Slytherin's Reputation was Re: CHAPDISC: DH, EPILOGUE

[kneazlecat54]

No: HPFGUIDX 185583


> Pippin:
> > ><snip>
> > > 
> > > IMO, Harry understands that Gryffindor's reputation is inflated
> and Slytherin's is unfairly tarnished, paralleling Dumbledore and 
Snape.
> > <snip>
> > 
> > Laura says:
> > 
> > Why unfairly?  It seems to me that Slytherin more than earned its 
> > reputation.
> > <snip>
> 
> Pippin:
> Did they deserve to be hated on sight? Excluded from the DA?  
Presumed guilty until proven innocent?
> 
Laura again:

I'm just going by the text here.  JKR doesn't show us a single 
Slytherin who's a decent human being except for Slughorn, who has some 
pretty profound shortcomings, and maybe Snape, depending on how you 
feel about him.  It may be arguable that James and Sirius were too 
rough on Snape when they met as incoming first years.  But according 
to the Lexicon, Voldy War I began in 1970, the year before the 
Marauders' generation started at Hogwarts.  So even then everyone was 
aware of who supported LV and who was fighting him.  I agree that 
James and Sirius were pretty nasty to Snape, and part of it was no 
doubt personal (Snape looking like a victim type, at least at first 
glance).  But I believe that just as much was their knowledge of 
Slytherin House, its history and behavior of quite a number of its 
current members and their parents.

There is no Slytherin during Harry's time at Hogwarts who is deserving 
of trust.  They are all shown as bullies, blood purity fanatics and 
snobs.  So I don't see how the House is defensible.  Remember, if you 
really don't want to be in a particular House, the Sorting Hat puts 
you elsewhere.  So we have to deduce that Slytherins during both the 
first and second Voldy Wars chose to be there.