Sorting and House System

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 173314

fitzchivalryhk wrote:
>
> One of the most unsatisfying point in Deathly Hallows for many
HPfGUers is the continual/approval of the Sorting system after the
Voldemort war. In DH, by showing that none of the current Slytherin
students was good enough to join the other Houses to fight against
Voldemort, and discounting other Slytherins as "Griffindor at heart"
(i.e. Snape), the book seems to send a message to people that as long
as you are categorized as one type of people (namely, Slytherin) at
the age of 11, you are a coward or villain for life.
> 
> I find this type of message disturbing, and am surprised that, even
though the Sorting Hat's song in previous years seem to disapprove
this type of segregation, the epilogue shows that the system is
allowed to remain unchanged at least for the next 19 years.
> 
> For those who share the point of view that the Sorting and House
System of Hogwarts is not beneficial for the wizarding society and its
children, what do you think can be done to change it?
> Abolishing the House system all together?
> Eliminate the Slytherin House?
> Abolish Sorting by the Sorting Hat and put the students randomly
into each house?
> Change the ideological implication that permeates the house system?
> Put a pro-equality teacher as the Head of Slytherin to change the
pro-pure-blood atmosphere of the House?
> Other suggestions? :)


Carol responds:
I think the epilogue shows a gradual eradication of prejudice in the
making. Draco and Harry are not at each other's throats like Lucius
Malfoy and Mr. Weasley. Draco has probably not indoctrinated his son
with the pure-blood superiority ethic that caused so much grief in DH
and it's unlikely that the Sorting Hat, which has always advocated
unity and its own abolition, will sort by that criterion. Nor does it
seem a good idea for the Sorting Hat to talk about Power-hungry
Slytherin or otherwise insult the Founder of the House as he sorts the
students. True, they should be taught undistorted history, but perhaps
Slytherin's reasons for fearing and distrusting Muggles, and by
extension, their children, could be taught along with his building of
the CoS (rather like teaching American children that, for all their
opposition to King George III, some of the Founding Founders owned
slaves). At any rate, a more neutral criterion such as ambition would
be a good start. Maybe it's already happened, which is why Harry tells
his son that it's okay to be Sorted into Slytherin. Delayed Sorting
based on choice would also help, but only if Slytherin is associated
with some virtue or at least some neutral quality (again, I think
ambition comes closest--Percy would have fit well there if the House
bore no stigma). Or Slytherin as the House of emotion, the water
House, where it's okay to wear your heart on your sleeve? The House
for students who believe that love is more important than brains or
courage? But, then, we already have Hufflepuff represent loyalty (not
the catch all House for those who don't fit anywhere else, please).
Some distinguishing trait that isn'e reprehensible, that doesn't mark
eleven-year-olds as tainted and evil. (Children Sorted into Slytherin
should not be booed.)

If Muggleborns are allowed in Slytherin (assuming that they want to be
there), that ethic will die out. Obviously, too, would-be Slytherins
will not be Death Eaters in the making. Voldemort is long gone. On a
side note, Hermione is (according to the "Today Show" interview)
revolutionizing the Department of Magical Law). We don't know what
reforms she's instituted, but we can be sure that werewolves are
allowed to attend Hogwarts and provisions are made for them to take
Wolfsbane Potion and be safely secluded once a month. Teddy Lupin, the
werewolf's son, is well-adjusted and happy.

To return to eradicating enmity between the Houses and replacing it
with a friendly rivalry (cf. McGonagall wanting the Quidditch Cup in
her office instead of Snape's), students should be encouraged to spend
more time together. Classes should not be segregated by House, as most
of Harry's classes were (two with the Slytherins, one with Hufflepuff,
none with Ravenclaw). Students should be encouraged to mingle at meals
with friends from other Houses instead of being segregated by House. 
Voldemort's idea of requiring all students to take Muggle Studies is
actually a good one if the teacher is a Charity Burbage and not an
Alecto Carrow. IOW, instead of teaching students that Muggles are
animals and their children not true wizards and witches, the class
should teach that blood doesn't matter and Muggles are people not very
different from wizard's (the view for which Charity died).

Another possibility is random sorting so that students who share a
particular trait (intelligence, loyalty, courage, ambition) aren't
thrown together. that might not work, though, because Slytherin would
still be named after the least reputable of the Founders. Another
thought: The names of the Houses could be changed to Dumbledore,
Snape, and a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff headmaster or headmistress, the
most illustrious members of each House rather than the Founders.
(though I admit that "I want to be in Dumbledore!" doesn't have quite
the same ring as "I want to be in Gryffindor!"

Another tiny point: If Hogwarts destroys the Sorting Hat, how can a
needy and valiant Gryffindor pull the Sword out of it? Evil hasn't
ended; that never happens. It's just on hold until the next outbreak.
(Maybe Cormac McLaggen will turn Dark Sorry and the next Dark wizard
will be a Gryffindor. Bad joke.)

One more thought. It might be a good idea if the DADA teacher actually
taught students what the Dark Arts are and why they're evil. Advanced
students could be taught what Snape knew--how to recognize and stop a
Dark Curse, even for a start, how to heal an ordinary cut. And the
Unforgiveable Curses should either be renamed or really made
Unforgiveable. Somehow, the lifetime sentence to Azkaban didn't serve
as a deterrent to Harry, much less the Death Eaters. And any student
studying Advanced DADA, with access to the Restricted Section, should
be carefully watched and monitored to make sure that he or she wasn't
lured into practicing rather than fighting the Dark Arts.

Carol, who has exhausted her ideas on the subject but doesn't think
the problem is insurmountable even if JKR in her concentration on
Harry doesnt seem to have given it sufficient though