House Choice doesn't Equal Personality for Life

[nibleswik]

No: HPFGUIDX 85480

Jen Reese:
<snip>
> > Why does the Sorting Hat decision at age 11 mean you will have 
those 
> > characteristics your entire life? <snip>

Fifty: 
> I haven't read my books for a while now but I thought that we know
> that James and his friends were all in Gryffindor.  And Snape was
> Slytherin.  Isn't that right?  If that is right then that means 
that
> Wormtail was a death eater and so not all of the Gryffindor's are
> good.  And Snape is good so that's another thing that makes it so 
that
> being in one house doesn't mean that you will stay the way that 
house is. <snip>

Me:
I disagree. I think the qualities of the four houses are qualities 
deeply ingrained in one's personality. I think if you're a 
Gryffindor, you will always be a Gryffindor. That said, I don't 
think being a Gryffindor makes you good. Courage can lead to great 
things. It can also lead to foolhardiness. You can be evil but very 
brave.

I particularly take issue with your description of Snape -- 
that "being in one house doesn't mean that you will stay the way 
that the house is." Even if it doesn't, Snape's a terrible example 
of that, IMO. Snape is SUCH a Slytherin. So he isn't evil. So what? 
Slytherins are not evil by definition; they're cunning and 
ambitious. And usually pureblooded. Snape is very cunning. He's also 
very brave, but I think cunning is his strongest trait. So yeah. I 
think he is the way Slytherin house is. So's Draco. So's Moldy 
Voldy. I think the houses have no moral alignments.

Cheekyweebisom, who would almost certainly be sorted into Slytherin 
but is far from evil