The permanent problem with Slytherin House

[LadySawall at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 99239

In a message dated 05/23/2004 11:52:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Nora writes:
I used to not think that the blood issue was so major in the 
Potterverse, but I'm more and more convinced that it *is* the 
driving ideology of the current conflict--and what it will take is, 
in part, Slytherins willing to repudiate the ideology of their 
House. 

Slytherin House must cease to exist. :)

-Nora wants to hear feedback on this, as it's extrapolation, but 
seems fairly solid
Rebecca:

> I think all houses must cease to exist.  The sorting
> hat says houses are bad, and I trust it.

I've given this quite a bit of thought, and I tend to agree that the 
Pureblood issue is at the root of the Slytherin problem.  I have a hard time 
believing, however, given the allegedly close friendships between the Four Founders, 
that Salazar Slytherin was the kind of bigot that we see among the purebloods 
today, or that he would approve of what Riddle and his Death Eaters have done in 
his name.

I'm not sure I believe that he personally built the Chamber of Secrets, or if 
he did, that he stocked it with a Basilisk and left it for an Heir to find 
and carry on his "noble work."  He could have had a personal dislike for 
Muggle-born students that had nothing to do with "purity of blood" and everything to 
do with the fact that magic was seen by Muggles at the time as the tool of the 
Devil.

Imagine trying to educate students in the use of their potentially dangerous 
magical skills, when they think that you're the Spawn of Evil and that their 
own immortal souls are forfeit because of their abilities!

The only intelligence that we've heard from that goes back to the days of the 
Four Founders is the Sorting Hat, and I note with interest that the Hat has 
said that Salazar argued with the other Founders and eventually felt compelled 
to leave the school--but it never says that he was evil, or that he and the 
others hated one another.  In fact, it states that Salazar's departure "left us 
quite downhearted."  That sounds to me more like an honest dispute between 
respected colleagues than a struggle between good and evil.

A lot can happen in a thousand years, and I can easily see some arrogant 
pureblood Parselmouth coming along years later, twisting the old stories about 
Salazar's disagreements with his fellow Founders into an excuse to advance his 
own agenda...

Let's remember that the four Houses have managed to co-exist for nearly a 
thousand years.  There have undoubtedly been other times when nasty rivalries 
flared up between them, but the only one we know of for sure is the one that has 
existed since Tom Riddle began his rise to power fifty years ago.  So I am 
inclined to believe that the ultimate root of the current conflict lies in 
Voldemort, not in his House (though the atmosphere fostered by the House undoubtedly 
contributes; and Voldemort, in turn, has influenced the current atmosphere in 
the House.)

That said, I wouldn't be too surprised if at some point before the series 
ends, someone calls for the dissolution of House Slytherin.  (In fact, I've been 
writing a fic in which exactly that happens.)  I think it would be very 
interesting to see what sorts of arguments would be brought to the table by either 
side, who would speak for which side, and which side Harry would wind up 
on--given that he himself could have been a Slytherin.

Jo Ann

...who thinks that Snape would have to change his tune awfully quick to win 
over people he's spent years antagonizing, but that he could also come up with 
a fairly devastating presentation based solely on the acts of Peter Pettigrew.


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