[HPforGrownups] Re: Riddle's popularity/Dumbledore and evil (was re: Dicussion Question #2)

[shayla]

No: HPFGUIDX 37655

At 03:11 AM 4/10/02 -0400, Eloise wrote:
>That's interesting isn't it? I'd never really though about the significance
>of Hogwarts having a head boy from Slytherin: we see the Slytherins so much
>from Harry's POV that it seems inconceivable. But no, evidently not.>


Well, not really. We have no idea what makes a head boy yet. Percy was one, 
which implies that it takes great dedication to your studies and obedience 
to rules. Slytherins, in their great ambition, could conceivably apply 
themselves quite assiduously to their studies. If Ravenclaws are motivated 
by a yearning for knowledge, then Slytherins are motivated by the 
calculation of a means to an end. Knowledge is power after all.

which is not to say that there aren't other factors to being head boy. All 
we know is that Tom, Bill, James and Percy were. Does the sorting hat pick 
him? the prefects? the staff? dumbledore?

as for Dumbledore himself, I have to disagree with your comment about him 
knowing that Tom Riddle had framed Hagrid. Dumbledore really appears in the 
books to be omniscient, but there is ,
clear evidence that he is not. he did not know about mwpp being animagi
and he didn't realize his own defense against the dark arts teacher was an 
imposter for *months*. no, the man may be very aware of what happens within 
his school, but he does not know everything. he may very well have 
*suspected* that there was something amiss with Tom riddle, but with a 
complete lack of evidence in Hagrid's defense, and probably with the 
opinion of the school board about teaching a half giant anyway, he may have 
had no choice.
shayla