DH as Christian Allegory

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 173561

Sydney:
> > They killed Harry Potter and refused to accept his Salvation.

Jen:  'They' didn't though, Voldemort did.  And Harry can't offer 
salvation to anyone save Voldemort; he's seen the state of LV's soul 
because it's attached to his own soul, evidence there are 'other ways 
to destroy a man,' and Harry offers LV the only thing that can heal 
his soul - a chance to feel remorse.  

The rest of the WW?  All Harry can offer is the defeat of Voldemort 
and everyone, including himself, a second chance to get things 
right.  He's part of the problem as well, having heard and integrated 
the stereotypes of the different houses (and Slytherin stereotypes 
are not the only ones perpetuated at Hogwarts).

I too expected more evidence of the houses uniting, was very 
surprised by the moment in the Great Hall when no Slytherins stepped 
forward to fight, when no Gryffindors extended a hand after Pansy's 
announcement.  But the sense of the 'unclean otherness' of Slytherin 
wasn't a thought that crossed my mind until reading this list.  In 
fact, my first thought after reading the Great Hall scene was, 'I 
wonder how many Slytherins in that group might have wanted to step 
forward but were too fearful of retaliation from Voldemort and the 
DEs and some of their own housemates if they took such a stand?'

Because Voldemort appears to be oppressing Muggles, those less than 
pureblood and half-humans as his primary victims, but his most 
heinous acts are against his own house.  Sydney, you've mentioned the 
burning of the Sorting Hat and Harry stopping Voldemort from doing so 
as a defining moment for you.  I read that as a defining moment as 
well, in an entirely different direction: The burning of the Hat 
symbolized the last vestiges of refuge for those oppressed groups who 
would never be allowed into Hogwarts again and in addition, everyone 
would be in Slytherin from there on out, the house that has 
experienced the *most* oppression from Voldemort, the house he made 
certain was indoctrinated with his values by holding captive 
generation after generation of families as his followers.  

Certainly some followed him zealously, but how many more were like 
Slughorn, giving up his life and freedom to hide in Muggle homes so 
he wouldn't be conscripted against his will?  How many were like 
Narcissa, her home taken over, her son in jeopardy, her husband a 
shaking mess of a man?  How many were like Regulus, doing the only 
thing he knew to do to stop Voldemort and being dragged down into the 
lake and turned into an Inferi for his troubles? 

It's frightening and *sad* to me is what it is now, after struggling 
with my thoughts and feelings about DH & Slytherin ever since I 
started reading.  

Irene:
> Also, Rowling's message about choices is a total cheat, and I 
> should have seen it by book 2. When Dumbledore explains to Harry
> how he was different from Voldie by the virtue of his choices, 
> apparently, Harry made the better choice by asking to be put "not
> in Slytherin". Could he be a Slytherin, and then by his actions 
> choose to be a good person, different from Voldemort? Noooo, just
> the choice of Slytherin in and of itself would have put him on the
> road to evil, apparently.

Jen: Maybe, or maybe Harry would be derided as Saint Harry right now 
and the story as lame and predictable if Harry looked around and 
decided there needed to be a change in Slytherin house, that he 
refused to follow the indoctrination being espoused by many in the 
house because that's what they heard at home for 11 years and he 
hadn't.  That instead, Voldemort had murdered his parents and Hagrid 
told him they were heroes and Harry held onto that belief instead of 
the prejudice being passed down from generation to generation in 
certain pureblood families.  And had he held onto what he believed 
was true, perhaps Harry would have found compatriots in Slytherin, 
those willing to step forward and join him, finding their own courage 
as some of the other graduates of Slytherin house did in the series.

Jen