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

[James Sharman]

No: HPFGUIDX 156225

I do not believe that DD was necessarily supporting the opinion that
Slytherin was inherently bad. He was making a point about Harrys choices
being the significant factor,  young harry had come to Hogwarts with a lot
potential in various directions. We must accept that he had potential to go
down a very dark road (above all else He has an unnatural connection to the
Dark Lord). 

 

Harry having heard what he had about the house system made his choice. It
was not about the actual house choice, it was about Harry deep down inside
choosing the path of good. I believe it was this that DD was commenting on,
not the houses.

 

 

 


wynnleaf
I agree completely. Further, note that the Slytherins are almost
entirely described in negative physical terms. Most people can't help
their degree of physical beauty. Since that's mostly true, why are
the Slytherins generally described as ugly or very plain, if not to
basically say, "being Slytherin is bad?"

Further, remember when DD told Harry that it was his choices that were
important? But he said that about Harry begging the Sorting Hat not
to put him in Slytherin. Yet most kids probably weren't up there on
the stool begging to avoid particular houses. DD made it sound, at
least on the surface, as though being in Slytherin as a bad "choice,"
rather than simply the decision of the Hat. The implication was that
all those in Slytherins had made a bad choice to even be there. But
most of the kids had no choice. After all, in terms of personality
and characterstics, Harry *did* fit in Slytherin. It was only because
he had heard (falsely) that all the wizards that went bad were from
Slytherin, and because he met Draco, that he asked to be somewhere
else. If Hagrid had instead said, "All the wizards that went bad were
from Slytherin and Gryffindor," would Harry have insisted that he not
be in either one? (Um, not that there weren't maybe some from other
houses as well.)
 



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