CHAPTER DISCUSSION PS/SS 10, THE HALLOWEEN

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 188369





> Potioncat:
> What's wrong with having a plan? Yes, there are times---like this one---when there's no time to sit down and plan. But I think a Slytherin would be in the same situation. I don't think he would call out "Hang on while I go make a plan." A Slytherin, or even a more thoughtful Gryffindor would have told a teacher earlier that Hermione was in the girls' toilet and someone should go get her. 
> 
> I've always thought that Phineas Nigellus's line "Given a choice a Slytherin will save himself" means just the same thing it means in this case. Ron and Harry had no choice. They certainly wouldn't have taken on the troll if someone wasn't in danger.
>

Alla:
See, I do think that Slytherin in the time like this will say or think something to that effect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a plan, except that sometimes one has no time to have a plan, you know? Now to be clear, I am not even necessarily talking about a plan to save Hermione, you know?  Because sure, while I have no problem with Harry and Ron acting right there right now and while I do think they may have not have enough time 

I am talking about having a plan to secure **oneself** life and liberty first and then, maybe rushing to save a friend if that friend is not dead yet that is. Because seriously the most I can grant Slytherins is that they will do that, they will have a plan to save oneselves and THEN go to save a friend, maybe.  And again, of course even at the time of danger there is nothing wrong with trying to save yourself AND friend. But sometimes it is just not possible. And yes, I know there is Snape, but as I argued in the past, to me book seven is screaming that author does not consider Snape a typical Slytherin.  IMO of course.

And well, how often DID we see Slytherins having a plan and coming to fight at least with a plan. Well, there is Slughorn of course bringing back 
 somebody lol, whatever that group consisted of, I have no problem with him doing that, but to me his evolution as a character still not complete till he takes on Voldemort, you know?

Honestly, it just feels to me that all paths in the book lead the characters to courage of all sorts if that makes sense. Maybe that's what author was examining? I mean, obviously as we discussed many times the division between houses is artificial and every real life person has all values in herself in different proportions, but as I said when I was thinking about this chapter when I was doing a summary, I just thought that to me it is very easy to understand and accept why courage is JKR's favorite character's trait. And even if courage could be not very attractive in the form of recklessness, it just seems to me that if courage is something that lets you not to think about yourself but about the person next to you in the time of danger, that it is all worth it. 

JMO,

Alla