Thestrals and Slytherins

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 71039

*Whew!*  Try to say that one ten times fast.

Now, this is the thread that I'm sure is making everyone roll their 
eyes and say "Not again!" and I understand that.  I just wanted to put 
my thoughts on the matter out there, even if this very point has been 
discussed, as I'm sure it has.  We cover everything around here.  :-)

We all noticed that there was one "stringy Slytherin boy" who saw the 
thestrals "with an expression of great distate on his face" (ch. 21).  
Many people have speculated that this kid might just be one of those 
"good Slyths" we have heard so much about, simply because he has seen 
someone die. I say "Feh!".

There are so many ways we can interpret this tiny little scene.  For 
one, the stringy Slytherin boy may have a look of distaste on his face 
because he noticed that some Gryffindors saw the thestrals as well, 
but not any of his friends, and he is simply horrified at that.  The 
fact that Harry Potter clearly notices them may make this kid feel 
even more disgusted.  Of course, he may just be generally disgusted 
with the class now that Hagrid is back, as Slytherins seem to hate 
Hagrid so.

Ah, but there could be more.  What if the death (or deaths) he saw 
weren't so unplesant?  What if he was the witness to the death of the 
very old, deaf, and useless House Elf who served his family and this 
kid felt well rid of him?  Or, maybe what this kid saw *was* something 
traumatic, like the death of a close relative... at the hands of an 
Auror.  Now that wouldn't make this stringy boy so sensitive, would 
it?  I think it might actually make him quite angry at all those good 
wizards running around in the WW.

My point is that this is no more proof of a good Slytherin than any 
other we can come up with.  It's unfortunate on the part of JKR that 
she leaves so little doubt, but I'll have to stand by my opinion that 
Slytherins are a bunch of bad eggs, unless we see something clearly 
different written in the pages of book 6.

--jenny from ravenclaw *******************