Hogwarts Unity vs. Division (was: Draco's life vs. Dumbledore's )

[Sherry]

No: HPFGUIDX 141920

> Magpie:
> More importantly, there's the Sorting Hat's song, held back until fifth 
> year, but I think very important to the series.  However nice
Hogwarts may 
> have seemed to Harry when he showed up, it's a school that is broken
and 
> wounded, and it's suffering for it.  The hat explains how it was
founded, 
> how all the founders fought with each other, and how the fighting
stopped 
> because one of them-Slytherin-left.  This stopped the fighting, but
at a 
> price.

Amontillada: 
I agree--very important! Nearly Headless Nick underlines its
significance when he tells Harry and friends that the Hat has given
similar warnings before, and that his theme is always that all of
Hogwarts needs to "Stand together."

> I think DD considers all Hogwarts students as belonging on his side

Amontillada:
And as being in his care. That's why he chose to risk his life in HBP
by freezing Harry and appealing to Draco, instead of using his magic
to lash out at Draco. His first and strongest instinct is to protect
his students. When some of them seem to be falling from his side, his
reflex is to try to "pull them back," not to "push them overboard." 

You or someone else later in this thread mentioned Hermione inviting
members of the other houses (not just Gryffindor) into DA in OotP.  My
memory also tells me that she worried about the unity vs. division of
the Houses early in either OotP or HBP, but I don't have the specific
reference right now. As Harry has grown up and gained a broader view
of the world, we've also gotten a broader view of the school, with
characters from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw being important in the more
recent books. I really expect (or hope) that unity among Hogwarts
students, as well as among the peoples in the broader magical world,
will be a significant factor in the final book.

Amontillada