Dark Book

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 177003

> Carol responds to both:
> I don't understand this argument. McGonagall tells Slughorn, "I 
> shall expect you and the Slytherins in the reat Hall in twenty 
> minutes" (DH Am. ed. 601), which is exactly what she tells Flitwick
> with regard to the Ravenclaws. She adds that Slughorn can evacuate
> with his students if he chooses, but that they'll kill any
> Slytherin who attempts to sabotage the resistance (601). So, she's
> already assuming that Slytherins will support the wrong side, but 
> she's giving them the opportunity to evacuate along with the 
> younger students from all Houses. But first, all students of all 
> ages from all Houses are to gather in the Great Hall for an
> organized evacuation. The evacuation takes place *from* the Great 
> Hall, and the younger students from *all* the Houses would have 
> been evacuated in any case.

Jen: Initially I read that McGonagall was offering Slughorn a means 
to evacuate his students prior to the big meeting in the Great Hall 
if that was their choice, but after re-reading the relevant section I 
agree the evacuation for all students was meant to take place from 
the Great Hall.
 
However, I don't agree McGongall assumed all of Slytherin house 
was supportive of the wrong side.  The reason why is because 
McGonagall tells Slughorn: "The time has come for Slytherin house to 
decide upon its loyalties." (chap. 30, p. 602, Am.)  From HBP we know 
that Slughorn is not a DE/Voldemort sympathizer since he spent a year 
running away from them before joining Dumbledore at Hogwarts.  He 
refused to recruit DE children into his network.  Likewise, 
McGonagall trusted him enough to make him HOH when Snape left.  
Nothing appears to have changed by the end of DH:  McGonagall sends a 
cat patronus to Slughorn the same as the other heads.  

So when these two meet up in the hallway and McGonagall says her 
piece, she's telling Slughorn it's time for him and the Slytherin 
students who oppose Voldemort/the DEs to stand up and declare their 
real allegiance instead of hiding behind the symbol of Slytherin 
house as a safety net.  That will require them to oppose those in 
their own house who support LV.

Carol: 
> Pansy Parkinson's remark causes McGonagall order the entire house to
> be evacuated. IOW, if it hadn't been for Pansy's remark and the
> reaction by the other Houses, standing up and pointing wands at the
> Slytherins, ickle firsties and all, it's conceivable that some of
> the older Slytherins might have stayed back to fight for Hogwarts 
> as the students from other Houses did. McGonagall's order makes that
> impossible. 

Jen: The difference is I put the emphasis on 'if it hadn't been for 
Pansy's remark.'  Pansy declared her intention to sabotage and no 
other Slytherins stood up to side with the rest of the students over 
Pansy - they all remained seated.  They had the same chance that the 
rest of the students did and none of them took the opportunity.  The 
right choice was taking the risk to openly declare allegiance.  

Carol:
> However, given the reaction of the other three Houses and
> McGonagall's previously stated assumption, any Slytherin (say Blaise
> Zabini or Theo Nott) who had chosen to fight for Hogwarts would
> probably have been assumed to be a Voldemort supporter. Their only
> option at that point is to be evacuated (but that would be the only
> option for the under-seventeens in any case).

Jen: As long as no Slytherins opposed Pansy then yes, they are 
considered supportive of her agenda.  

Carol:
> Slytherin House is still being judged, entirely unfairly, as the
> House of Death Eaters, in part because Snape is assumed to have 
> murdered Dumbledore and to have been friends with the Carrows and 
> in part because a total of four Slytherins (AFAWK) have DE fathers.
> Unfortunately for everyone concerned, IMO, Pansy Parkinson's remark
> "proves" to McGonagall and the students from the other three Houses
> that Slytherins are untrustworthy, and they are summarily dismissed
> from the Great Hall, with the entire House treated as, in effect,
> naughty children--except that Slughorn knows that McGonagall is
> shooting to kill. The entire House is judged as guilty until proven
> innocent, but showing up in the Great Hall as ordered has nothing to
> do with that judgment.

Jen:  It's more that the Slytherin students themselves silently 
declared they can't be trusted in battle by remaining seated.  
It's a replay of the scene in the Great Hall in GOF when many 
Slytherins remained seated instead of toasting Harry, only this time 
the stakes are much higher.  It's no longer doubting LV is back or 
disliking Harry personally; they *know* LV is taking over and have 
just spent a year under his appointed regime watching the atrocities 
that took place.  

McGonagall doesn't prepare for battle outside Slughorn's awareness or 
remove him as HOH when she takes matters into her own hands.  She 
doesn't make different arrangements for Slytherin house than the 
other houses.  Those are the types of things I would expect 
McGonagall to do if she truly believed Slytherin was already a lost 
cause.  McGonagall's not one to make meaningless gestures for the 
sake of it.  She believes Slughorn capable of stepping up to the 
plate and convincing those students in his house who oppose Voldemort 
to step up with him (as I read it).  

Jen