
twins are of Gryffindors. What I would really like to
see in OoP is Slytherins aligning themselves alongside
Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in the battle
against Voldemort.

> 3)    How does the Sorting Hat sort? For example,
what
> sort of process
> does it use that ends up with Hermione in
> Gryffindor?
> (Disclaimer: I'm
> not saying she should be elsewhere, but considering
> how she was in the
> beginning of PS, I think she would have been happier
> at first in
> Ravenclaw where being smart is cool and not in
> Gryffindor where she was
> teased for being a know-it-all.)

   It would certainly help if she occasionally let
somebody else answer a question! I suspect even in
Ravenclaw her know-it-all ways would have caused
friction. But doesn't Hermione herself say in SS that
friendship and courage are more important that book
learning? 
   Apparently the Hat looks inside the wearer's head
and judges which of the four personality types he/she
is closest too. Judging from Harry's experience it can
also be influenced by a strong preference on the part
of the wearer. Maybe Hermione really wanted to be a
Gryffindor because some hero of hers, (Dumbledore?)
belonged to that House. If her wish included a genuine
desire to cultivate the virtues peculiar to
Gryffindor, (courage and chivalry) the Hat might have
humored her as it did Harry.

> 4)    JKR has said there is more to the Sorting Hat
> than is apparent.
> What sort of things do you think we'll see the Hat
> involved with?

    It may have information about the Founders and
their intentions that proves important to the story.

> 5)    How important do you think is the fact that
the
> Sorting Hat used
> to be Godric Gryffindor's?

   Not very. I don't detect a bias in the Hat's
attitude towards the various Houses. I think a little
bit of all Four founders is in the Hat not just
Godric.

> 6)    Do you think we'll find out more about the
> Founders as the
> series continues and what do you think we'll learn?

   I certainly hope so. I don't believe Salazar
Slytherin was a Dark Wizard. If he had been surely the
other three would have eliminated his House and all
other traces of his influence from the School. He was
certainly a man of strong character and opinions, as
was Gryffindor, and there was probably a certain
amount of tension from the very begining. I see 'Sweet
Hufflepuff' trying to keep the peace between these two
difficult men while the 'Fair Ravenclaw' wraps herself
in her studies and ignores the conflict as long as she
can.

> 7)    What did Salazar Slytherin hope to accomplish
> with
> his building
> of the Chamber of Secrets? Do you think the chamber
> had some other
> purpose beyond having a giant creature available to
> kill Muggle born
> wizards, perhaps to be used in defense of the
> school? 

   According to Binns Slytherin opposed accepting
Muggle born not because they were inferior but because
he feared they would prove untrustworthy. Remember it
was a time of persecution, Salazar may well have had
personal experience of Muggle born wizards betraying
their fellows either out of fear or loyalty to their
Muggle kin. 
   IMO He intended the baskilisk as a last ditch
defense should the worst happen and the school be
betrayed. He confided the secret of the chamber to his
offspring, who'd inherited his talent of Parselmouth,
and so would be able to direct the serpent if
necessary. Over the generations the story became
distorted by notions about perserving the 'purity' of
the blood.

> 8)    We haven't seen much of either Ravenclaw or
> Hufflepuff in the
> first four books. Do you think they will end up
> playing a more 
> important
> role later?

    One can but hope.

> 9)    What do you think the reasons are for the
colors
> and animals of
> the different houses? You can choose to answer this
> either from JKR's
> perspective (i.e. the mythological reasons) or from
> the Founders (like
> Slytherin being a Parselmouth.)

   The serpent is a traditional symbol of cunning and
wisdom. Green and silver are colors often associated
with elves and magic.
   Red and gold are the colors of royalty, of honor
and chivalry and the lion is the animal traditionally
embodying these traits.
   The eagle is also a royal animal, much favored by
emperors, but is associated with the intellect and
prevision as well, (was Rowena a True Seer?). Blue and
bronze are the colors of sky, wind, sun and light. And
sky gods and sun gods are usually associated with
wisdom and truth.
   Yellow and black suggest sunlight and earth both
necessary for growing things, Hufflepuffs seem to have
an affinity for Herbrology. As for Helga's symbolic
animal, the badger, I find myself remembering the
Badger in C.S. Lewis' 'Prince Caspian' a preserver and
defender of the old traditions who says of himself
'I'm a Badger, we hold on."   






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