The good Slytherin

[Karen Barker]

No: HPFGUIDX 130926

> >Karen: 
> >If there is a good Sltherin, I think Viktor Krum is it.  <snip>

> Betsy Hp:
> It's a theory.  One I'd find particularly disappointing myself. (Of 
> course I have high hopes Draco will be the "good Slytherin" <snip> 

Karen again:  Isn't it interesting the way people can read the same 
thing differently?  I love it!   Now I would personally be 
disappointed if Draco was the 'good Syltherin' (not that I'm hanging 
out for it to be Krum btw - Nott or someone not in Draco's 'inner 
circle' would be acceptable to me!)  I would take a lot of persuading 
that Draco had changed his ways - to me it would seem like he was 
taking a leaf out of his father's book: presenting a respectable face 
to the world whilst in private continuing to be an evil git.

> I also take issue with the idea that all things dark and evil should 
> be associated with Slytherin.  It sounds to stereotypical to my 
> mind, and it lays too much on the Slytherin doorstep, IMO.  
> Slytherin wanted students far removed from the Muggle world (which 
> was a threat to wizards and witches at the time of the school 
> founding) and who had ambition and cunning.  None of that reads as 
> particularly evil or even overly dark to me.  

Karen again: not in and of itself no, I'd certainly agree with you on 
the above point, but what about incorporating a secret chamber, 
presumably at the time of the castle's initial construction (it would 
have been very hard to do it secretly later, surely?) for the express 
purpose of concealing a wacking great bassilic for the purpose of 
killing muggle-borns.  This certainly shows and extremely dark and 
evil aspect of SS's character to me.

> Betsy Hp:
> Just as a point of order, it is by no means certain that Slytherin 
> left because the other founders disagreed with his student choices, 
> or that he disagreed with theirs.
<snip>
> "Hogwarts worked in harmony 
> For several happy years,
> But then discord crept among us
> Feeding on our faults and fears," (ibid pp.205-206)
> 
> So there was fighting between *all four* founders. 
<snip>
But if all 
> four founders were fighting that couldn't have been the only bone of 
> contention. (Ravenclaw may have complained there were too many 
> stupid students.  Gryffindor may have protested there were too many 
> cowards or timid students.  I've no idea what Hufflepuff would have 
> complained about, but I guess she found something. <g>)

Karen again:

Again I read this differently.  I read it that SS objected to any but 
pure bloods being admitted and the other 3 'ganged up on him', if you 
like, to insist that muggle-borns were also worthy of a place.  As 
long as they were brave and true they were OK by GG.  As long as they 
were very clever they were OK by RR.  HH was the most enlightened as 
she belived anyone who showed magical ability was welcome.  There may 
have been some discord as to what type of muggle-born was acceptable 
but I believe the catalyst was SS's pure-blood mania.

Karen