The good Slytherin

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 131396

>>Alla:
>And I am saying that IF this is a mistake, there was no way Harry 
could NOT make it. I hate explaining it by plot related reasons, but 
I see no other explanations.<

Betsy Hp:
I agree with this.  There's no way Harry could have had a good 
impression of Slytherin.  And after all, there *is* the shadow of 
Voldemort over Slytherin.  I also think JKR sees more general 
leadership qualities in the Gryffindor traits.  While I do see some 
very Slytherin aspects in Harry, I think it's important that it's his 
Gryffindor tendencies that have come to the fore.  However, I think 
it'll be a part of his coming of age for Harry to see something 
positive in Slytherin (and maybe in that side of himself?).

>>Alla:
>It may very well be, but as Potioncat once said ( I think) all out 
theories could be very wrong and it may be that good Slytherin will 
never appear at all. :-)<

Betsy Hp:
That's true too.  Though, again, I think JKR has worked too hard to 
give her universe nuance to suddenly plunk down a gigantic block of 
cartoonish simplicity.  I'm also fairly certain some serious 
foreshadowing occured in OotP's Sorting Hat song chapter.  I'm not 
positive on who the "good Slytherin" will be, but I'm pretty certain 
one will appear.

(Honestly, if one doesn't appear and we're left with the impression 
that children are designated as good or evil at age eleven...  Well, 
it'll sour my view of the books, I think.)
 
>>Alla:
>JKR's universe may be grey, but as I said before  I think 
that "good" and "bad" defined very clearly and if she decided to 
define "Slytherin" as bad ( I doubt it, but I think it is entirely 
possible), I can live with it. :-)<

Betsy Hp:
Well, in that I doubt Dumbledore will suddenly turn out evil or that 
Voldemort will suddenly be shown as the savior of the WW, I agree.  
However, in other ways I don't think JKR is all that clear in her 
defining of good and evil.  Take the House of Black. From every vile 
thing Mrs. Black's portrait spouts (far worse than anything Draco has 
said) it seems that the Black family is bad to the bone.  And yet 
Regulus, the "proper" Black son, died trying to leave Voldemort.  
Sirius tells Harry that his parents thought Voldemort went too far.  
So are they evil?  They're cetainly not good.  JKR makes it clear 
that their views are racist and wrong, and yet they *didn't* side 
with the bad guy.

Or look at James.  He's a good guy, we all know that.  But he 
instigates one of the worst cases of school bulling we've seen 
displayed in the series.  His attack on Snape echoes the attack of 
the Death Eaters on the Muggle family in GoF.  James is definitely 
behaving badly (far worse than anything Draco has ever done) and yet, 
James is one of the good guys.

So for all the subtle layers JKR has brought to the concept of good 
and bad or good and evil, I just can't her agreeing that an entire 
house at Hogwarts is full stop evil.  It doesn't fit with anything 
else she's done so far.  I can see the house being tainted and 
needing to be cleansed (for want of a better word), but I don't think 
JKR means to throw Slytherin completely out.

>>Alla: 
>And, NO, I don't think that Draco is not cunning, I think he is a 
VERY typical Slytherin in that aspect. Him milking  his injury from 
Buckbeak is a good example of that, IMO.<

Betsy Hp:
Heh, and I see that as a *lack* of cunning.  Seriously, how many 
people did Draco fool?  Cunning implies a certain subtlety.  I don't 
think Draco has *ever* been subtle.  You can see Draco coming from a 
mile away.  He makes sure of that.  And he makes sure that everyone 
knows exactly where he stands.  Actually, in some ways, Draco's need 
to express his opinion and put his enemies on notice, no matter what 
hot water those views may land him in strike me as almost 
Gryffindorish.  He's like an old-fashioned Southern aristocrat, 
slapping his foe in the face with his gloves and insisting on pistols 
at dawn.  Not that I'm saying his plots and plans against Harry and 
friends are *good*, but I don't think they're all that cunning.

>>Betsy HP:
<SNIP>
>That's part of why I enjoy the books.  Nothing automatically 
predisposes someone to be good or evil.<
 
>>Alla:
>And about that I am not so sure. I think character disposition plays 
a very big part in 'potterverse", but for the better explanation of 
that I really need Nora. :-)<

Betsy Hp:
I think we're talking at cross purposes again <g>.  I mean that 
someone can come from a bigoted and blood obsessed family and find 
himself best friends with a werewolf.  Or someone can come from a 
relatively warm and loving home and find themselves turning on their 
family in an attempt to get ahead in their government job.  (Though 
honestly, I still hope Percy's a spy and it was all an act.)  Or 
someone could come from a home heavily concerned with law and order 
and decide to join a group dedicated to chaos.  Or someone could come 
from a home of hateful muggles and find himself fighting to keep 
muggles safe.

I'm just saying that JKR has not drawn obvious and predictable paths 
to good or evil.  No matter their background, upbringing, family 
views, or even school days mishaps, each character finds their own 
way and makes their own decision.  It's why I find the books so 
fascinating.

Betsy Hp