Where's the Bang?/Hogwarts Houses (Was: RE: House assumptions)

[Becky]

No: HPFGUIDX 45558

Alright, thanks to the recent influx of MWPP/Four Houses posts, I've 
decided to sit back and think about why I dislike the idea so much.

Ignoring my belief that there is a large lack of supporting evidence 
for the theory, I think I dislike it mainly for the glamorizing of 
the House issue. I mean, what's the point? Without trying to sound 
too much like Cindy - where's the Bang?

So, Harry finds out Sirius/Remus/James was a Slytherin.

::crickets chirping::

OK, back to our regular program of Voldemort vs. Harry! ;-)

It's just, where exactly are the Four Houses people going with this? 
Why is it important? Aside from a momentary surprise on Harry's part, 
I can't see it making much of a difference. Maybe something to do 
with the dreaded "P" incident? Maybe an explanation for Snape joining 
the DE's or spying for Voldemort? Evidence that Sirius and Severus 
were once fantastic friends? ::shakes head:: There just doesn't
seem to be enough canonical evidence and too little to gain, for me 
to want to join the FH crowd.

Apart from that, I've never been that fond of the idea that what 
House you got into really mattered (outside of Hogwarts that is ;-)). 
Aside from a few old grudges against old rivals, I just really hate 
the idea that people from the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses have 
some lifelong blood feud.

So, I ask, just how big an impact do the Four Houses have on the 
various alumni? Is LV just using his Heir of Slytherin/last remaining 
descendent to make up for his Muggle father - not because it's some 
grand/awe-inspiring position? Do the DE's follow LV because of his 
ancestry, or because they agree with his goals, and respect/fear his 
power? Is it more important to people that LV is the Heir of 
Slytherin or a Parselmouth?

This also tends to be my problem with the "Harry is the Heir of 
Gryffindor" theories, and it has nothing to do with Destiny vs. 
Choice. 

Just why does it matter if Harry's descended from Gryffindor? Sure, 
the Founders are said to have been the most powerful witches and 
wizards of their times, but Dumbledore has the same things said about 
him, and I'm not really expecting his multi-great-grandchild to have 
some destiny laid on him because of it. I always start to wince when 
I have an image of the whole HP series turning out to be some massive 
House conflict. I really hope that that's not how it's going to end.

Becky