The good Slytherin / Salazar

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 131209

>>Alla:
<snip> 
>I don't think that Slytherins' bad reputation is purely in the eye 
of  the beholder. I also think that whoever will be the good 
Slytherin or Slytherins to emerge will reject the ideology of their 
house.<

Betsy Hp:
If that happens, then IMO, we're not actually getting a 
good "Slytherin", we're just getting a good guy.  Which is boring to 
my mind.  "Oh Harry, you're so right, and my house is so wrong!  
Please can I be your friend?"  What will Harry have learned?  
Nothing about Slytherin.  He won't be making use of Slytherin 
strengths and will therefore not be making use of the entire 
strength of Hogwarts.  IMO, anyway.

>>Alla:
>We HEAR Slytherins' ideology from Draco's mouth and  the gist of it 
is that "Muggleborns are inferiour to purebloods". That is an 
objective statement, which could be judged quite independently from 
Harry's POV.<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
Well, Draco certainly shares the *Malfoy* ideology to anyone who 
will listen. (Usually with a "my father says" thrown in for good 
measure.)  And I agree that this ideology is wrong.  It's what led 
his father to the Death Eaters (and kept him there) and it's an 
ideology that Draco will have to reject if he's to become the "good 
Slytherin".

But I disagree that this is the *Slytherin* ideology.  For one, we 
never hear Snape (or Phineas Nigellus for that matter) say similar 
things.  For another we know of at least one Slytherin who rejected 
the ideology enough to *marry* a muggle-born.  I think *Harry* 
thinks it's the Slytherin ideology.  But that's because he's had a 
biased view of the house for years now.  It's a bias I think he 
needs to get over.

>>Alla: 
>Now, Ron, IMO does not just dislike the Slytherins. He dislikes the 
ideology of those who proclaims that Muggleborns witches and wizards 
are second class citizens. I do not agree that this is  the same as 
ask the fan of one team about the opposing one. I think this is 
quite an objective stance, for which I cheered twelve year old Ron.<

Betsy Hp:
Here's where I disagree most strongly.  Ron admits, in CoS, that he 
had no idea that Salazar Slytherin had only wanted to teach pure-
bloods.  So his dislike of the house had *nothing* to do with blood 
ideology.  His brothers hissed at first years who were newly sorted 
into the house (a little young to be pure-blood ideologues, I think) 
so I think the sports analogy is apt.  The Weasleys don't like 
Slytherin *because* they're Slytherin.  Any logical reasons for the 
dislike are just icing on the cake for them.

>>Alla:
<snip>
>...I hope that Ron won't change his stance on the ideology of 
Slytherin house.<

Betsy Hp:
Since I think Harry needs to change his view on Slytherin in order 
to defeat Voldemort, I disagree.  Ron, if he's to be a support to 
Harry, definitely needs to change his view of Slytherin as well.  Of 
course I hope Ron *doesn't* change his view on the importance (or 
lack thereof) of blood purity.

>>Alla: 
>Oh, and no Betsy I don't judge them as solely as House of 
Voldemort. I also judge them as house of Lestrange, house of Lucius 
Malfoy, house of that whole infamous Slytherin gang and yes, house 
of Draco Malfoy.<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
Out of curiosity, if you *had* to judge Gryffindor based soley on 
Peter Pettigrew and the current actions of Percy Weasley, what view 
would you have of Gryffindor house?  Not a positive one I'd wager.

I'll also add that since Voldemort more than likely had a hand in 
the recruiting of Lucius, who then had a hand in the recruiting of 
the "Slytherin gang" and is the influential father of Draco, I feel 
pretty comfortable casting all of that under the heading: Shadow of 
Voldemort.

It's a big shadow, and not something to be sneezed at.  That's 
another reason Hogwarts (not just Harry) needs a good Slytherin to 
show themselves.  Snape is already doing his part, IMO, but as we 
learned during the Occlumency lessons, Snape wasn't really a mover 
and shaker in his house.  So I feel like this next Slytherin has to 
be someone the rest of the house looks up to, has pride in, and 
considers one of their own.  (A popular prefect maybe? <eg>)

Betsy Hp