The good Slytherin

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 130933

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "hickengruendler" 
<hickengruendler at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
> <gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
>  
> > 
> > Someone has remarked in a reply that just because a person 
chooses 
> > Slytherin doesn't make them scum. 

Hickengruendler:
> I think you meant my post. But that's not really what I said. I 
said 
> that choice wasn't the only reason why the students are sorted into 
a 
> particular house, as we can see with Harry, since Ravenclaw and 
> Hufflepuff never seemed to be an alternative. But nonetheless 
choice 
> does play a part, IMO, and the students, who went to Slytherin, 
> obviously went there despite it's bad reputation and it's bad 
history. 
> They do not seem to care enough about this to reject the house, and 
> what Harry has to learn, IMO, is, that that doesn't make them bad 
> people. 

Geoff:
Perhaps I, in turn, did not make myself clear. I was thinking of 
pupils, like Harry, who are coming from a Muggle background and, for 
whom, Slytherin membership carries no baggage. After all, the only 
reason Harry knows anything about it is what Ron has told him during 
their conversation on the journey. He could easily have reached the 
school ignorant of the house's reputation and been sorted into it.

Hickengruendler:
> You said that Harry questioned the Sorting Hat. But IMO he did not. 
He 
> went there thinking "Not Slytherin", and the Sorting Hat than 
answered 
> to his thoughts. I don't think he was the only student, who had 
heared 
> about Slytherin's bad reputation and went to the Hat, thinking, "I 
hope 
> I'm not a Slytherin". 

Geoff:
I think there is a difference between "Not Slytherin" and "I hope I'm 
not in Slytherin". The former seems more decisive. I still think that 
Harry did question the Hat. The Hat seems to think so....

'Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought,"Not Slytherin, not 
Slytherin."
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could 
be great, you know, it's all here in your head and Slytherin will 
help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if 
you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"'

(PS "The Sorting Hat" pp.90-91 UK edition)

Doesn't sound lke teasing to me.....