Slytherins are bad (was:Re: Severus as friend)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 183358


> 
> > Betsy Hp:
> > And that's what makes me cringe. In the end, Slytherin is
> > the "racist house."  And I mean, it really truly is, I'm
> > not trying to argue (anymore *g*) that JKR was cleverly
> > pointing out the ease of falling into prejudice and
> > stereotype by setting up an easy to fall into prejudice
> > and stereotype that "all Slytherin's are bad -- born that
> > way, don't you know."  Instead, yes, they *are* all that
> > bad.
> <SNIP>

Potioncat:
In interviews JKR said that there were children of Death Eaters in 
the other houses, not just Slytherin House and she said Slytherins 
fought for Hogwarts in the last battle. Yet she never showed either 
in canon. So I agree, she made Slytherin the racist house.
> 
> Athena: 
> I say it loudly and proudly I am a Slytherin. I have the
> ambition in me to want to be a writer and I am pursuing
> that route. I was cunning enough to get out of a bad
> situation with a guy and have the break-up be his fault.
> I was resourceful enough to use all my knowledge to safely
> get my friends out of trouble. I am proud of my Italian
> heritage. I say that more often then not the Slytherin
> house creates more people like me then people like Riddle.

Potioncat:
Based on what the Sorting Hat says, minus the choosing for Pure 
Blood, Slytherin should be the house of the over achievers. We should 
see club presidents, Head boys, Multiple  top marks on NEWTS, and 
afterwards, we should see famous Healers, important Ministers of 
Magic, spell inventors, etc. 

I think JKR showed a dislike of ambition and intellect in the way she 
showed Slytherin and Ravenclaw. I'm not sure she intended to. I 
personally see nothing wrong with ambition. When I said I had none, I 
meant that within the work place, I have no interest in moving up the 
ladder. I'm very comfortable in my job doing what I do.

I think I snipped too much, but would like to respond to another part 
of Athena's post. I don't think Slytherin House gets a bad rap within 
the books. There were times that Harry looked out at Quidditch games, 
and most of the students were wearing green. So I don't think JKR 
shows a WW distrust of Slytherin, although Gryffindors seem to 
generally distrust them.

I used to defend Slytherin House too, but I thought JKR had other 
plans for them, just like Betsy said in her post at the top.