Do Slytherins deserve their bad reputation?

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 167632

> Coriandra2002:

> 1) The password to the Slytherin common room (in the second year 
at least) is Pure Blood, which is typical of the attitude of most 
the members we've met so far.

Goddlefrood:

The passwords for admission to the House Common Rooms can hardly
be used to show the prejudices of the House itself. Perhaps it 
can be shown to be a prejudice on the part of the password keeper. 
In this case a poor refelction on the guardian of Slytherin, as 
opposed to Slytherin House itself :)

By this token The Fat Lady's first password "Caput Draconis", 
meaning approximately "off with their heads", would be a poor
reflection on Gryffindor as it would equate them to The Queen of
Hearts in the Alice books and suggest Gryff's were mad, which of 
course they are ;)

> Coriandra2002

> 2)  Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were chosen to be fifth 
year Prefects.  If those people were the only suitable ones 
available, if doesn't much about the House overall.

Goddlefrood:

Perhaps not great when compared to the other non-Slytherin 
prefects. Ron, of course, was the perfect choice from Gryffindor 
as a beacon of respectability and responsibility ;). Draco and
Pansy were the best choices from within their own house, 
Dumbledore, if no-one else, would agree with that :)

> Coriandra2002

> 3)  Every member of Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad was a 
Slytherin and not member of Dumbledore's Army was.  I doubt very 
much that this was a coincidence.

Goddlefrood:

The six-gilled shark is hardly a good example of a well balanced
judge of character. She was seemingly unpopular with other Houses
and on that basis alone would have been unlikely to find any 
willing members of the IS from elsewhere than Slytherin. She also
probably bribed them and / or put them and / or their families
under threat of Dementor attack. A nasty woman, as I've said 
before.

Slytherin House, by reasonable inference from Uncle Horace's 
testimony, only became a little ostracised from the other three 
Houses during and immediately after Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts. 
Tom was, naturally, a well balanced individual who thought 
Slytherin House should take a new course :)

Apart from Phineas Nigellus, who has been put forward as a decent
Slyth, I also have a fondness for Uncle Horace, and believe him to
be decent enough, even if he is a little ideologically challenged
;) when it comes to blood status.

That the resolution of the series will also involve a resolution
of the conflicts between the Houses is something I have little
doubt about. The Sorting Hat will get them all to rally round for 
the greater good. At least, so I divine :)

Goddlefrood