[HPforGrownups] Re: Deathly Hallows Reaction - Could do Better, Sorry

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 172541

> Magpie:
> Yeah, I was surprised when people felt there was any better unity 
> between the other Houses and Slytherin...as far as I can tell 
> Slytherin seemed a lot worse than they had that first day Harry went 
> to Hogwarts. Then they just seemed unsavory and I assumed it was his 
> imagination. Their behavior in the battle hardly seemed to give anyone 
> a reason to trust them more. All the Slytherins, to me, came across as 
> essentially selfish and incapable of the kinds of choices Gryffindors 
> could make--I wouldn't trust them. Snape was a Death Eater with a 
> convenient obsession with Lily Potter...

Montavilla47:

I'm going to disagree with you about Snape, Magpie. I can see 
how JKR tried to make him as creepy as possible, but there's a 
definite progression in his viewpoint from the obsession with Lily 
to a more general concern for people in general. Dumbledore 
trusted him to protect the students at Hogwarts, and he did so to
the utmost of his abilities.

Magpie:
I know there was a progression. There was not as much of one as I assumed
he had, which is why for me Snape shrunk in DH, he didn't get bigger. He
had concern for people in general, but a lot less of it than I'd imagined
he had. 

Montavilla47:
But then, once he got back to Hogwarts, I expected... something. 
Some gleam of humanity from him. We get Narcissa's help at the
end--which seems like the small sort of service Dumbledore (or
the reader) was expecting to get from Pettigrew. But it's so 
little.
Maybe there's something I missed with the Draco sneaking back 
into Hogwarts bit?

Magpie:
I couldn't figure out why he did that given what we'd seen of him before
trying to stay out of it. It seemed like he just did it so that he could be
there for his parents to go after.


Montavilla47
I don't understand why there is such a complete lack of help from
the Slytherins. Unless JKR is just that bleak.If she was going to do that,
I wish she would have stayed away 
from the whole elements aspect of the Houses. By making 
Slytherin completely negative, she seems to be rejecting emotion 
itself. 

Magpie:
I thought Snape was kind of part of that. He obviously was heroic and did a
lot to help--but it was a personal redemption that he won for himself. It
didn't seem to reflect well on the house to me. 

-m