The good Slytherin

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 131437

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:
> 
> 
> --- Caius Marcius <coriolan at w...> wrote:
> 
> > What then do you make of the fact that not a single Slytherin
> > joined Dumbledore's Army? In fact, no Slytherin even bothered to 
> > attend the informational meeting at the Hogs Head. 
> 
> 
> Well, it suggests to me that Slytherins aren't joiners by nature, 
and
> especially not joiners of organizations set up by Gryffindors. 
> Slyths keep themselves to themselves, and keep their cards very 
close
> to their vests. > 
> I don't think you can assume complicity with evil just because the
> Slyths didn't come to the DA info session.  Most of the students
> there came because of a personal connection with someone Harry 
knows:
> Luna because she has a crush on Ron, Cho because she sort of thinks
> she has one on Harry, Marrietta because Cho probably pleaded with 
her
> to come, and the Hufflepuffs because they want to hear the low-down
> on what really happened to Cedric. 

OK, let me get this straight: we are wrong to stereotype the 
Slytherins, we are to suppose that they all react as individuals, but 
at the same time the fact that they all seem to move as if in 
lockstep should be relentlessly excused (they're not *joiners*?
Geesh! ). As you correctly note, the students from the other three 
houses attend the initial DA-info meeting from a variety of motives, 
ranging from total faith in Harry to budding romantic interest to 
morbid curiosity.  What I find curious is that none of these very 
human and very common responses impacted any of the 250 or so 
Slytherins in any way shape or form.  

If hypothetical "good" Slytherin students start reporting for duty at 
the HQ of the DA in Book Six, swearing eternal allegience to the 
verities of the Wizarding World, it will rank as one of the most ill-
prepared plot twists of recent literary history.

   - CMC