The House Cup and the Tragedy of Slytherin

[derannimer <susannahlm@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51305

Pippin: I would like to address the idea that Slytherin was 
humiliated by their defeat in the House Championship. First of all, 
there is nothing -- nada-- humiliating about being defeated because 
you weren't the best.

Me: No, there isn't. But there is something humiliating in being 
fooled into thinking you've won, and then being told "Ha-Ha! You 
didn't!" *in public.* Especially when you're only eleven years old. 

Pippin: The tragedy of Slytherin or at least of Draco's faction, is 
that their racist notions prevent them from recognizing superior 
merit in anyone but purebloods. This is the reason Dumbledore 
cannot simply "reach out" to them. No amount of reaching out is 
going to convince Lucius Malfoy that Hermione Granger is simply 
more capable than Draco.

Me: No, nothing is ever going to convince Lucius Malfoy. But we 
aren't talking about Lucius. We're talking about eleven-year old kids 
who have grown up with their parents filling them full of poison, and 
nothing and nobody around to contradict that. 

What are they *supposed* to believe, when this is all they've ever 
heard? Do you *really* think that an eleven year old has enough 
innate moral discernment to recognize that everything their parents 
have ever told them is evil? Would *you* have had that discernment? 
Would I? 

The Slytherin kids--and they are *kids,* remember--need Hogwarts more 
than anyone else there. They need Dumbledore more than anyone else 
there. Which is why I have such a big problem with him pulling a 
stunt like this. 

Pippin: Even Harry has trouble seeing what's wrong with cheating if 
the contest is fixed. So Slytherins see nothing wrong with gaming 
the system--too bad the Gryffindor Seeker and his pals were off 
saving the world instead of playing Quidditch, and we're *so* 
sorry nobody thought of giving them points for that, but it's too 
late now, mwahahahaha. 

Me: What about the *Ravenclaws?* If the whole school knew the story 
by the time Harry wakes up, might not the whole school know the story 
during the game? So if the Claws know that the Gryff seeker is in the 
hospital because he was saving the world, why don't they just *ask to 
postpone the game?* They were the ones playing Gryffindor. I fail to 
see how it is the Slytherin's responsibility to ask for the game to 
be postponed on behalf of the Ravenclaws. The Slyth's didn't "game 
the system." They just sat back and let the thing fall into their 
laps--they were totally passive. I mean, honestly, what do you think 
they did *wrong?* What were they mwahahahaha-ing *about,* precisely?

Pippin: Maybe Slytherin didn't learn anything from their disgrace. 
The trouble is, they wouldn't have learned anything by being saved 
from disgrace either. If anyone had saved them but themselves, 
they would only have thought it happened because they were so 
specially worthy of consideration. I tend to think that Dumbledore 
was hoping they *would* save themselves, but that's just me.

The tragedy of the Slytherins is thus the tragedy of Dumbledore, 
too. His goodness is lost on them. There is nothing 
Dumbledore can do to cut them a break. Any concession of his 
will be read as weakness rather than grace. 
 
Me: What concession? How do you *know* they will read it as weakness? 
(Derannimer starts screaming.) WHY ARE YOU ASSUMING THAT ELEVEN YEAR 
OLD *KIDS* ARE IRREDEEMABLE!?

Pippin: As to the idea that Slytherin had the right to think they had 
won because all the points were in and they had more of them, well, I 
have to ask, what do people think that points are awarded for? 

Me: Err. . . 

Well, it doesn't really matter what the points are *awarded* for. The 
*Cup* is rewarded on the basis of the *points.* If all the points are 
in, and they have won, then they have won. 

And at any rate, I imagine that they would have thought that they had 
won when they walked into the Great Hall and saw it all done up in 
green and silver, yes?

Pippin: The lesson was for the whole school. Worthy deeds are worthy 
of recognition, even if it comes a little late. Slytherin had no 
reason to feel humiliated, any more than Ravenclaw or 
Hufflepuff, except that they took their victory for granted and were 
smug about it.

Me: The lesson that "worthy deeds are ready of recognition" could 
have been taught more clearly if it had been taught without the 
corrolary effect of deliberately humiliating the Slytherins. And 
*again,* why wouldn't they take their victory for granted? The house 
colors were on the walls. They took their victory for granted because 
Dumbledore *tricked them into it.* 

I think, btw, that he probably did it as a nice treat for the Gryffs, 
and also to be dramatic about it. I don't think he had any really 
malicious motivations. But I do think that it was *exceedingly* 
ill-thought-out, and *not* a particularly classy thing to do. It was 
*tacky.* 



Derannimer (who seems to be spending a lot of time defending the 
Slyths, and especially for someone who isn't a Slyth fan)