JKR's Intent - epilogue

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 178777

lizzyben:
> In his Sorting ceremony, the hat tells Harry that he could be great,
> very great, if he enters Slytherin. But Harry turns down that chance
> to join his friends in Gryffindor. He chooses family & friends over
> greatness & success, thereby choosing good over evil. In the end of
> DH, Harry gives up the Elder Wand, which offers greatness & power, 
> to retrieve his old wand instead. Again, he shows that has no
> ambition for power, thereby showing his goodness.
<snip>
> This theme is simply continued in the epilogue. We learn about 
> Harry's family and friends, because that's what matters, and that's 
> what brings him happiness. We learn about Hermione's husband and 
> children, because that's what's important to her - not her ambition
> or career success. Only a Slytherin would care more about career 
than
> family.  

Jen: If that's the case, then Draco is standing on the platform with 
his family, upholding the primary virtue of the story, so my reading 
would be that choosing family transcends things like houses at 
Hogwarts.  Turns out the houses didn't matter that much after all 
because those who chose family or friends were the 'great' ones, 
which would include Snape, Regulus, Draco and Narcissa.