Snape uniting the houses? Lucius a good guy?

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 102713

Ally wrote:
> 
> > "Is this perhaps some foreshadowing for Snape? Will Albus die and 
> > Snape take over Hogwarts in the subsequent disarray? Could 
[Snape] 
> be the 
> > one who unites the 4 houses at Hogwarts the way Septimius Severus 
> > united Rome after a period of civil wars...?"
> 
> ~~I was interested by your theory - however, I'm not sure that 
Snape 
> has much of a hold on 'the 4 houses' as you say. I imagine a civil 
> war between two main groups, and - as of now - the only two groups 
> who seem to be in disarray would be the houses of Gryffindor and 
> Slytherin. Hufflepuff and ravenclaw seem to have been, and continue 
> to be in this case, irrelevant.
> 
> For the time being, Snape has been favored by the Slytherins (as he 
> favors them) and seen as pretty much the opposite by Gryffindors. 
> Will he gain favor on one side or lose favor on the other?
> 
> Perhaps a compromise may ensue - who knows? But I just can't see a 
> perfect 'unity' - as in every Gryffindor accepting that he's a good 
> guy, and every Slytherin accepting that Voldemort's motives - and 
in 
> turn, Salazar's motives - were a little off kilter.

Well, the books seem to suggest that Gryffindors generally have a 
stouter character than Slytherins, so that makes me think they would 
be more likely to accept the Slyths and Snape as an ally if they 
really had to.  The real group that would need convincing is the 
Slytherins, and Snape is definitely in a position to affect that.  
Through favors and perhaps ridding the house of those individuals who 
will definitely follow V (if such a thing is possible), perhaps that 
could work.

Or, it could be that the "uniting of the houses" is more symbolic 
than actual - maybe Snape and Harry working together would effectuate 
that.  In which case, Snape would still be a key and required figure 
necessary for it to occur. 

The idea is definitely interesting though, especially given how much 
Sirius seems to parallel the Dog star myth.



> As for Lucius - the sixth book out of seven is a little late for a 
> turnaround, let alone anything of the sort happening in the 
seventh. 
> There are too many connections to historical figures with the 
> name 'Lucius' to consider everyone to be parallel to the future 
fate 
> of Lucius Malfoy. However, alternate references such as Lucius 
Verus 
> who married his co-emperor's daughter to strengthen family ties, 
and 
> Lucius Cornelius Sulla who was considered to have bought his way 
> into political power do seem more fitting to the character.

Ally:

Yes, I agree that there are too many historical Lucius' too make much 
of this myth.  But many of them are, surprisingly, good.  Several 
religious figures and noble Roman soldiers and rulers were named 
Lucius.  Your point about Lucius Cornelius Sulla is a very good one.  
That does seem more likely the influence here, assuming there is 
one.  But the idea of being transformed into a golden ass through 
magic just seemed so perfectly Lucius - I can hardly think of a 
better description!