Slughorn, slytherins etc.

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 177840

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, IreneMikhlin 
<irene_mikhlin at ...> wrote:
<SNIP>
>> So, the only thing we, as readers, are invited to hold against him 
> remains - he wasn't immediately enthusiastic about fighting 
Voldemort in 
> the battle of Hogwarts. I don't have my book with me, but I believe 
his 
> words were "Is it wise?" And of course it was not wise; if not for 
> Harry's sacrifice and all the unique magic that was involved, all 
the 
> Hogwarts defenders would be dead, eventually.

Alla:

And just consider the evolution Slughorn undergoes IMO within the 
series. Only year ago we see him running away from DE, only year ago.

And now he returns to fight. Sure, he had his doubts, but he returns 
to fight. I thought that was amasing personally.


Irene:
> And that's the fundamental difference between Gryffindor and 
Slytherin: 
> when facing unsurmountable odds, the Gryffindor's answer seems to 
be 
> "Bring it on!" while Slytherin would say "Thank you, I'd rather 
live to 
> fight another day".
> 
> Any healthy society needs both of these extremes to survive. While 
the 
> books seem to insist that Gryffindor's attitude is the only right 
one, I 
> disagree.


Alla:

Hm, I am not really intending to argue over this, I am just saying 
that if Slytherins' attitude was like that - "live to fight another 
day", I would completely agree with you actually.

To me it seems that many Slytherins have an attitude - thank you, I 
would rather **live**, period.

  IMO,It is certainly takes same if not more courage to survive to 
continue fighting or just living and doing right thing, but if 
survival is achieved by siding with the maniac, then I do not think 
that it is what healthy society needs.

And again, I am not saying that all Slytherins did that, I just 
cannot give respect to those  characters who decide to save their 
skins and everything else be damned. 


And of course my opinion is strictly limited to book verse and the 
times of extreme situations, etc.

I mean, how can we in RL know that we are brave enough to fight in 
the war or anything like that, unless we are forced to live through 
it.

But in the fantasy genre, I will take those who fight for what's 
right over those who save their skins at any time.

IMO of course,

Alla