The hardest parts

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 173582

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Zara" <zgirnius at ...> wrote:
>
> SSSusan: 
> > I feel like JKR *did* take steps in that direction, of showing 
some 
> > change for the good and towards acceptance, and I felt like the 
> > scene at Platform 9 3/4 was intended to provide hope for 
continued 
> > change.
> > 
> > Am I the only one?
> 
> zgirnius:
> Nope! Not at all. I agree with you. (About this point, and in my 
> overall enjoyment of the final installment of the series).
> 
> I too would have preferred to see some little bit more than we got 
> (some Slyth telling Pansy to shut up is a great suggestion! lol). 
But 
> for me, Slughorn, Snape, Phineas (who in addition to his comment at 
> the end of the book, helped Headmaster Snape (sorry, just really 
> wanted to type that) by keeping an ear on the Trio), and Cissy were 
> enough. I just find it an odd choice in a book where in many ways 
the 
> emphasis was so much more on the kids that the Slyths we got 
> being 'good' or at least useful, were all among the adults.
> 
> Well, I suppose Draco pretending not to recognize Ron and Hermione 
> was something, though it didn't do any good.
>

Hickengruendler:

I think the point is, that she decided to redeem (at least partly) the
individuals. Quite a few Slytherins got some redemption. I would add 
Draco to that list, who, even though somewhat clumsily, did try to 
save the Trio twice and of course Regulus. If we list all the main 
characters from Slytherin house, more will come away rather positive 
than negative, in the end. But, where she fails a bit, is in the 
portrayal of the background characters. They are all written the same 
way Tolkien writes the Orks, horrid, stupid and mostly unredeemable. 
For me personally, the redemption of the individuals is enough. I 
would have loved to see more from the other Slytherins (particularly 
the students), but their portrayal didn't in any way effect my 
overall enjoyment of the book. But I can see, why people would have 
loved to see more, than just some individuals redeemed.