Slytherin's behavior at the GoF final feast (was Re: Dumbledore's awarding of points PS/SS)

[galaxianomiko]

No: HPFGUIDX 57072

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "darrin_burnett" 
<bard7696 at a...> wrote:
> And I never said that the Slyths thought as one unit. Draco and 
MANY 
> others sat down when Dumbledore was praising Harry's courage -- a 
> courageous act that included bringing back Cedric's body, who the 
> Slyths allegedly were SO mournful for, expressed by standing up 
when 
> everyone else did. 
> 

How do you know that they weren't sincere about standing up for 
Cedric?  I'm not saying that it's certain that they WERE sincere, but 
nowhere in the tone of that scene does JKR hint that they rose for 
any other reason.  At least from what I can tell.  

> Who is to say the other Slyths just didn't think of it and 
privately 
> said, "oh, yeah, good one, Draco?" Or that they WANTED to sit down, 
> but didn't have the guts to in front of Dumbledore?

Who is to say that it has anything to do with fear?  Maybe some 
people just don't LIKE Harry.  Frankly, if someone I didn't like was 
praised for...what did Harry do again?  Escape?  I don't know if I'd 
be toasting someone for that, particularly if I didn't like them and 
preferred that they didn't.  

Granted, their reasons for disliking Harry may be suspect, but Harry 
doesn't paint them in the best light, either.

> But again, they are calling friend someone who says that. They are 
no 
> better than the white folks who hid in their homes and said, "Well, 
> it's not my place to stop a lynching?" 

I don't think this comparison holds up.  Harry doesn't get lynched by 
Draco Malfoy.  They're rivals, and they get into scuffs, but the 
books don't show us anything NEAR that cruel going on between them 
(and what does happen doesn't happen for the same reasons as lynching 
did). They're like two squabbling children.  No one is going to get 
in the middle of that.

And yes, I think Draco's a nasty little kid, but I don't see Harry 
holding out an olive branch anytime soon.

> Understandable that they would be afraid? Absolutely. Admirable? 
> Definitely not.

I think it's more likely that the other Slytherins simply don't care 
about Harry (or Draco).  Many people are apathetic about what goes on 
around them, as long as it doesn't directly affect their lives.  What 
goes on between Harry and Draco/Crabbe/Goyle is really not the other 
Slytherins' business, unless something truly horrible is going on.  
And there's nothing wrong with this non-interference, considering how 
little Harry cares for them.  

I don't like the "either you're with us or against us" argument...it 
doesn't leave a place for people who don't agree with either side.  
Or people who don't care.  If you agree with Voldemort, 
you're "bad."  If you disagree, you're "good."  If you don't agree 
with either of them and won't choose a side, are you bad?  I don't 
think so.
 
> Who picks the Slyths? The essence of Salazar Slytherin himself, the 
> same guy who despised what he felt as a lower class so much that he 
> left behind a monster to kill them.

The Sorting Hat places kids based on the traits the Founders prized 
in their students (I think).  Slytherins are ambitious.  That doesn't 
necessarily make them Muggle-haters.  

>And the facts are that, other than 
> Snape's conversion to Dumbledore's side, we have no concrete 
examples 
> of a Slytherin doing anything decent, and Snape seems to be taking 
> out that decent act on any Gryffindor within snarling distance.

We also have no concrete examples (that I can think of) of any kids 
other than Draco's cronies doing anything indecent (excluding 
Quidditch...everyone seems to get a bit extreme when it comes to that 
sport).  The actions of a couple of kids shouldn't determine how the 
entire House is viewed.

-Meesh, happy to see some discussion on the Slytherins