chapter discussions, SS/PS, chapter 5, Diagon Alley: Pansy Again

[bboyminn]

No: HPFGUIDX 187898

---  "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> Alla wrote:
> > The episode that for me packs the most emotional punch is disgusting Pansy wanting to sell Harry to Voldemort and a lot of her house supporting her, this picture just stands out the most vividly for this particular reader.  <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> 
> I don't recall "a lot of her House supporting her" or even a single Slytherin doing so. They're immediately turned upon by the Gryffindors, followed by the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, who point their wands at them, and summarily dismissed as a group by McGonagall, who has already told Slughorn, without cause (...) that she and the other staff members will kill any Slytherin student who fights on Voldemort's side.

bboyminn:

Slightly off on a tangent here, but else where in this thread
I suggested that perhaps Pansy's motivation was not Pro-Voldemort
or even Anti-Harry, it is pure self-preservation. Her underlying
thought and motivation is, 'Get me out of here, I don't want to
die'. 

I suspect the same motivation lead the other Slytherin's in 
their totally unnoteworthy support for Pansy. They had no 
interest in a fight of 3 to 1. Nor did they fancy staying
trapped in the castle while a battle raged around them.

Certainly if they were going to fight, they were going to fight
from a point of advantage, not a point of huge disadvantage.

I have this vision of all the Slytherin sitting at the table
with their head down hoping Pansy will sit down and shut up
before she gets them all killed. 

Their goal in that moment is self-preservation. Once they 
are outside and safe, then they have the luxury of how, if,
when, where, and on whose side they will fight. 

How very very Slytherin of them.

Steve/bboyminn