Of Sorting and Snape

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 175837

Magpie:

> I still don't see what that has to do with the metaphor 
> that's being put forward, that Grimmauld Place being cozy 
> while the Trio lives there shows the beauty of the 
> Slytherin nature. Yeah, it's great that Kreacher got 
> to tell his secret and that we found out Regulus did 
> something brave. I'm still not seeing the transformation 
> of the house reflected in Slytherin or Slytherins.

houyhnhnm:

One more post on this subject, not because I'm going to 
change your opinion (or need to change your opinion).  
Just because I'm still intrigued by the notion of 
gift-giving as an aspect of Slytherin culture. Yes, 
other wizards give gifts (because I can see someone 
making that objection).  They give presents for birthdays 
and Christmas.  They have people over to dinner ("Molly's 
making meatballs").  But among Slytherins, I see the 
offering of food and the giving of gifts as having a 
ritualistic, symbolic aspect beyond that of the meaning 
of these behaviors for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw 
families.  I see it as an extension of the Slytherin 
patronage system.  Slytherin interactions are transactions.

Horace Slughorn is the best example.  He offers pies and 
pheasant to the students he's invited to his compartment 
on the train.  He offers to loan McLaggen a book.  He 
gives a party with huge silver platters of food carried 
around by house elves.  He brings bottles to Aragog's 
funeral.  He even feels the need to offer refreshment 
after being roused out of bed to make an antidote for 
the love potion Ron has accidently imbibed.  I can't 
think of an instance where he gives a gift, but he 
certainly receives a lot of them.

So I see Harry's sudden inspiration to offer Regulus's 
locket to Kreacher as a very Slytherin thing to do.  
And of course it's quid pro quo.  It wouldn't be 
Slytherin-like if it weren't.  Kreacher's reaction 
is very Slytherin-like, too.  He responds with food.

There are two kinds of growth, it seems to me.  There 
is the soul-searching self-confrontation of Lizzy Bennet 
coming to terms with her prejudice or Pip facing his 
selfishness.  Then there is a slow kind of evolution that 
takes place without the subject even being conscious of 
it.  Like Snape, who may still tell himself he's doing 
it all for Lily, but who the reader can see has evolved 
way beyond that motive ("Lately, only those whom I could 
not save.")

Likewise I think Harry grows toward an understanding of 
a worldview different from his own by experiencing it, 
without necessarily being conscious of it, without a 
"moment of truth" or a "dark night of the soul".  One 
of those experiences is of the Slytherin brand of courage 
when he walks cold-bloodedly to his own destruction.  
I think another may be when he participates in the 
Slytherin ritual exchange of gifts and food.

This doesn't mean Harry will ever have a sudden 
realization--"Aha, now I understand Slytherins".  It 
may mean that when his son is sorted into the House or 
when his nephew marries a Malfoy, he will be prepared to 
deal with it in a constructive rather than a destructive way.