Draco and Slytherin House (was: Harsh Morality - Combined answers)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 121347




>>Nora:
>And yes, I do think it will take a public statement, because there 
are times you have to suck it up and say things like that out loud.  
This also involves a repudiation of the blood standard of Slytherin 
House, hence my idea that Slytherin House will have to disavow its 
foundational idea to join the others.<

Betsy:
I've reread CoS semi-recently and had some thoughts on S. Slytherin 
and his House that I've been kicking around.  Is Slytherin House all 
that Pure-Blood obsessed?  Was S. Slytherin himself evil?  

In Prof. Binn's class on the Chamber legend he says, "[The Founders] 
built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was 
an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and 
wizards suffered much persecution." (CoS, Scholastic ed, paperback, 
pg. 150)  So when he tells the students that S. Slytherin, "disliked 
taking students of Muggle parentage, beliving them to be 
untrustworthy," (ibid) I had a sudden understanding of where S. 
Slytherin may have developed his distrust of outsiders.  It's an 
understandable complex for those under persecution.  There's a 
discussion thread going on right now  on how wise Hermione was to 
open up the DA group to outsiders, so S. Slytherin's view on taking 
in children of the enemy shouldn't seem unfamilier.

And then, later we get this statement from Ron.  "I always knew 
Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony, [..] But I never knew he 
started all this pure-blood stuff." (ibid, pg 152)  Ron has been set 
up from the beginning as the keeper of common wizard knowlege.  Isn't 
it a bit strange that it's not commonly known that Slytherin is pure-
blood crazed?

At one point Lee Jordan is explaining why the Slytherins should all 
be thrown out of the school.  He notes that every other House has 
been victimized, and then says, "Haven't any of the teachers noticed 
that the Slytherins are all safe?  Isn't it obvious all this stuff's 
coming from Slytherin?  The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of 
Slytherin..." (ibid, pg. 258)  If Slytherin House is known to not 
have any Muggle-borns, as all the other victims are, why doesn't Lee 
Jordan raise that point as well?  Granted, Jordan isn't a detective, 
and he's playing to the room, but still, it suggests that perhaps 
Slytherin is no longer perfectly pure-blooded (if it ever was).

Hagrid has famously said that there's not a wizard gone bad who 
didn't come from Slytherin, (to paraphrase) but in CoS we learn that 
Hagrid has reason for a certain prejudice against Slytherins.  
Dumbledore lists some very positive traits that S. Slytherin looked 
for in students, "resourcefulness -- determination -- a certain 
disregard for rules," (ibid pg. 333).  So, though Harry and friends 
have a clear dislike and distrust for Slytherin House, I'm kind of 
doubtful that this distrust is accurate.  Which makes me wonder if 
the Slytherins really do need to do some sort of public mea culpa.  
They may feel like the Gryffindor House owes them some sort of public 
statement too.  Plus, if Slytherin House has to completely "disavow 
its foundational idea[s]," would it still be Slytherin?

>>Nora:
>Yes, but the scenario that Slytherin House is needed and the idea 
that "Harry needs Draco for himself" (so I paraphrase with slightly 
in-bad-faith intent, but yes, I am giggling at something) do not 
imply each other in any way, shape, or form.<

Betsy (trying and failing to repress school-girl snickering):
I agree that the argument that Draco will be redeemed is not a solid 
one.  It does take reading cannon with a bit of wide-eyed optimism, 
especially after some scenes in OotP, e.g. when Draco seems so eager 
to see Harry tortured.  Things that keep me hopeful are the fact that 
Draco is the Slytherin we best know, and that with his father in 
Azkaban and publically and reliably named a DE, Draco could be 
heading for an epiphany.  It's a bit thin -- but I hope.

>>Nora:
>You may choose not to use the interviews: I do.  They make a very 
handy regulator at times, especially for more general perspectives 
and thematic projection.<

Betsy:
I can kind of take or leave the interviews...  Depending on whether 
or not they support my arguments <vbeg>.  My main hangup on what JKR 
says about Draco is that at this point, from what we've read, he *is* 
a bad boy.  *If* JKR is planning on a surprise redemption or 
something, I think she'd quite happily lead folks astray during 
interviews.

>>Nora:
>...if anyone is Draco's double/parallel by this time in the series, 
it's Ron, not Harry. >:) (which completely deflates The Major Claim 
of the H/D shippers.  not that hard to do...)

Betsy:
Agreed! Yet another forshadowing that Draco will join Harry's gang 
and fight by Ron's side... hee! (sorta, kinda, kidding)

Betsy