OoP: More on the Slytherin "cariacture"

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 64262

Forgive me, but I find it a touch presumptious to say that JKR is 
perpetuating a stereotype in a world she created, with rules she has 
set forth and a plan she has had for years.

If this were a real-world book in a real-world school and all the 
kids of a certain fraternity, or dormitory, or whatever parallel you 
wish to use, were like that, perhaps the cariacture and stereotype 
accusation works.

But this is magic. We don't know what goes on inside that Sorting Hat 
when a Slyth kid is picked. We don't know what kind of indoctrination 
is going on inside Slytherin house now that V-Mort is on the scene 
again and his most prominent followers have such heavy influence 
inside Slytherin house.

Simply put, the current crop of Slyths could all be being trained to 
be evil, and Slyths could have been this way since V-Mort came to 
power and even as far back as when Riddle was at school the first 
time. Remember, even in V-Mort's absence, Lucius has been a school 
governor and in a position to exert tremendous influence. They have 
won the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup many times, indicating they 
are producing smart, talented kids who will gain even MORE influence 
in the wizarding world. Powerful alumni who have been under the sway 
of V-Mort will then influence the kids.

Snape, though his motives and ultimate role are unclear, may even be 
perpetuating this. Just as Harry and others wanted to get as far away 
from Slyth as possible, it is conceivable that other kids, when faced 
with the Hat, wanted to choose Slytherin because the Head of House 
mollycoddles them and because it's the quickest way to power. 
Remember, the Hat allows student choice to heavily influence its 
decision.

Snape is used as the exception, but a) we aren't entirely sure he was 
a Slytherin and b) we aren't entirely sure which side he's on. So, 
call him a shaky exception for now.

I see some assumptions, that read more like fond hopes, that the 
Slyth kid who saw the thestrals is more sensitive to death because of 
a loss, when it is possible he went with his D.E. dad one day to kill 
a Muggle. 

Perhaps there isn't a good Slyth yet because there isn't a good Slyth 
in this current crop. And maybe it's not entirely those kids' fault, 
but that's just how it is. And maybe "uniting" the houses means 
breaking the influences that have corrupted House Slytherin and 
freeing the kids.

Darrin