OoP: More on the Slytherin "cariacture"/class size(spoiler)

[Christi]

No: HPFGUIDX 65025

> 
> Me:
> Now that I think of it, the whole series is written from Harry's 
> point of view and the Evil!Slytherin outbreak I object to, is 
simply 
> a reflection of Harry's prejudicial attitude towards Slytherins in 
> general. Perhaps we won't hear about Good!Slytherins until Harry 
> himself overcomes these prejudices that are preventing him from 
> allowing the houses to unite. Until then, I guess that we're stuck 
> with "Gorilla Crabbe & Goyle" and "Pug-like Pansy") and the 
sceptre 
> of Good!Slytherin remains that wisp of a boy who could see the 
> Thestrals...
> 
> 
> Sara (dog-paddling away in this ocean of posts)


Exactly. Harry was prejudiced against Slytherin House from the 
beginning, first by Draco Malfoy (who reminded him of Dudley), and 
then by Hagrid with the line about 'there wasn't a wizard who went 
bad who wasn't in Slytherin' (rough quote, I don't have PS/SS at 
hand). So far everything Harry has seen of Slytherin has reinforced 
that prejudice, so Harry has not been looking for the evidence that 
there are indeed good Slytherin. My theory is that the 'good 
Slytherins' are keeping a low profile due to a sense of self 
preservation. I expect that quite a few Slytherins are from well-to-
do purebred families and have been raised on the same purebred ethos 
we hear from Mrs. Black. The password to the Slytherin commonroom 
was in CoS was 'pureblood', so it seems that the pureblood ethos is 
embraced by whoever set that password, who in turn is likely to be 
an influential person. To stand up for Muggleborn rights in that 
atmosphere could be risky. If the 'good Slytherin' is from one of 
the old pureblood families (like the Blacks) that person would also 
have to overcome his/her childhood programming. I maintain that 
those 'good Slyths' are there, but are not going to break from their 
housemates until the situation becomes critical due to the 
resistance they anticipate from the likes of Malfoy (or at least the 
image he portrays).

In GoF Harry et al interacted with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Cho 
and her friend left a poor image of Ravenclaw, so book 6 may have 
our introduction to the 'good' Ravenclaws. If we do not see 
the 'good' Slytherins by book 7 I will be sorely 
dissappointed. 'Thestral boy' is a good bet to fill one of those 
positions, since he hasn't been annoying enough for Harry to take 
notice of his name and his ability to see the thestrals got Harry to 
notice him.

There have been many references to a Herod/Slaughter of the 
Innocents parallel to Voldemort and the prophesy. That could well 
explain the discrepancy between the number of kids in Harry's year 
and JKR's figure of 1000 students at Hogwarts. The first Voldemort 
war would have also caused a reduction in the general population.


Christi T.