Scapegoating Slytherin (was:Punishing Draco )

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 144186


> a_svirn:
> In the Universe of Rowling's creation this particular talent means 
> belonging to a different race. Muggles and wizards are two breeds 
> apart. 

Pippin:
Holy Cow! And I thought the whole point was that they're not...except
in the wishful fantasies of people like the Malfoys. Ron said it best,"If
we hadn't married Muggles, we'd have died out." I get the distinct
impression too many magical genes is bad news. Wizards aren't a
viable subspecies, and apparently separating the cultures hasn't
stopped Muggles from producing magical offspring. 


> > Pippin:
> >not because he has tainted blood. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> Which is why, I take it, Aunt Marge says, "It all comes down to 
> blood, as I was saying the other day.  Bad blood will out"

Pippin:
Which is a big joke, since Marge has no idea that James was a
wizard. She'd just like to think that lazy goodfornothings with
criminal tendencies don't run in her family *cough*Dudley*
cough.


> > Pippin:
> Voldemort says himself, at the age of sixteen, that
killing Muggles and Mudbloods doesn't matter to him anymore, what 
matters is finding out why Harry had the power to vanquish the greatest
wizard in the world. 
> 
> a_svirn:
> And that particular admission makes him unbiased and open-minded?
>

Pippin:
It proves that he doesn't give a brass galleon for any race, least of
all the human one. He doesn't believe in pureblood superiority, he
believes in Voldemort superiority. Of course his pureblood followers
think they're going to run the WW when he takes over. Funnily enough,
so do the werewolves and the Giants. To quote the LOTR movies, 'They
were all of them deceived.' 

Racism is certainly a fault line in wizarding society. It's a wonderful
excuse for the character's distrust of one another. Even innocent little 
Harry's dearest dream is to be surrounded by people who look just like him.

But is it really the central conflict in the books? Suppose Slytherin hadn't 
been a racist, do you think Harry, Snape and Voldie would be best pals? 

Pippin