Lockhart's House and Sorting

[madlysarcastic]

No: HPFGUIDX 117776


Hannah:

"But surely [Lockhart] wouldn't have been in Gryffindor, being an
utter coward."

Magda:

> There's no reason he couldn't have been a Gryffindor.  Pettigrew was
> a Gryffindor, after all.  The flip side of bravery is bravado - a
> false bravery hiding something much less.

Maddy:

I would also like to add that I think a big part of how you get sorted
is what you *value*. ("...choices,Harry... not abilities") So if
Lockhart highly *values* bravery, even if he's a coward, he would most
likely be sorted into Gryffindor. Judging by the fact that his stories
are filled with examples of courage and bravery involved in saving the
day, I'd say he values bravery a lot, but just doesn't want (isn't
capable of, maybe) to do the dirty work. Also, if Harry valued his own
skin more than that of other's, he probably would have been sorted
into Slytherin. But because he has his "saving people thing", he's
brave and courageous, especially when risking his own neck for someone
else. He values bravery and helping other people, and thus, was sorted
into Gryffindor.

As for Pettigrew...I think that maybe he's never *felt* brave, but
*wished* he was, and therefore valued it a lot. (That could account
for the fact that he's never described as ever being *equal* to Sirius
and James, but rather just *tagging along*) Who knows, maybe in his
mind he thought he was brave by helping Voldemort. I'd definitely say
cutting off your own hand for someone else is brave, even if the
reason for it was despicable.

But I think the point of the "choices vs abilities" thing is that it
really doesn't matter what House you're sorted into. What matters is
*what* you do, not *how*/*what* you are. (I guess that's a bit of a
defense for Snape...)


=)
Maddy
(who definitely values courage above a lot of other qualities, but
isn't often very brave herself)