A small rant about stereotyping in the WW and Hogwarts Was: Evil Hufflepuffs

[firekat482 <firekat482@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49856

Sushi wrote:
<snip>

> Hufflepuff does not have to mean "good", just as Slytherin does not 
>have to mean "evil" (IMO).  

<snip>

Oh, you cannot know how happy you have made me by saying this. :) As 
a self-proclaimed (or wannabe) Slytherin, I hate it that people 
automatically assume I'm some kind of hell-raiser. Quite frankly I 
don't like a lot of the stereotyping that goes on in the books - and 
that includes negative *and* positive conotations. 

I find it strange that Dumbledore seems to be content to allow these 
stereotypes to foster. Shouldn't he - as the school's headmaster - 
want to work at bringing the students together? Or at least work on 
changing some attitudes (in *all* the houses)?

I find very little evidence that he does. Granted, as the stories are 
told from Harry's POV, we see very little of what Dumbledore does 
behind the scenes. Still, I get the feeling that whatever he might 
try behind the scenes is negated by the amount of bitterness that 
surrounds Harry's Gryffindor/Slytherin potions class.

That, of course, is only one example and it is limited to only two of 
the houses. I understand that there is litte evidence (maybe even 
none at all) to make much of an argument/debate about this. It's just 
something that bugs me whenever I think about it.

I mean, seriously, it's been 1,000 years since Hogwarts was founded - 
slightly less since the time of the founders. Yet despite all of this 
time the feelings of the four houses towards one another hasn't 
changed one iota. 1,000 years! What the heck have the headmasters 
(and mistresses) been doing about this? 

Nothing, it seems. I wonder why. Could there be some secret 
conspiracy behind it all? 

Heh heh. Okay, probably not. But, IMHO, 1,000 years is a long time 
for generations of students to hold the same grudges against one 
another that the four founders had against each other.

Anyway, just my two knuts.

~Jean

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Director Chris Columbus: "The first movie, I wanted more Alan 
Rickman. The second movie, I wanted more Alan Rickman. But we focused 
on the story, which follows the kids."

Me: What!? Who cares about the kids? I want more Alan Rickman!