Good blood/bad blood (was Greatest Fear/greatest Hope)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 121409


Del replies:
One problem I see is that there doesn't seem to be *one* Slytherin
ideology. There seems to be a spectrum instead, from those who simply
believe that purebloods are better but won't harm a Muggleborn, to
those who recommend a genocide on all Muggles and Muggleborns. 
Originally, Old Salazar Slytherin apparently only wanted not to 
teachthe Muggleborns. He wasn't asking for their death, only for their
shunning, with is very similar to what Hagrid suggests concerning the
Malfoys. 
There's the Basilisk, of course. But he might have intended the
Basilisk to only scare the Muggleborns away from Hogwarts. As Tom
Riddle proved, using it to kill each and every Muggleborn at Hogwarts
was simply impossible. 
 
And finally, when talking about his parents and those like them,
Sirius explained that they thought LV had the right idea (ie :
pureblood superiority) but that they came to disagree with his methods
>(genocide).
So it doesn't look like the pureblood mentality in general supports
the concept of a Muggle-genocide.


Alla:

I am sorry, but I disagree in a sense that I don't see very large 
spectrum here. They all support the idea of pureblood superiority and 
those who go to serve Voldie support genocide. That's about it, right?

The key part TO ME is pure blood superiority, which all Slytherins 
seem to support (Boy, oh boy, I hope not :o)) and then it evolves to 
its ugliest form - genocide.

Sorry, but I am not buying leaving basilisk in school to scare Muggle 
borns only. :o) 

And Murttle did die. Why do you say that more people could not die 
because of Basilisk? 


Alla wrote previously: 
"Besides Hagrid is one of those who was personally hurt by Slytherin.
No wonder he says things like that."


Del replies:
 
Hum, Hagrid was talking about the Malfoys, not about the Slytherins in
general. Has he been hurt by the Malfoys?
Moreover, even if he had been speaking about the Slytherins, that's
not really an excuse. Considering how magic was considered in the
Middle-Ages, I would say that Old Slytherin might also have had a very
good reason to distrust the Muggles and to refuse to accept them in
the school he'd helped found. IMO, a personal hurt doesn't justify a
general dislike.


Alla:

I have not said that it was an excuse. I said " no wonder he says 
things like that" meaning that I understand why he feels this way.
Do I think he is justified in them? NO, of course not.

The best analogy will be Snape and Harry, of course. :o)

Do I understand why Snape feels this way towards Harry? Yes, of 
course I do. Do I think it is an excuse for him to say what he says 
to the boy? NO, definitely not.

Just my opinion,

Alla