Responses of children

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 176455

Alla wrote:
> 
> Heee, sorry, I thought I replied to this post. I guess I did not. I
 find it fascinating to learn about kids' different reactions. You are
saying your daughter did not get the sense of any change for
Slytherins at all?
> 
> I am wondering, what did she make of Hats song in OOP? Just asking 
because I found this song to be the only possible sign in the books 
towards the unity of the houses. Was she considering that Slytherin 
will work together with others or not? Or did she just disregard it as
insignificant or something else?

Carol responds:

Setting aside the responses of real-life kids (though I'm interested
in that, too), maybe we should consider the response of the kid
protagonists, especially Harry, who rejects the idea of working with
Slytherin out of hand, largely because of his enmity with Draco
Malfoy. And Umbridge makes matters worse later with her Inquisitorial
Squad. Harry won't even tell his own housemate Seamus what happened
with Voldemort and Cedric Diggory (Wormtail having somehow fallen out
of the picture) and again refuses to tell Zacharias Smith (who is
probably speaking for the whole as yet unnamed DA). The presence of
Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in the DA is almost accidental, and the
absence of Slytherins is quite intentional, none having been invited.
So if there's little house unity at the end of DH (except for people
mingling without regard to house tables and the presence of the
Malfoys, who are at least not shunned or in danger), perhaps it all
goes back to Harry's own prejudices against Slytherin, which are only
just now being eradicated by Snape's courage, Draco's plight, and
Slughorn's participation in the battle. By publicly vindicating Snape
and sharing Snape's story with Ron and Hermione, and later by naming
his second son Albus Severus and telling him that's it's okay to be
sorted into Slytherin, Harry is taking steps toward house unity, which
the Sorting Hat itself no doubt continues to advocate. And the fact
that the Slytherins, even Pansy Parkinson, did not fight in the battle
(Voldemort is lying to Lucius) at least makes them neutral, not the
enemy, differentiated from the DEs. Slytherin is clearly no longer the
House of budding Death Eaters, the house of Dark magic and blood
prejudice, at the end of the book or Harry would tell his son to have
no part of it.

Carol, who thinks that Harry's change in perspective is significant
and reflects JKR's own view of Slytherin, the one she expects the
reader to share whether the reader does so or not