The Good Slytherin

[Wendy]

No: HPFGUIDX 84978

> Brooke wrote:
> > I agree with many of the other posts replying to this subject. 
It is about time that we were introduced to a Slytherin with some 
moral fiber. <snip>  When Hagrid took his class to the Forbidden 
Forest to introduce them to thestrals, Harry, Luna, and one other 
boy who Harry thought was a Slytherin held up their hands when 
Hagrid asked who could see them.

Justcarol replied: 

> I had the same thought. I thought the boy was Theodore Nott, whom I
> mentioned before as the son of the injured Death Eater that Lucius
> Malfoy told the others to leave behind in the DoM, but I can't find
> the thestral reference. Anybody?


Now me (Wendy):

Ooh! I love this subject, and I do have a theory. I think the boy 
who could see the Thestrels is Blaise Zabini, who got sorted into 
Slytherin in Harry's first year. This would prove my theory that 
Blaise is, indeed, a boy (Blaise is typically a boy's name, but 
since the Zabini child's gender was never specifically stated, a lot 
of people have questioned this). I also think he's going to turn out 
to be the "good Slytherin" . . . what's that? You want canon?

Okay <G> 

CANON: Harry does not know thestral guy's name. (OoP, The Eye of the
Snake, page 445, US hardcover): "There were only two other people who
seemed to be able to see them: a stringy Slytherin boy standing just 
behind Goyle was watching the horse eating with an expression of 
great distaste on his face . . . . "

The fact that Harry has been in CoMC class with him for three years 
now (and presumably taken Potions with him for five) and *still* 
doesn't know the kid's name indicates to me that Mr. Zabini (or 
whomever thestral guy turns out to be) has never done anything to 
attack or insult Harry, either on his own or in conjunction with 
Draco and his "gang." (And if you're thinking that maybe Harry does 
know his name, but JKR knows that *we* don't, so just refers to him 
as "stringy Slytherin boy," well, I'm not buying it. <g>). So, if 
thestral guy had ever been awful to Harry, I think Harry would know 
his name. And any Slytherin in Potter's year who *hasn't*
given the Boy Who Lived a difficult time is definitely not living up 
to the standard of a true Evil Slytherin. Therefore, Blaise Zabini 
aka Thestral Guy must be good.

There you have it. A Good Slytherin. With canon! (Sort of). <G>

Wendy