Looks aren't everything! (was:Re: Sirius / Severus)

[huntergreen_3]

No: HPFGUIDX 86596

Carol Wrote:

>>When Severus first entered Hogwarts, OTOH, he had no
reason to dislike handsome Sirius of the ancient and noble house of
Black and athletic, popular James other than that they were
Gryffindors. If they had uncharactericteristically offered him the
hand of friendship to Severus, ignoring his looks and all the other
things they found unattractive about him, I very much doubt that he
would not have turned them down. Children need and want to be liked,
and they are seldom liked for their intelligence. It's always looks,
"personality," and athletic ability.<<

HunterGreen:
I have to add one thing to that: money.

I was agreeing with this whole theory of appearence and popularity 
until I applied it to my own high school. Most of the popular people 
weren't all that good-looking. Granted, they spent A LOT of time 
working on their appearence (hair, clothes, makeup, fake tans, etc.) 
but generally very few of them had any 'natural beauty'. The tying 
factor in popularity seemed to be more about money than anything 
else...which of course still applies to this situation. Its hard to 
really gage what determines popularity in Hogwarts, because there 
simply aren't too many examples of it. In the present time we really 
only have Cedric, and that was probably based on a combination of 
things (he certainly was quite a hero for Hufflepuff, who never has 
any sort of glory, so I'm sure everyone from his house liked him, and 
the rest could come from being a pure-blood, being good-looking, and 
being a good quidditch player). In the past we have Sirius and James, 
who were trouble-makers, pure-bloods, handsome and wealthy. 

greatlit:
>>I don't think that Sirius shook off everything that his family 
taught him when he ran away. Even as an adult, he has arrogance, 
pride, a strong, rebellious personality. [snip]
I think Sirius just rejected the whole notion of pure-blood 
superiority because he didn't want his parents to control who he 
became friends with. But he retained many other Black family 
qualities.

Laura:
>>
[snip]
I agree with you that part of Sirius's reaction to his parents as an
adolescent was his desire to choose his own friends. But that begs
the question, why wasn't he in Slytherin in the first place, like
all the rest of the Blacks? Something had to be in him that
differentiated him at his core. <<

HunterGreen:
Why would it have to be from his core? Couldn't a pure-blood 
enthusiast also be extremely brave but not particularily ambitious? 
You only have to *be* pureblood for slytherin, not be a proponent of 
it. Sirius said himself that his parents didn't agree with how far 
Voldemort was willing to go, that's not exactly going to any means to 
achieve their goals is it? (I am really starting to wonder why Percy 
isn't in Slytherin, there has to be a strong element of choice with 
the sorting hat). Not even Draco was *postive* he'd be put in 
Slytherin, and the only house he'd be upset with is Hufflepuff. I'll 
consent that the two houses dislike each other, but that doesn't mean 
that a strong pureblood, muggle-hating family couldn't have a kid in 
Gryffindor who *hadn't* renounced them. 
Personally, I think Sirius was in Gryffindor because he's far more 
brave than he is ambitious (with the amount of loyalty he has to the 
Potters, I can *almost* see him being a good candidate for 
hufflepuff, what a shock *that* would have been to the family).


-HunterGreen.