[HPforGrownups] Slytherins (was Re: /Hurt/comfort/Elkins post about Draco

[Jordan Abel]

No: HPFGUIDX 156428

> Steve/bboyminn
> > Further, most of this is 'schoolboy' rivalry. The negative stereo type
> > of Slytherin doesn't seem to carry over to the same extent into the
> > Adult wizard world. Schoolboy rivalries are set aside for more
> > practical aspects of everyday business life.

wynnleaf
> Well, we do get Hagrid willing to lump all of the death eaters into
> Slytherin, even though he personally knows that's not true.

Hagrid never really left school, though.

Magpie:
> They're depicted that way by the narrator, sometimes through Harry,
> sometimes not through Harry.  Though of course, lots of characters in HP are
> funny-looking or have homely features.  Draco's description is actually
> fairly neutral.  He's pointy-faced, but that's not necessarily ugly (I think
> Phineas is a bit pointy, or maybe he just has a pointy beard).  Blaise
> sounds attractive.

And we haven't heard a single thing about Daphne Greengrass, Tracey
Davis, in terms of looks _or_ personality.

Or most of the people in higher years than Harry, Draco, etc. or
_anyone_ younger. And that's the real issue here.

The one common thread between all our descriptions of slytherin
[student] characters, is Draco. Even Pansy's "Gang of slytherin girls"
doesn't merit identification, I'm sure we only see Pansy herself
mentioned by name because she's Draco's girlfriend. Forget the "Harry
filter", we're seeing the entire house of Slytherin through a Draco
filter. We're only told anything about any slytherin student character
in so far as they relate to Draco.

> Seems to me it's set up that healing the rift is a lot harder than just meeting
> a nice person in a green tie seventh year.

I can count the slytherin students that have had speaking parts for
more than a few lines on one hand (heck, stretch the "more than a few
lines" qualifier far enough, and I can count them on one _finger_),
and they're all in Harry's year. We see a lot of "badness" from very
few Slytherins, and I'd be very disappointed if Harry's judged them
all on this basis. (Not wanting to be in the house is different - he'd
have to share a room with Draco, personally, for seven years)

-- 
Random832