Why did the founders retain Slytherin's house?

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 117846


> Lupinlore wrote:
> "We know that Salazar departed in a huff when the other founders 
> didn't agree with his pureblood policies.  Why then, did the other 
> founders allow his House to remain part of Hogwarts."  
> 
> (snip)
> 
> " 5) The most interesting possibility, as flypaper for Dark Wizards
> and racists.  They may have realized/expected that most students 
with 
> > Dark tendencies would end up in Slytherin.  By allowing the 
House to 
> > continue they insured such students would be easy to spot and 
> > observe."
> 
> Del replies :
> Interesting. However, we then have to ask : what did they intend 
to do with those students, once spotted ? It's all very nice to spot 
the
> troublesome bad seeds, but it's quite stupid to then allow them to
> take root and develop. Unless they intended to *do* something 
to/with those Slytherins, I see no point in setting them apart.
<snip> 
> This would open interesting theories for the future : will some of 
the
> kids put an end to the flawed House system of Hogwarts, and rebuild
> the school on another system (or another set of Houses) ? I somehow
> doubt it, but that would give a nice bit of work to do to people 
like
> Hermione.

Hannah: The 'flypaper' theory is very interesting, in a sinister 
kind of way.  A house left in place in order to identify the 25% 
eleven year olds most likely to be evil/ racist.  I find that rather 
chilling, but not implausible.  The problem is as Del points out, 
that spotting such potential students isn't a great deal of use.  
And there is no evidence from canon that such a system is in place, 
or that it is effective.  

Lucius Malfoy, for instance, a prime candidate for such early 
warning, has evidently graduated, done the whole evil henchman 
thing, got away scottfree, lived a very comfortable existence, and 
indeed been well respected and had a great deal of influence in 
wizard politics.  

The sad thing about the flypaper theory is that it's a self-
fulfulling prophecy.  The students in Slytherin are disliked, 
suspected, and, I would argue, treated worse than the other 
students.  This, I imagine, increases the chances of them deciding 
to join organisations like the DE's, where they can feel they 
belong, get power and recognition, and maybe revenge on the system 
that left them feeling like outcasts throughout school.  

I think an important part of post-LV restructuring will be doing 
away with the house system as it is, and replacing it with something 
less devisive.  Even if it's just a system of randomly allocated 
houses.  DD himself says 'we are only as weak as we are divided.'  
Well, the house system at Hogwarts enables divisions between groups 
to be established early in the lives of young wizards, and seen as 
right.  Someone ought to do something about it, and I agree Hermione 
would love the job.

One of the most telling comments in canon for me, is in OotP (don't 
have copy on me for page number), when Hermione says it would be 
suspicious too many people from different houses were seen talking 
to each other at dinner.  How very sad.

Hannah