Slytherin Treachery ?

[sigurd at eclipse.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 191542

Dear Pippin

Your philibuster of quotations is irrelevant. Slughorns obvious defeatism coupled by the complete defection of Snape at the moment is only the cherry on the cake of a continuous record of Slytherin vileness, trachery, and brutality. The smack in the face to Slughorn to decide on the loyalty of his house is well deserved. He deserved it, he needed it.

Note as it says on pg 602 (McGonnagal) "The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties. Go and wake your students Horace."

And then I throw your own quote back at you. " If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage our resistance, or take up arms against us within this castle, then, Horace, we duel to kill."

Note that Slughorn did not make any statement of defense, nor did he encourage his students to stay.

The rest of your argument is mere prevarication. You cannot and will not EVER be able to get around the fact that that Slytherin table was EMPTY when they left. All the students were ordered to go, though the question was always open that students who were old enough (I assume only the 7th years students) could fight and beyond all had the choice, as almost half of Gryffindor did. You're blaming Slytherin's cravennees on others, which of course- is very Slytherin.

Not one Slytherin broke ranks. Not one came over to the side of good. Not one of them fought. Not one is mentioned as standing with the other side.

The division by school relies only partially on inherited or assumed beliefs and traits. As Harry and the rest have shown they all have choices.

And Slytherin chose to take a powder.

Pippin:
Now, Minerva hasn't already decided that they're traitors. Their choices will show what they truly are. But it's not the same choice she stated before. Her words now exclude the possibility of  Slytherins fighting for the school. There's no option stated of joining the defense.

Otto:
Her words exclude nothing. There was nothing to prevent Slughorn from tossing back at her the question of very that "And what, Professor if we choose to stay and fight for the school?"  He did not. He did not ask. He meekly tucked his tail between his legs and slithered out.

Sorry, Pippin, but "I vuss only followink ORDERS!" Hasn't worked since Nuremberg.

Pippin:
> The Slytherins get up and go, *as they've just been ordered to do* leaving their table empty.  It looks bad, but what choice did they have?

Otto:
You can Ask H. Goring, H.Schacht, W.Keitel about this. They all had choices, many individual Hufflepuff Students, Ravenclaw Students, and Gryffindor students had choices and so did the Slytherin. Those who were brave and felt loyal could have sat down at another table, torn off the badges from their cloaks and sided with the right.

But they didn't.


Your argument is a tissue of excuses.

Otto