House characteristics

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 150690

> Betsy Hp:
> One song talked about pure-blood and Slytherin, and that was the 
> song where the Sorting Hat spoke of the actual founders and their 
> personal belief system at that time.  The Hat *did not* state, in 
> that song, what it looked for in the students.  Instead it made a 
> plea for the Houses to stop their enmity and unite.

a_svirn:
Yes, and are we to make of this plea? The Hat did not blame Slythrin 
alone for the conflict between the founders and the 
resulting "strife". In fact, from what it says he looks more like a 
scapegoat. All four were responsible according to the Hat, but only 
Slytherin had to leave. We are also told that the fighting ceased 
when Slytherin left, but the resulting peace was never as satisfying 
as the one before the Schism. It is tempting to conclude that in 
order to re-establish the proper harmony Slytherin must be re-
admitted somehow into the happy Hogwarts family. I don't see how it 
can be done, considering that the founders are dead, and Slytherin's 
heir is a totally unacceptable figure. 

But in any case from the Hat's POV all four were equally 
responsible. The Hat does not make a difference between Slytherin 
preference for purebloods and, say, Ravenclaw penchant for 
intellectuals. While for us the difference is obvious and huge. And 
if for the Hat the "blood discrimination" is no worse and no better 
than any other discrimination, I'd say there is no reason why it 
should disregard Slytherin's wishes any more than it disregards 
Gryffindor's. 

> Betsy Hp:
> The two songs where the Hat *does* spell out what it looks for in 
> students for each house, purity of blood is never mentioned.  
> Slytherin House does not have a history of being connected to 
blood 
> purity, members of Slytherin are not all of pure blood, and not 
all 
> pure bloods are in Slytherin.  

a_svirn:
Actually in the second and third song it spells out what did 
Founders look for in their students, and only in the first one did 
it talk about houses rather than their founders. I'd say it implies 
that at least on two occasions out of three it tries to comply with 
the founders wishes.  

> Betsy Hp: 
> So, at least per the Sorting Hat, Slytherin isn't all about blood, 
> despite Mr. Slytherin's initial wishes.  Just as Hufflepuff 
actually 
> has characteristics it looks for in its students, despite Ms. 
> Hufflepuff's original wishes.

a_svirn:
No, it isn't all about blood. But it's very much about blood. And if 
Slytherin initial wishes count for naught why refer to them at all? 
Why not simply stuck to ambition and cunning as it did in the first 
two songs? 
>  
> > >>a_svirn:
> > That'll be a rare example of transfiguration indeed! But 
then,     
> > maybe he'll transfer to Gryffindor...
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> One house being the "good" house and another house being the "bad" 
> house goes completely against the Sorting Hat's plea of unity.  It 
> also smacks of small-minded bigotry and fear of "other".  <snip>

a_svirn:
It does, alas.