Andromeda as good Slytherin WAS: Disappointment

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 177570

 
> Alla:
> 
> So, tell me then what part of Andromeda did I write myself? Or are 
> you saying that we are not even allowed to make first line 
> inferences based on canon now?

Magpie:
Andromeda doesn't appear onstage except for in one scene. We have a 
series of facts about her that you did not make up, from there we can 
imagine different actual characters and stories as to how she got 
there. The only thing I remember of her description was that she 
looked like Bellatrix and did she speak in a haughty way? Perhaps 
Tonks takes more after her father in that respect.

Alla:
> 
> I said that she put love first over pureblood values. You are 
saying 
> that she did not love Tad and married him for some other reason?

Magpie:
No, I said other Slytherins put love over Pureblood values too and 
that those are included in the Slytherins Adam described as still 
being not admirable as people. 

Andromeda might very well have rejected all Pureblood values, or she 
might still be prejudiced but make allowances for Ted and Tonks, or 
no longer much support Pureblood values but still be an unlikable 
person. Or she could be a warm-hearted person behind the haughty 
exterior. She's just not a character JKR wrote as part of the Harry 
Potter series--we know more about the personalities of Ted and Tonks. 
We can imagine tons of stuff about Andromeda since she doesn't appear 
on the page much. (I've actually read fanfics that featured her 
before DH and I notice that authors tended to write her very 
differently even at first glance than the way JKR wrote her.) *That* 
is what makes her a weak example for me.

I have no problem believing Slytherins can be good. I've believed it 
since PS/SS. Anyone can be good imo. But Good Slytherins who show a 
certain kind of hope for the house just seem completely not part of 
this story. I'm not denying the facts we do know about Andromeda, 
that she married a Muggleborn and gave up her ties to her family for 
it. I'm saying that's all I know about her and admirable as thoes 
things may be, since she's not an actual character in the story she 
doesn't much figure into the meaning of it. Snape did very admirable 
things for the side of good too. They dumped those zeros and got 
themselves heroes.:-)

Alla:
> Oh, and no I do not see how plenty of Slytherins put love over 
> pureblood values.
> 
> Snape seemed to reject the friendship of muggleborn over his DE 
> friends and it took him a long time to figure out his priorities.

Magpie:
Regardless, in the end Snape's life was guided for his love for Lily 
and that led him to fight against Pureblood values. That it took him 
a while to figure out his priorities doesn't change is priorities.


Anyway, my main point isn't to figure what Adromeda was or wasn't 
like because as this conversation proves, we're just inferring and 
imagining stuff based on the facts we know and other characters 
because she's not on the page. The fact that she's not on the page 
being my main point. "Slytherin Not Appearing In This Book" seems 
like a weak argument. I doubt most readers even remember the woman 
exists much less consider her a symbol of anything. Looking to her 
for anything seems like scraping the bottle of the barrel and the 
obvious joke response is to notice how just not appearing immediately 
gives you a leg up on the others.