The House System was Re: Chapter Discussion: Goblet of Fire Ch. 4: Back

[sigurd at eclipse.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 191510

Dear Zara G.


Zara:

"The commander of the school's defenses (Professor McGonagall) requested that they leave while the rest of the school held them at wandpoint. Under those circumstances, the most effective way for them to join the fight would be to come back with reinforcements, establishing, as it were, the sincerity of their intentions to the commander and fighters who had already demonstrated their thorough distrust."

Otto:
Once again you are basing your entire argument on your suppositions and not the facts. Further it would assume that any commander would base his last reserves on their most untrustworthy and rebellious element. I can assure you from a lifetime of studing the military arts that is a recipe for disaster. That's like the French staging a Victory parade after World War two and claiming equal status with the Allies when in fact they made virtually no appreciable military contribution towards winning the war.

Zara:
"I'd also consider the word "treasonous here exaggerated at best. They did not stay to fight, just as about half of Ravenclaw and a portion of Hufflepuff also did not. I would call none of them treasonous."

Otto:
Once again you are wrong. You forget that McGonnagal forbade any who were not of age to fight. Assuming equal membership in each class, and beginning at age 11, with 8 possible years that means 4 years so anyone 15 or younger was not allowed to stay. Even then McGonnagal had to toss out many from Gryffindor who stayed.  They were not treasonous, they simply were too young to put in the front line. More likely  only the last two years boys who would be 17 and up would be allowed to stay, which would account for the "few" at Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but even those "few" are infinitely greater in numbers than the "nont one" who stayed at Slytherin. Note also that it says that about half of Gryffindor stayed, and  that is the figure Rowlings give, and it is from this number that McGonnagal is tossing out children too young to fight.

I'm sorry but the sources are against you. Rowling makes it very clear that the overwhelmingly fast majority of Slytherin are on the other side.

Otto