House Choice doesn't Equal Personality for Life

[HunterGreen]

No: HPFGUIDX 85380

Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> wrote:
> On several different threads I've seen comments about how someone 
> couldn't be evil because they were in Gryffindor, or that person 
> *is* evil so they must have been in Slytherin.
> 
[snip]
> I'd like to find out 
> MWPP were in Slytherin or someone from Gryffindor is a betrayer. 
> Meaning all the houses have postitive and negative characteristics, 
> and that being in a certain house doesn't predetermine your entire 
> existence. 

But by saying that MWPP were in Slytherin you're endorsing the 
whole 'mean=Slytherin' idea. Of the four of them are any 
particularily ambitious? I will agree that Peter isn't exactly brave, 
but he could be in the future (others have pointed out that it was 
brave to argue with VD in the opening chapter of GoF, which I agree 
with). Look what Phineas says about Slytherins in OoP (chpt23)
 
"It looks to me as though you would have been better off in my own 
house. We Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, 
given the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks."

Maybe Peter fits in to that criterea, but Lupin and (especially) 
Sirius and James don't fit into that at all. In the flashbacks Harry 
has in PoA, he hears James saying he'll 'hold VD off', he and Lily 
went into hiding for Harry, not themselves (and since both of those 
relate to someone saving their own child), there's the infamous prank 
incident. Then there's Sirius, who--after Lily and James died--he 
cared more about avenging them by killing Peter than going to DD and 
trying to save his innocence (when he escapes from jail its the same 
thing). Then of course in OoP, he rushes out to save Harry despite 
being TOLD to stay behind (for his own safety, as far as anyone 
*seeing* him goes), which of course leads to his death, quite the 
opposite of 'saving his own neck'. 
There haven't been any real references to Sirius or James having 
careers, (Sirius, at least, is wealthy b/c of inheritence) so they 
lack any sort of career ambition. They were both in the OoP, which is 
more brave than ambitious (especially since back in those days they 
were outnumbered and many of the members were killed). 
Personally, I see MWPP as the examples of Gryffindors who aren't 
perfect. As far as Slytherin goes....we do have Snape, and there are 
two more books left for Harry to meet the rest of the Slytherins in 
his year. 


-HunterGreen