Voldemort and Slytherin

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 50826

Tom also asks:

<< Does anyone have any idea why Slytherin's descendants weren't watched with 
the utmost scrutiny? >>

Probably because they gave no one any reason to. All four houses and probably 
all four of the founders' bloodlines have produced "great" wizards and 
witches. People who are still regarded as heroes. And all four have probably 
produced Dark wizards as well. Although Slytherin House has produced more of 
them, and Dark "Lords" may be a Slytherin specialty. But, Harry's perceptions 
aside, most Slytherin wizards are probably no more evil than any other sort 
of polititian. 

And when no Chamber turned up after a few hundred years, it was probably 
decided that the whole story was a fake. Something Salazar had put about to 
cause distress among his former colleagues.

As to why the Chamber wasn't found; the rarity of parselmouth *is* probably 
the most likely cause. (Although I did facitiously suggest at one point that 
after Slytherin had shaken the dust of Hogwarts off his feet, he had gone off 
to found Durmstrang and run it the way he thought a wizarding school *should* 
be run.) There may or may not have been a parselmouth or two from Slytherin's 
line at Hogwarts since his day, but just being a parselmouth doesn't assure 
you of finding the opening of the Chamber. 

And, first, you have to go looking for it. It took Tom five years to find it 
and that was with constant effort. The legend never said that there was a 
*treasure* inside the Chamber. It said that there was a *monster*. Sure, 
*I'd* go on a *treasure* hunt. Who wouldn't? But how many school kids (apart 
from Hagrid) *want* to go and find themselves a monster?

-JOdel