Common Rooms

[Risti]

No: HPFGUIDX 44657


> Felinia Wrote
> > I get the impression, from the fact that Harry and Ron can't just 
> > ask someone in  advance, that people from the other houses aren't 
> >*supposed* to know the location of common rooms not their own.

I got this impression as well.

and then Ani wrote various points: 
> I've gotten that impression too. To me that seems extremely odd 
> that such knowledge would be so restricted, yet it does seem to be 
> what canon indicates. Unles Harry and Ron were extremely dense, but 
I 
> dont think so. 

No, I don't think that that's the reason.
  
> Why do you think this is? My first thought is to keep house 
> rivalries from getting out of hand, but that seems almost silly. 

Getting close to my opinion, actually, but not quite.  It has less to 
do with rivalries and more to do with family pride.
 
>  *L* Then again maybe MWPP caused such grief for the Slytherins 
that 
>  it was deemed necessary to keep their common room hidden *L* (Yeah 
>  there's completely non canon based reasoning. 

non canon based, but very highly amusing :)
 
>  Serious again, I really can't come up with a reason for keeping 
the 
>  houses hidden. It seems to breed sectionalism and discrimination, 
>  which you'd think Hogwrats would be against, given Dumbeldore's 
>  stance on issues. 

I don't think it has anything to do with discrimination or 
sectionalism, but something completely different.  I always got the 
impression that Houses were like co ed fraternities or sororities.  
There were certain secrets you just kept to yourself.  The password, 
the seperate common rooms, it's about creating a home away from 
home.  After all, McGonnalgal did say, "your house will be something 
like your family within Hogwarts."  We may not always love our 
family, but at least we can go home to them and know that they are 
going to be the same.  I'd imagine it would be quite comforting after 
a bad day to go into your common room, or dorm room, and know that 
half the school wasn't going to come down on your head while you were 
there.

As for their secret location, when you consider how much they'd want 
to keep the *inside* of their common rooms a secret, it makes sense 
that they'd want to keep the location secret.  Why?  Because 
otherwise all you do is walk up to the entrance, stand behind statue 
of armour for awhile until you hear some poor unsuspecting other-
houser(ok, I know that's not a word, but bear with me) come along and 
say the password for all to hear.  Then, when you get grumpy because 
said house has just won the Quidditch Cup, and you want to crash 
their party with Dung Bombs, you just walk right up to the respective 
Portrait on the wall, say your words, and walk in.

It's not over-zealous house rivalry, its just teens and preteens 
needing a place where they can hide out and a secret that they can 
know they share with a bunch of like minded people.  And a way to 
keep the Weasley twins from short sheeting your bed after you 
trounced their beating ability.

~Risti