Dumbledore and Sytherin's Bad Rap

[voicelessblue]

No: HPFGUIDX 41862

Hi everyone, I'm Wendy, and I'm new.  Anyway, I thought I'd start off 
with something that's been irritating me since I've read the HP 
series.  One of which is Dumbledore.  The other is Slytherin's Bad 
Rap.    

I realize Dumbledore is a good guy, but I don't think he realizes how 
much he effects the "Slytherin situation", meaning the way 
Slytherin's are treated within the school.  First of all, he 
completely alienated the Slytherin's in PS/SS, and it was painfully 
obviously that he favored the Gyffindors.  The trio not only didn't 
get punished for breaking rules...they actually got rewarded!  Some 
people may aruge that Snape does the same thing, but you can't 
compare Snape's personal power to Dumbledore's.  That last scene in 
PS/SS was horrible...when Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gyffindor all 
stand up and cheer not so much because Gyffindor won, but because 
Slytherin LOST.  It was awful, and I was horrifed that Dumbledore 
perpetuated it.  I mean he gave exactly enough points to beat 
Slytherin.  I somehow doubt it was just a coincidence.  

The rest of the school seems to hate the Slytherins, and I don't 
think it's completely justified.  The main reason why they hate them 
is because of the fact that their in Slytherin.  That's just not 
fair.  I think there's a scene where Fred and George actually HISS at 
a first year who just got sorted into Slytherin!  They didn't know 
anything about the little kid except for the fact he was in 
Slytherin.  Growing up in this sort of environment, how can a person 
NOT think that if Dumbledore can't protect them from this prejudice, 
then maybe Voldemort could?  I'm not making any excuses for them, 
because their ambition probably plays a large factor in their 
decision as well...but still.  Can you imagine because loathed your 
entire school career because you happen to be ambitious?  Being 
sorted into Slytherin could still mean a person could be loyal, or 
brave, or intelligent.  If a Gryffindor can be intelligent, or a 
Hufflebuff brave, who's to say a Slytherin can't be loyal?  

Okay, maybe I just feel this way because I'm skeptical of Gyffindors 
and their self-righteousness.  Gryffindors always say that 
Slytherin's are prejudiced, yet hyporcritically enough, they are 
prejudiced against Slytherins.  Slytherin often is synonymous to 
Death Eater for them.  So maybe their families are Death 
Eaters...does this make them evil by association?  Even if Slytherins 
aren't necessarily good people...well, why do they have to be?  So 
they aren't noble and honorable, not everyone is.  This doesn't mean 
they are basically evil people...and it doesn't mean they should be 
condemned. 

I feel bad for Slytherin.  Actually, I also feel bad for Hufflepuff, 
because they're hard work and loyalty is often overlooked, and 
they're often written off (you'd think they'd understand how 
Slytherin feels).  In the first book, Hermione said the best houses 
were Gyrffindor or Ravenclaw, and I guess most people just assume 
that as well.  Even though logically each house is supposed to be 
equal, it's almost as if there's a heirarchy to them before one is 
sorted: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflefpuff, and then Slytherin.  
Unless you're related to Slytherin alumni, in which you'd think 
Slytherin is best.  I don't really understand Hufflepuffs as I do 
Slytherins, but I still feel sorry for them.  


Wendy, who is Slytherin Sympathetic