Good Slytherin (Was: Re: Thestrals and Slytherins)

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 71268


> bboy_mn: 
> 
> So how did the other houses feel when Slytherin held both the House
> Cup and the Quidditch Cup for SEVEN years prior to Harry's arrival 
at Hogwarts?
> 
> Gryffindor wasn't 'awarded' victory at the end of every year, they
> ACHIEVED victory at the end of every year, and were awarded/rewarded
> for their outstanding achievements. 


Excellent point and I'd like to dovetail onto it with one of my oft-
used points about Slytherin.

As Steve pointed out, Slytherin held the cup for seven years, which 
means they had a mix of athletic talent -- we know Quidditch results 
are a big part of House Cup points -- and academic skill.

In Fudge's world, Purebloods and those with dislike, or at least, 
disdain, for Muggles are favored, which therefore favors House 
Slytherin.

I've always maintained that, far from the underdog identification 
some like to saddle Slytherin with, it is the Slytherin who have more 
in common with the ruling clique of a high schoolers nightmare.

Harry is a poor orphan; the Weasleys are poor with a father thought 
of as a bit daft at times; Hermione and Dean Thomas are Muggle-borns 
and Hermione is the school bookroom; Seamus is half-and-half; Neville 
is "near-Squib."

Now, picture a child who comes in shabby clothes, or has a father not 
respected by his peers, or comes from a "lower class," or may have 
issues with his or her sexuality (as has been so often applied to the 
young Severus Snape)

Do you REALLY think those children are welcome in Draco Malfoy's 
house? 

Those that feel they are outcasts have no home in Slytherin. They'll 
be laughed out or cursed out by the first-year Halloween.


> > But then I hold the controversail view that the only Gryffindor 
who should have been given points at the end of PS was Neville (all 
> > right yes I admire Ron greatly for his actions but he shouldn't 
have> been in a position where he had to do that because none of them 
> > should have been trying to get to the Stone in the first place)
> > 
> > K
> 
> bboy_mn continues:
> 
> Then I would speculate that you completely missed the point. That
> point would be that for evil to flourish good men need do nothing. 
> 
> There is a higher order, a higher power than rules that control the
> hearts and minds of men (and women) who believe in justice and
> liberty, and that is the power of RIGHT. 
> 
> Sometimes even when it's against the rules, good men force themselve
> to do what is right for no reason other than it is the RIGHT thing 
to do. It takes nothing to follow the crowd; it takes courage to stand
> against it. At some point we will all have to choose between what is
> right and what is easy, and for all the young readers of 'Harry 
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', I suspect that they are now much 
more
> willing to do what is right than what is easy.
> 

This is illustrated in the text. pg 196-197

Hermione tells Harry they shouldn't go because they will be expelled.

"SO WHAT?" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape (turns out 
it was Quirrell, but the idea still holds) gets hold of the Stone, 
Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he 
was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled 
from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts. 
Losing points doesn't matter any more, can't you see? D'you think 
he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the House 
Cup?"

Harry has seen the bigger picture, just as Dumbledore, if he truly 
orchestrated the Hunt for the Stone, likely wanted him to. He 
realizes that there are more important things that the House Cup. He 
is willing to risk everything for what he believes.

As Steve said, he refused to stand by and do nothing. It would have 
been easy to stand there and say, "Nope, I can't lose any more 
points."

Getting bogged down in that truly does miss the point.

Darrin