Slytherin House again. Was: Re: Problem with OotP? (was: Pampering)

[ginnysthe1]

No: HPFGUIDX 118913


> > Alla wrote:
> 
> > On the other hand, it is quite possible as someone recently 
> pointed 
> > out that the only reason Slytherin House is allowed to exist is 
in 
> > order to keep all potentiall DE on display.
> > 
> > If it is true, I don't like it at all.

>Jeanette replied:
>I can see not liking it but I can also see that it would be a very 
> good idea on many levels. Often people are drawn to what they see 
as 
> the "dark mysterious".  If the wizards who seem to be headed that 
> way are shut away from everyday life, not spoken of, are not just 
> another fact of life, then they and the dark arts would have an 
> added glamour.
> 
>    Also by having all types of student-wizards schooled together, 
> each indivdual can see and interact with all kinds of mind-sets 
> perhaps giving them a wider world-view.  Victor Krum is a case in 
> point, one gets the feeling he did not see alot of non-dark wizards 
> in his school/life, and when he did, he definitly preferred them.
> 
>   And there is the last practical, brutal, point, that yes it might 
> be better to have potential dark wizards where they can be known 
> rather than have them grow up hidden in dark corners. Also you can 
> control what they are taught both magically and morally.

Kim chiming in:
I hadn't even noticed this aspect of Dumbledore's Army.  It seems a 
shame to me too, but also not surprising that no Slytherins joined.  
I think that JKR may want to set the Slytherins as an example of 
people who are *potentially* interested in benefiting the common 
good, but are too caught up in their own ambitions to get involved.  
That's why they're in Slytherin in the first place, isn't it?  But I 
think it's necessary to show all walks of WW society, even in a 
school setting, as Jeanette says.  "It takes all kinds to make a 
world" can sometimes be a sad but true statement.   It seems to me 
too that another purpose of Slytherin House is to show the remaining 
three houses the *wrong* way to behave, and the other three houses 
are there to show the Slytherins the *right* ways to behave, in a 
sense.  Although I suppose there are good things to be said for 
Slytherin-style ambition, it, like other double-edged character 
traits, is dangerous if it's not tempered by more positive traits. 

Just wondering:  Are there any non-pureblood Slytherins?  Harry had 
his chance to be in Slytherin, and he's not a pureblood, but maybe he 
had a chance only because he *was* Harry (i.e. the boy who lived).  I 
can't think of any others (except Tom Riddle, of course).  Anyway, a 
non-pureblood Slytherin would be in for a pretty rough time from most 
of his/her fellow Slytherins, so it would seem.

Kim