i am a proud ravenclaw you slithlryns out there.
go ravenclaw!!! welcome to the ravenclaw

Hi!

yeah i just found out that i am in slytherin i guess thats cool!go slytherin!

I'm sorry that there is a Ravenclaw is in the Slythrin common room.
but how many evil slythrins are out there i think of 95%. sorry but i heard what u were saying about hufflepuff!!! no offense!

That depends on what you consider evil. There are only two characters in the series which I considered truly evil: Voldemort and Bellatrix. The remaining Slytherins were not presented thoroughly enough for me to properly consider them. Many were certainly ambitious, and let their desires outweigh other considerations, but that does not necessarily make them evil. At what point would they have been willing to draw the line and say no?

Remember, there must have been thousands of Slytherins living throughout Britain. How many Death Eaters were there? How many people were there that actually jumped aboard the "evil" bandwagon? Now, how many were forced or coerced into it?

Hey guys, been away for a bit so im going to have to make up for it.. please bear with me

what does everyone think that all of the Slytherins are doing now that they are "grown up"? I would like to think that they will teach their children better lessons than what they themselves were taught as youngsters...Thoughts on this anyone?
The Slytherins? most of them are probably doing what they wanted to do all along, growing up, living a life, being successful in whatever they choose to do. Its easy to forget that not every slytherin was torn between whether or not to join the Death Eaters. As for the ones that were, well they could be doing anything. some may have moved on, some may be continuing to seek power, some may have changed their views completely, and working against the negatives of their house. Others may be the opposite, and may continue to teach the extreme views that they have.
As for their children, It would be difficult, choosing between abolishing centuries of pureblood tradition, and sticking to what they were taught. Of course, not every slytherin was taught 'bad' views, and even those that were learnt some good lessons along the way. You cant say what the house would do as a whole, because every member is different, and there are so many extremes in the Slytherin house. Each case would apply to the way they were brought up, the things that happened to them during the war, and the 'side' that they were on.

This is from GOF. did anyone notice how much the Slytherins were in that book? i mean, all the interveiws and the Daily Prophet stuff, the Slytherins were always the ones to tell Harry, werent they?
Yes, i did notice that, one of the reasons would be that Slytherins are naturally attentive, and any information that they get will be used to their advantage. Of course, their roles also had to build up from one of four houses, to a real 'enemy' of the Gryffindor house, if only to get that 'good-evil' equilibreum.
And not to forget that a lot of them really disliked Harry, they'd do anything just to see him suffer, a lot of the time Harry didnt exactly do much to defend himself against attacks- he asked for trouble.

don't you think its possible that because Draco got everything from his parents, he felt obligated to join the Death Eaters as a form of payment?
I wouldnt say for payment exactly, but just because that was what was expected from him. Perhaps his parents viewed it as payment, only subconciously, but they still expected him to follow in their footsteps, because they had given him every thing he ever thought he needed. To do what was expected of him was.. well, expected.
I doubt that Draco was really aware of this, he definetly didnt make a conscious descision to repay his parents for what they had 'given him'.
He just did what he thought he should- he did what he could to protect his family, and did what he 'had to' to protect himself. He didnt do it out of bravery or honour, he did it because he was afraid. In reality everybody does things because they're afraid. of course there are other reasons, but nobody is immune to fear. Draco did what he had to do, and i dont like him any more or any less for it- it was the only thing the he, personally, could do.

of course, Draco was never truly given the chance to gradually get older, he had adulthood thrust onto him; and when he did, the truth about his father dawned on him then?
Interesting point, and yes.. i think thats probably right. He wouldnt have seen it straight away, but as soon as he saw the brutality and cruelness that his father showed it would begin to dawn on him. Seeing what Lucius would do out of fear of Voldemort would also show him just how powerful voldemort was- something he may not have realised before.
As for having adulthood thrust upon him.. in some ways, thats spot on, he was a child and then he was an adult, with nothing in between and no time to adjust.. but then in other ways i dont think he ever really had the luxury of innocence. he never really had a childhood- a real childhood, with love and care, did he? In any case, his transformation into adulthood was swift and unforgiving, and was unbearably hard for him.

I would, and Im sure Im not alone in this.



I really wish a book would come out that would tie up all of the loose ends of the final book. Did any of them finish school? What became of everyone else?
Yes.. I suppose that would be nice, to know the things that I really want to know, but I wouldnt want all of the lose ends to be tied up, otherwise we'd have little to discuss. Thats the thing, although Jk has pretty much said she wont do any more Harry Potter books, its been left open. There's a new generation of kids, Hogwarts is still there, and as Ron proves when they're boarding the Hogwarts Express in the epilogue, there is still fierce competition between houses and familes. I dont think it would be right to create another enemy for the new generation to fight, its not fair on Harry's generation. However, if its left open, at least the fanfics can still continue, and we can wonder and discuss what we hope has happened, and will happen.

but how many evil slythrins are out there i think of 95%.
Do you have.. any evidence to support that.. at all?? Are you saying that out of the last 10 slytherins that have posted in this thread, at least 9 of us are evil?
Well.. like after the burial says, it does depend on what your view of evil is. I also think Voldemort and bellatrix were pretty much the only evil characters. There was the death eater that enjoyed killing creatures, but he was incredibly stupid, so I dont know if he counts. There is a very small percentage of truely evil people in the world, those that are sometimes make a huge impact, but there are still very few people.
I would define evil.. as somebody who knows what they do is wrong and harms others and does it anyway, not just because they think they have to, but because they want to, and because their needs are worth more than the lives of a thousand better people. They dont stop doing what they do because they feel guilt, or regret, but because they cant get anything more out of a situation.
And its more than that. Its not just a job, or something they have to do. Its something taht is part of them, something that consumes you and eats away at you- but the true evil is not that they dont care, but that they want it.

How would you define Evil?

Remember, there must have been thousands of Slytherins living throughout Britain. How many Death Eaters were there? How many people were there that actually jumped aboard the "evil" bandwagon? Now, how many were forced or coerced into it?
Im going to say a lot more people were forced into it, even if only subconsciously, than chose to join. And its not eactly as though they chose to be evil either. argh Its that all too common misconception again, that all or most slytherins are evil. Its a misconception that has no real evidence. Its only that the only real evil people that we've heard of are slytherins. Thats not because there are more 'evil' slytherins, its just that slytherins are generally more 'successful' than lets say.. ravenclaws, or other houses- they will do anything to achieve their goals.

Think Im pretty much caught up now

Clara}~

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The death eaters are from slytherin because they have the characteristics that Voldemort could use. Wormtail was a Gryffindor, and Im sure there are death eaters from other houses, not to mention all of the people that are working for him but are not full Death Eaters. Umbridge, I didnt even think of, you know why? She's so stupid and prejudiced that she doesnt even know whats shes doing. Shes not intelliegent enough to be evil- or rather, she thinks what shes doing is right- she doesnt..- know its wrong and is doing it anyway.
And its not all Slytherins, its one very powerful, very evil Slytherin scaring or enticing other people into doing his will. Its not just muggle borns that die either, its also anybody who threatens Voldemorts power. He'll kill a disloyal servant as easily as he'll kill a muggle born hes never met. There. Equality.

Clara}~

That’s a very interesting question. If you don’t know that you’re committing evil, because say, you’re stupid, or passionate, or whatever, are you actually committing evil? Clara, I have to disagree with you (although I don’t think your weird in the head!) on this one. In my opinion, the answer has to be yes, you are committing evil. Ignorance is not an excuse.

Umbridge is evil, or more precisely, is committing evil through her acts at Hogwarts and later at the Ministry. She justifies her behavior by saying it’s for the betterment of wizarding-kind or something like that. She effectively sidesteps the issue of personal responsibility. In her own mind (such as it is) she has convinced herself that a higher authority has given her permission to commit every horrible act. If there is ever an accounting at the end (who’s responsible) she can honestly say that someone else ordered her to do what she did. There are untold hundreds, perhaps thousands of trials on record where the defense is “I was told to do this”.

On a different topic, I don’t think Draco joined (or tried to join) the Death Eaters as a form of repayment to his parents. I think at first the lure of joining Voldemort’s inner circle was tempting. Let us not forget, this happened when Draco was about 16/17 years old, a time when young men are eager to prove their manhood and separate themselves from their fathers. Of course, as Clara correctly stated, only when Draco became fully immersed in Voldemort’s control did he realize what he’d committed himself to.

How many evil Slytherins are out there? Probably the same number of evil Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. Rowena’s daughter didn’t particularly strike me as a nice person. Again, I agree with Clara, the Slytherin’s are probably more successful or at least more noteworthy in their evilness.

Yes, whilst I agree that the act in itself is evil.. I still dont know if that makes her evil. Its possible to persuade her that whats shes doing is wrong, If a minister of magic, or the ministry, changed its apporach to things, and persuaded her to, im sure it wouldnt be difficult to change how she acts. She might revert back to it, but not purposely..
Umbridge is a difficult one.. but as a whole Id still say that you have to know what you're doing is wrong but do it anyway, to be an evil person.
And... if you're an evil person, is every act you commmit evil? compared to somebody that commits evil acts but is also capable of committing acts of kindness. Are they both evil?

And Draco, even if he was scared, and constantly under huge amounts of pressure, would he have boasted about his new position, and showed the dark mark to his friends? I doubt it, he must have been proud of at least some part of what he was doing, which isnt surprising for a seventeen year old boy.

And yes.. maybe more noteworthy is a better word than successful...

Clara}~

hello,
hehe what i meant there and phineas was the participation of severus snape in the overall battle against voldemort and not specifically the battle in the great hall. sorry if i didn't make my statement that clear. hehe

i also agree with you i would have stayed in the battle. to prove them all wrong, like snape did.

Im glad you agree with me there, I've talked to people about it, and lots of them didnt seem to agree that many Slytherins could have redeemed themselves there, and many more could have shed the reputation that wizards such as Riddle had gianed them.
I understand that maybe Jo didnt want to redeem the house completely, if just to leave that Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry and the 'good-evil' balance.
It just didnt make sense

Anyway.. question for you, do you think that if the Slytherins had stayed to fight, people would no longer be suspicious of them, or assume things about them? Do you think that society would be generally more acceptant of them? Or would the act go unnoticed?

Clara}~

I think that people will always be suspicious of the Slytherins, even if they had stayed to fight the final battle. I guess everyone would have been suspicious of them because of the stigma attached to the Slytherins that dates back like forever. Society as a whole would always be a little wearey of Slytherins because of the reputaton that the house has had over the centuries of its existance and especially the reputaton that Voldy gave the house. If the Slytherins had fought the final battle, I don't think that the act would have went completely un noticed but there would still always be people forever suspicious of the students in this house.... And people would not look at the Slytherins overall accomplishments as being a good thing nor would all of the peopole see the Slytherins as heroes..Its a shame really, Drco redeemed himself in the end, even if he acted cowardly at times, but people still would not appreciate him

Marcey

Slytherins, slytherins...Oh I like this house. If the veritaserum sorted me in this house I will accept it joyfully but to my surprise they sorted me in Gryfindor. I like both houses. It satisfies the harry potter world. Slytherins are not only well known for their cunningly character but also of their greatness in society, loyalty, inteligence and sophistication.

I hope i am welcome in this thread despite of my house affillation.

Hi SeverusBlack, welcome to the House of Slytherin.
i like your view on us Slytherins, hehe!

anyway. . .

When I was sorted into Slytherin I was really pleased- I've always admired it- but also a little wary as we have got so much bad press!
To anneschees-I reckon it would have a little weird if Slytherin stayed behind to help in the last battle, although if any stayed behind they would be sent right back home by Mcgonagal- there is too much distrust there- no Slytherin stood a chance! However I agree with you- if a slytherin had refused to not stay behind they would have done us all proud.

Hello Ignatius first of all i would like to welcome ypu here.

they still can stayed like some of the students did, they had escaped and returned to the battle. they could have done what draco and his gang did, only this time they returned because they wanted to fight for the school and for the entire wizarding world.
but i do agree those who have stayed made us proud.

Yeah I supose...But would they want to come back? I mean apart from the high risk of dying and everything, they were probably better off with Voldy in power. Plus, the rest of the houses treated them like dirt- why on earth would they wanted to possibly die for people who have despised them from the moment they first set foot in Hogwarts?

i still stood by what i said, if they stayed, they could proved them all wrong, that the slytherins were not all evil; and like the rest of the houses, that they did care for the school and for the future of the entire wizarding community. siding with voldemort will not mean that your safe. if they stayed at least their reputation and image will change, even a small change will be enough for a start though.

Yes, for me it will change somehow. I cannot guaranty the views of the society on slytherins. As long as there are death eaters and followers of u-know-who that will not change.
Besides it is in the character and attitude that slytherins are known for that made the stigma hard to eradicate.

It takes a brave slytherin with leadership quality to stand against you-know-who. We should think that not all slytherins are death eaters (the most loyal to U-know-who). But they (the slytherins) have

I agree... it would have to take a very brave slytherin to stay behind...Ok, not alll Slytherins are on Voldy's side but some of them are, and these would probably be the ones respected and held in awe by the others (Maybe. They would be in charge anyway)The Slytherin who stays behind would have to deal with the dissapproval of the part of the house on Voldmort's side, plus the skeptisism of the other houses and teachers.

I see both sides of the argument here.. If some slytherins had stayed, and made a significant help in the battle, people may start to see that they're not all bad. Surely we're not the only ones that see that slytherins aren't all the same.
I agree believing that if you're on Voldemort's 'side' you're safe is wrong, as annesches said, the malfoy's are an example. Anybody that did something wrong, or jeaprodised his safety, or his plans, anybody that he began to fear, or was distrustful of. He would kill them in an instant. And it wast just voldemort that they were in danger of. dont forget the order, and the ministry were pretty lethal as well!

I think.. another reason that people will always be slightly suspicious of Slytherins is because distrust often builds around certain sections of society that are more successful- and with the ambition and cunning that slytherins have- not to mention intelligence that a lot of them have, they are bound to be successful. Even if they had stayed to fight, and people did see that just because you have the qualities that put you into a certain house, a house that happens to have had several 'baddies' before, you dont automatically become somebody that would easily sacrifice lives for their own gain... even if they had stayed to fight people would still be suspicious.
Its a shame.. but i do think that its something that will never be wiped out unless the way that society views success is radically changed.. and thats not an easy thing to do.

Clara}~

You're completly right! I think that even that the Slytherins all did something really noble (Whether it was staying behind or something else) people would still distrust them because of their anichient (Spelling) ideas and history. They are the only house who have a set idea about how a person should be before they have a chance to prove themselves. (I realise that maybe sly or cunning would come in here but really most Slytherins wouldn't give you the time of day if you're a muggle-born or blood traitor.)
I guess the only way that people would accept Slytherins completly is, like clara morgue said, "unless the way society views success is radically changed" (Sorry I don't know how to do that quote thing) But it would be really, really difficult to change the idea that so strongly represents the house... and that (some) of the Slytherins themselves still support.

I think that what’s important in staying in the battle is not what others would say of the Slytherins afterwards, but because they stood for and fight for what they believed is right. The Slytherins I think really don’t care about what the other houses said about them, because they had endured already for centuries, and it doesn’t matter even if their image changes or not.

Yeah...
I wish J.K went more into the house-founders, don't you? I thought that the whole part about how Salazar and Godric were best friends was very interesting, I would have liked to know the history behind it! The only information we got about them was the sorting hat's songs, and a little bit in the 2nd and 7th books.
What was Slytherin doing with a locket?

I agree with that radical change. But that radical change must begin in the house of slytherin. I think they should:
1. change their notion on Muggles
2. they should make friends with the poor wizarding families...
Hmmm what else...I'll think some and post it later...

yes, but you need to remember that not all slytherins wanted to hurt muggles, certainly not kill them. Personally, I don't think that their.. specificity on what they do and dont like is an entirely bad thing, yes, sometimes it would be better to be a little more open minded, but its part of what makes them who they are.. They wont accept anything less than excellence. Some slytherins see the status of pureblood as excellence, some- it is the standard of their work, or the care that they give to those they love, the treatment that they themselves recieve. I don't think that not accepting sub-standards is a bad thing.


So, so much. I really was interested in the founders, how they came together and how they came apart- if any of them had left anything else inportant behind (which i suspect they probably did) and maybe information could be learnt that would unlock more secrets of hogwarts. I think somebody should write something about the founders- it would have to be good though, really, really good. The characters set so much of the course of hogwarts and wizarding society, that you'd have to do them justice.
I also have a certain theory about fawkes, and i like to see if that was true, or at least possible! I think Slytherin's locket was just that- a locket, an item of jewellery, something that showed Slytherin's wealth and status, after all, that is what slytherins want to recieve, that status, and that recognition.


Yes, thats the real reason that Id like them to stay- there's no good in doing whats right unless you believe it is.. but I'd like to think that they'd get something else out of it too, perhaps that would persuade those most hesitant to stay that being 'good' is worth it, and if people would start to recognise that few slytherin's are 'bad', they would be able to excel even further.

Clara}~

The history behind the founders of the 4 houses is fasicinating and I do agree that more history should have been discussed about all four of them and the ultimate rise and fall between Salazar's and Godric's friendships. I would have liked to learn more and to fully understand why Salazar turned against "mudbloods" the way that he did.

I still feel that the Slytherins are overly misrepresented all around. Again just because there have been a few bad members that came out of that house, the Slytherin name as a whole gets a bad rap. It is totally not fair by any means. Slytherins like members of other houses have noble qualities. Slytherins are all about excellence and perfection. They will settle for noting less than the best. But I feel that it is this way because it has carried down through the generations of pure blood families, it is like born and bred into them.

Marcey

One of the things that I thought about Sytherin and Gryffindor was that they were both highly desirable (In particular, they were the romancised ones, but I know people still wanted to be put into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well) to be put in.
If you think about it, a lot of the old wizarding familes were very proud to be put into 'their' particular house, their familes had done so for who knows how long (This does not aply to everyone in the books I know). This caused quite a bit of nervousness on the 1st year's account- as Ron mentioned in the 1st book: "I don't know what they'll say if I'm not (In Slytherin)"
The same thing was happening in Slytherin. As we heard from Snape, Slytherin was a great honour too, and it was a shame (to the familes) not to be put in there.
The problem with this was the ideas floating around in that commen room. In the time of the Rise of Voldemort, for example, becoming a Death Eater was a huge honour and I would imagine that they were probably thought of as Idols and Heros by the Slytherin House.
It's all really set in the familes. If your parents told you since before you could remember that being in Slytherin was a huge honour and what a great job Voldemort was doing on the world, and they had been told that by their parents, etc. you would come to Hogwarts and encounter people who thought differently from what you had been taught. And unless you were put in a different house (If you were put in Slytherin you would probably make friends with people who had the same background as you) and a really broad minded person you would continue to think that the ideas that Voldemort was putting out (Maybe not the drastic Murder! stuff but Wizards in Power, etc.)were great.
Unless you saw something that completly shocked you to the core.
So, just because you believe and follow Voldemort , it does not mean that you are 'evil' or cruel, it could just be a matter of what you were brought up with.
(Sorry that it took all of that text to make that one point!)

as for the history of the four founders it certainly would be interesting and informative to get to know them. I just hope their backgrounds and history would be detailed and included in the upcoming encyclopedia

Being a slytherin doesn’t mean anything evil at all as Ignatius pointed out and families upholding their ancestry of being proud members of such house are also not a crime.

I agree with you Ignatious all of the people who have been in Slytherin House were all brought up to believe that because you are a noble person and that it has been this way for generations that you too wil be in this house. Kinda like upholding the family honor if you may. And I also agree also that just because you followed Voldy does not make you evil. Again if you were brought up by your parents believing that his way was the "way" then naturally you learn to accept his methods and ways as the rule.

Marcey

Those were good points. But the question is will they be accepted in the society if they stay and fight Voldy. Base on our answers, not all will accept them because of the stigma that they inherit or that is in them which was brought by the founder itself. That is why I posted before that a radical change must be done. To have a radical change doesn't mean to change completely their identity. For me these are the things that they should radically change:
1. Their notion on Muggle born wizard/witches
2. Their notion on the muggles per se
3. They should be more friendly
4. They should abhor dark arts
Those are the main things they should radically change without losing their identity as Slytherin...

I think we might be sterotyping here... we have got to remember that not everyone in Slytherin was a muggle-hating, Voldemort-worshiping Bad Guy. There were good guys as well, as we saw in the 7th book (I don't know how to do that spoiler thing so I'll just hint!)
However I agree that the general Slytherin idea on people of muggle desent should change, but I never had a problem with the Dark Arts. Perhaps this was because J.K never really defined the difference between normal magic and the Dark Arts, and between a healthy interest with what is hurtful in this world and an obsession with it.
She never really told us exactly what it was, we just got hints of things like Horcruxes and Unforgivable curses being in there. I would imagine that many Slytherins would be facinated with the Dark-Arts, but with some nothing more than the theory.

I do agree with this statement because I am sure that there are other students from other houses as well that had the potential to get drawn into the Dark Arts as well as the Slytherins. So therefore by stereotyping the Slytherins as all being "Dark Arts Loving Voldy-Following" people is wrong. Like I said there are probaly others from other houses that had potenetial to go bad......

Marcey

i also don't think that anyone who is interested in the dark arts should be stereotyped as evil. wizards appreciating the dark arts should not be misunderstood as evil, as long as they don't intend to use them against anyone. i don't think that slytherins were evil only because they understand and appreciate the beauty of the dark arts. learning the dark arts like the dada class is of importance, they learned to defend themselves by knowing the counter curse and how to use them when necessary. hogwarts i think is a school that trained wizards and witches to know magic and to be able to control them, for them to know when they were supposed to use them.

Now, i think we are missing the lessons and message of HP installments here. JKR doesn't intend to have this in mind that is why she destroyed the dark lord in her book. Why? Because he is evil and all those who involved in dark arts are evil. Also, because the dark lord who happens to involed in dark arts cannot use it for good. And anybody from Slytherin house cannot use it for good either. Why? because it will be dark against dark and a house that is divided cannot stand.
As a reminder, the Slytherin house was fist stereotyped as bad in the HPPS.
It is to be noted that Hogwarts are'nt teaching dark arts. They are teaching DADA.

I admire the nobility of slytherin. They are brave and full of talents....

i don't think that someone who is involve with the dark arts is already evil.
slughorn certainly is one example that knows very well about the dark arts, but then he is not evil,


yup hogwarts is teaching dada, but to know how to defend oneself, first they should also understand the dark arts. this is for to be prepared, and to be able to know what to do with them (what the exact counter curses to be used).

I agree. There is no point teaching students to prepare themselves against the Dark Arts if they do not understand the Dark Arts in the first place. Like most dangers in this world, if you are fully informed about them the less likely you are to use them. (Well, that's what they tell us, anyway! )

There really is no point in teaching students dark arts unless they understand what the consequences are behind the use of the dark arts as a whole...The students have to be informed about the pros and the cons of using dark arts before they are able to go out and use them, if they are not properly taught the methods then they will not know how to use the proper spells and incantations in a situation...

Marcey

Yes.. that makes sense.. so do you still believe that everybody involved in the dark arts is evil?
I agree with Anneseches that they're not, the knowledge of something doesnt make you evil, though many people become afraid of you. Teachers, students, and people that worked with different kinds of magic- including dark magic, would have to understand, and appreciate what every kind of magic could do.
As to Dark magic, it's such an ignorant label, it was no doubt called that by the 'good' side. I dont think the dark is representative of 'evil' but rather the lack of understanding that they had for this kind of magic. maybe that was through fear, or maybe becuase dark magic was discovered in a way that contradicted general ideas. In any case, the term dark magic is now so broadly used, its meany is hazy.
We hate the stereotypes that people give- for slytherin and for other things. Labeling all magic that could possibly harm somebody, dark magic, is no different.

As for the 'message' in the books, Jk isnt saying that anybody involved in the dark arts is evil, she's saying lots of things, among them, that people should not be judged... whether this is conscious or not i don't know, since she has seemed to have done a lot of Judging of Slytherin's herself...
I dont think it matters any more though, what she intended. I dont mean it in a harsh way.. its just that a good book.. let me rephrase that, a truely amazing fictional world, is shown by its strength, that the series has come to an end, but there are so many more things to discuss, and to wonder about. HP is this, the series is finished, but millions of people are still crazy about it. It doesnt matter too much what her original messages were, because we can read whatever we want into it.

ahh that post was so disorganised.. I rambled...

Clara}~

No I don't look at it like that at all, I look at it as being if someone is going to let the Dark Arts take over their lives then they were obviously evil to start with, if they don't let it take over their lives then they are not. Simple as that...

Marcey

Hey! Wow its been a long time since i've been on this site. I thought my first post since being back should be on my house's thread.......

Lots of stuff has happened since i've been gone....movie #5 and book #7.......

So what about Snape?


Isn't his role at the end of the series more like a gryffindor?

And Dumbledore said he may have been placed in the wrong house.....which i take to mean he could have been placed in gryffindor or ravenclaw because of his thirst for knowledge.

Hmm.. I swear you just posted that on the ravenclaw house thread...

anyway.. No, I dont think Severus' actions were more like a Gryffindors at all, I think he acted like the true Slytherin he was all along..
Slytherins can be brave, very brave- if only in a different way to Gryffindors. They are intelligent, loyal- and they always have their Slytherin cunning. And of course, they stand up for what they believe in, which is what Severus had been doing for many, many years.
I also dont think he was placed in the wrong house.. as you can probably deduce from above.. I've disagreed with Jk on a few of her ideas (though who am I to disagree) most of them to do with Slytherins, and the way slytherins are viewed by others. Severus was a true Slytherin- not of pureblood, but of intelligence, enormous power, loyalty and strength. Thats what Slytherin's are- thats what 'Slytherin' means to me, and there's no way Severus should have been in a different house.

Clara}~

Hello here!
I can say that I am trully a Gryfindor because I have courage enough to mess aroud inside this Slytherin house. Well, that is partly correct. Another thing is that the people here welcomed me with great hospitality. Ahh Slytherin will always have a place in my heart...hehehe..

About Snape: No he can't be partly Gryfindor. He is truly Slytherin. Slytherin's too are brave. Well I gues his love for Lily as shield for Harry. A shield not made of a charm or magic.
The way his mind slyther from Gryfindor house (siding with Albus) to Slytherin house (siding with Tom) are rare qualities of true Slytherins. . Ahh! That is one of my favorite scene. That of Snape and Narcisa made me think that Slytherins are capable of love and are brave.

Voldemort is very brave. Even Harry admitted so (when he saw young Tom Riddle walk courageously into his ancestral home). Voldemort was very confident with his abilities. He possessed a great deal of courage. Yet he is the consummate Slytherin.

Slytherins are brave, because they stood for what they believed; only their beliefs often differ from other houses.

As for Snape, he is a true Slytherin, about Dumbledore saying about them sorting too soon, doesn’t mean that Snape should be placed in Gryffindor. Unlike Karkaroff Snape is not a coward that fled after the dark mark’s burned, because he loyal to Dumbledore. He was intelligent and cunning; this is the reason behind for him to become the consummate spy that he was required to act. Intelligence, loyalty, and cunning are some of the prominent traits of a true Slytherin.

Well Hi Everyone ...I'm going to comment on 2 previous posts.

First of all I agree with pretty much everyone on here in saying that I dont think you can be really good at dark arts without knowing dark arts. I mean look how Snape was gifted in DA...he respected and admired the dark arts but in the end he was good. And Dumbledore?! We all know he dabbled in the dark arts in his youth...hence him becoming such a great and wise wizard. Even Harry learned about the dark arts (like it or not). Slughorn comes to mind too. That being said I obviously don't think people who dabble in dark arts are evil! Its all about whats inside you...your desire to do good versus your greed...

Secondly, I absolutely think Slytherins are brave albeit often times they have questionable motives. Draco for example agreed to kill Dumbledore even though he was scared cause it would save his family. Voldemort is virtually fearless....I mean he's disgusting and evil and everything...but he was very very brave ( even Harry thought so). As for Snape, well to paraphrase Harry he's ''the bravest man ever'' I mean he put his life in danger since a year after Harry was born, being so close to Voldemort, gaining his trust, fooling EVERYONE while all the while fighting for Dumbledore to protect Harry...wow

Yes.. I agree, of course- Slytherins are brave! Though, in a very different way to Gryffindors. Slytherins are brave because that have a reason for doing what they are doing, they know that they need to overcome their fears to succede, and their bravery is not only in getting over their fears, but also in recognising them.
Gryffindors..they have a blatent bravery, that bravery that requires no forethought and little knowledge or preperation.
Personally, I prefer the Slytherin bravery. It is a bravery, and a confidence, in their own skills, and it is much more subtle that other types of bravery.
Often.. it also takes place inside the individual. Snape- for example, struggled and fought against his years for many, many years, yet all the while was called a coward (mostly by gryffindors, if you'll care to notice )

This Slytherin bravery is also present in Voldemort.. or rather, in Tom Riddle. He struggled with himself, he overcame his fears and he did it without support or aid- leaving it entirely up to himself to do what he needed to.
The things he did, before he became voldemort were brave. HE was hugely brave.

Because DD was a Gryffindor (yes.. thats the link, I am shameless.. ) If you want to take a look, the new WAW-created Dumbledore site is up here

Clara}~

I don't see Voldemort as brave. Bravery to me is doing something that you are too scared to do, but still carrying it through. Voldemort never really had a occasion to show fear, (Except when Dumbledore was around- but I never really got a clear mental picture off these moments) so he never had an occasion to show bravery. I don't think that when Voldemort walked into his Grandfather's house he was showing bravery- he had no need to! He had the upperhand in (almost ) every situation I can think of. He wasn't brave, he just appered to be, because he had a well-placed trust in his abilities, that's all.

I do see Slytherins as being very loyal as well as brave. Even though most Slytherins only think of themselves and their own necks, they do have a level of bravery not shown by others in the other houses. Draco does show levels of bravery that most would think was unusual. I see Voldy as a coward because if he was brave then he would stand up against all those that oppose him, alone. But instead he uses his Death Eaters as his sheilds and he gets them to do his dirty work for him...

Marcey