The Falling-Out of the Hogwarts Four

[imamommy at sbcglobal.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 126464


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at y...> wrote:
>Huge Snip 
> Now to one very important point, we have NO real evidence that
> Slytherin was the pureblood-Nazi he is made out to be. All we really
> know is that he didn't trust muggles, and given the times and
> circumstances, that distrust was well founded, and note again, the
> stakes were very high if anything went wrong.
> 
> So, I can easily see how Salazar wanted to safely restrict Hogwarts
> students to those of magical ancestry. It's the only way they could 
be
> sure that the school would be safe from betrayal and attack. Of
> course, the other, more open minded more liberal, Founders thought
> that muggle-borns would not betray the school because in doing so 
they
> would betray themselve by revealing their own magical ability to the
> muggle authorities. Both very reasonable and justifiable positions.
> 
> People, at later points in history, have taken Slytherins very
> justified distrust of muggles, and used that as a foundation,
> expanding it into some overblown pureblood mania. This is standard
> operating procedure for tyrants who are trying to grab power. You 
take
> the power of a famous person's name (validity by association), twist
> and pervert his doctrine to your own ends (gee, that seems to make
> sense), and given the masses an enemy to hate (Jews, Americans,
> Blacks, muggles, take your pick) and to blame all their troubles on.
> 
> We do know how people have perverted Salazar's beliefs, but we don't
> really know what his own personal beliefs were other than he,
> rightfully so, did not trust muggles. 
> 
> I have no problem seeing the conflict over the admittance of
> muggle-born students escalating to the level it apparently did. 
There
> was a lot at stake, and the consequences of a mistake were grave
> indeed. Ultimatley, Slytherin saw that he was out numbered and could
> not win, so he was face with warring with people he once counted as
> friends, or leaving the school. I think, in leaving the school,
> Salazar did a very noble and selfless thing.
> 
> Not saying I'm right, but that's how I see it.
> 
> Steve/bboyminn

imamommy:

Steve, this post was very well written, and I agree, although my 
husband pointed out that Salazar had to be at least a little loopy; 
he did, after all, leave a Basilisk to kill muggles even after he 
left.  This prompted a discussion about what might have made ol' 
Slythy go round the twist.  So, what if the Half-Blood Prince, 
whomever he is, was the *cause* of Sal Slytherin's descent from 
logical caution into madness?  What if somehow this person betrayed 
him?  The title of prince certainly seems to fit better with that 
time period than the current one.  It also leaves the possibility of 
GG being the HBP open, although it could have been someone else.

imamommy