Hokey/Eileen/StatOfSecrecy/HalfbloodSlyths/HBP Book/Wands/Quidditch/HandOfGl

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 183876

> Jen wrore in 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/183786>:
> 
> << But there's more evidence that a half-blood might have trouble
> fitting into Slytherin than there is evidence against it. Lucius
> Malfoy certainly cared plenty about it, enough to make sure he
> married a pureblood and passed the beliefs on to his son, and
> Bellatrix & Narcissa were raised with the 'Toujours Pur' motto, so 
> it wasn't only the current generation of Slytherins who wanted to 
> associate with purebloods. >>

Catlady:
> The Blacks and the Malfoys were aristocratic pureblood families.  I
> doubt they would tolerate an offspring marrying a low-class 
> pureblood any more than marrying a Half-blood. They associate with
> purebloods whom they don't consider good enough to marry, why not
> Half-bloods? 
> 
> (Carol expressed it better than me in her
> 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/183789>, "rather
> like a medieval lord recognizing and honoring a talented commoner".)

Jen: I agree class concerns come up in the story, but class struggles 
aren't the predominant feature associated with Slytherin house.  Even 
the password is 'pureblood' in COS.  Snape is a half-blood from a 
lower class Muggle area; logically that should be two or even three 
strikes against him with someone like Lucius.  Snape's half-blood 
status should've mattered to two DE wannabes like Mulciber and 
Avery.  Apparently Snape became part of the future DE crowd of 
Slytherins without much difficulty, even when there were obvious 
reasons why he didn't belong with them.  By my deduction, that leaves 
Snape's magical prowess and his prejudice against Muggleborns/Muggles 
as the remaining reasons for Snape's easy acceptance.

Catlady:
> Since Malfoys and Blacks are not proof that all Slytherins are
> aristocratic, they can't be proof that all Slytherins are pureblood.
> Half-blood is enough to be Sorted into Slytherin House. If Riddle 
> and Snape were discriminated against there, it could just as well
> be for their poverty and low social class as for their 'Muggle'
> genes. 

Jen: To clarify, I didn't say all Slytherins are pureblood.  I said 
there's more evidence a half-blood might have trouble fitting into 
Slytherin house than there's evidence against it.  The Malfoys & 
Blacks are only one example.  The pureblood password is another.  The 
fact that Voldemort and the predominant DEs come from Slytherin and 
their organization has an agenda of blood purity is another.  Class 
isn't part of the story the way blood is.