OOP Chapters 11-13 Post DH look and Prejudices

[mesmer44]

No: HPFGUIDX 183031

Carol responds:
> I can't clearly remember my first reaction, either, but I think
> it was a vague hope that the Gryffindors would get over their
> prejudice against slytherin (and vice versa).

Winterfell responds:

I'd like to revisit this whole issue of prejudice by Gryffindors
for Slytherins. The Free Dictionary defines Prejudice as: 1. An
adverse judgement or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge
or examination of the facts. 2.  The act or state of holding
unreasonable preconceived judgements or convictions.  3.  Irrational
suspicion of a particular group, race or religion.

Some Gryffindor students certainly do have adverse judgements
and opinions beforehand about Slytherin students passed down to them
in part by their older siblings so that when they go to Hogwarts they
already have negative judgements, suspicions and convictions against
Slytherins. And I do feel that a person in general should form their
own opinions about a group of people based on an unbiased and
objective examination of the facts.

However, the important prerequisites for the occurrence of
prejudice in all three of the above definitions are: Being without
knowledge or examination of the facts; preconceived judgement being
unreasonable; and suspicions or hatred being irrational.  In the case
of Slytherin House, doesn't an examination of the facts prove that
their house has many members who either have DEs as family or who
sympathize in theory w/ LV's cause?  Aren't there reasonable and
rational causes for not just Gryffindors but everyone to view
Slytherin House as the House w/ members associated w/ LV?  And with
that information, would the views towards Slytherin House be not
based on prejudice, but simple facts?

Winterfell, who shared Carol's hope that Slytherins and
Gryffindors (and the other two houses) would feel more positively
about each other after the fall of LV but doesn't consider Gryffindor
House to have been prejudiced against Slytherin w/o good reasons to
be.