DH as Christian Allegory

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 173600

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at ...> wrote:
>
Jen:
 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).

Renee:
You've really got a point there. And if the WWW takes its cue from
Harry - didn't JKR say something like this in her most recent
interview? - the prospects for Slytherin aren't as bleak as several
people here on the list suggest. 

IIRC, JKR holds a lot of sympathy for the ideas of the Fabian Society,
and they preferred gradual, slow change to revolution. The ending
certainly seems in keeping with this.

Jen:

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.  

Renee:
That's an interesting take on the burning of the Sorting Hat; I hadn't
thought of this. Not an unlikely scenario. OTOH, it sounds a little
like blaming Hitler for what he did to Germany, while it's obvious
that Hitler would never have gained power without the support of the
(or at least many) Germans. If no Slytherins, or only a few, had ever
rallied to Voldemorts banners, his plans would have failed. Voldemort
didn't create Slytherin House; it was already there and the mindset we
see in Harry's days does not result from his influence. You could even
argue that had he been in a different House, Tom Riddle wouldn't have
turned out quite so bad. That is, unless it's true that the books
attest to Rowlings belief in predestination... 

Jen:  
> 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? 

Renee:
Quite a few, I suppose, but having primarily their own interest in
mind and/or agreeing with the prejudices of their House, they would
have lacked the incentive to go against him until something happened
that shook them to the core. They weren't raised/predisposed do do so
in principle - and that had nothing to do with Voldemorts influence on
Slytherin House.

Renee