Real world Slytherins

[Patiod]

Good stuff from www.firedoglake.com

The Good Slytherins



Reading through the Harry Potter books, the one thing that’s really irritated me throughout about what’s an otherwise-excellent series is that while the members of other Houses are allowed to be fully-realized human beings, those of Slytherin House are pretty much allowed only to be evil — or, if not out-and-out evil, cowardly. Even the “good Slytherins” are pretty scummy, one-dimensional caricatures ninety percent of the time — to the point where, every so often, I feel like grabbing J.K. Rowling by the shoulders and screaming “Come on, woman! If the Slytherins are so utterly evil, then why do the other witches and wizards allow them to live? They can’t all be unremittingly evil! They can’t all be cowardly, backstabbing creeps! They can’t all march in precise lockstep to whatever stupidly evil plan their leaders concoct! There isn't a group of people that uniformly obnoxious in real life!”

But then I remembered: Oh yes, there is.

[Goblinmonger]

1. SPOILER

We get confirmation in book 7 that Snape is a big softy and has always loved Harry. Draco doesn't rat out Harry when he could have because he is realizing that Voldemort is a big prick. Though they are generally pretty flat characters.

[Patiod]

4. Any character played by Alan Rickman is OK by me

I could watch him read the phonebook

[tanyev]

6. Oh, yeah....

I was so rooting for him to triumph over Kevin Costner in Robin Hood.

[Greeby]

30. Why a spoon?

"Because it's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more!"

:evilgrin:

[Bjornsdotter]

9. Ooooo that voice

...goes right through me to all of the good places.

Cheers

[Tesha]

12. It sounds like you love him...

It sounds like you love him Truly, Madly, Deeply --
is that correct?

Tesha

[Patiod]

16. Oh, absolutely! He was amazing in that.

Those half-closed eyes and that great voice.

I am such a sucker for a great voice. Our DVD collection is also really heavy with Sam Elliott movies, too!

[youthere]

15. Oh Alan Rickman...yummy.

*wink wink*
*nudge nudge*
*hubba hubba*
*deeeeeeeep sigh*

[shadowknows69]

26. "Behold the Metatron!"

The heavenly host with the most from "Dogma"

[youthere]

28. I almost passed out when he dropped his pants...

until I saw the Ken doll package.

[wicket]

29. He is so deliciously evil as Prof. Snape

I'd take his detention any day.

:rofl:

[Patiod]

31. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has had those thoughts

whether about Snape or the Sheriff of Nottingham.

[TlalocW]

5. I didn't get that Snape loved Harry (SPOILER)

He loved Harry's mom. If anything, he probably resented Harry as a constant reminder that Lily Potter married James Potter, who Harry greatly resembled.

TlalocW

[Goblinmonger]

19. It was small (SPOILERS--BIG TIME)

When Dumbledore tells Snape that Harry has been groomed to die, Snape gets pissed and casts his patronus (which is when we know it was he that gave them the sword which I had guessed right away). Dumbledore asks if Snape has actually started to care for the boy and Snape's response is a simple "Always" which I will admit made me very teary. He loved Lily and loved Harry, too. He was just not very able to show it.

That's my take on that small line anyway.

[TlalocW]

24. I'm remembering it different...

I thought Dumbledore said something like, "Still after all this time, Severus?" and then Snape cast his patronus which was the same as Lily's and said, "Always," but both the question and answer were implied to be about Snape still loving Lily.

TlalocW

[Goblinmonger]

25. Now you've got me thinking.

I let the neighbor kids borrow the book so I can't check.

[myrna minx]

10. I scrolled too quickly and got to the body of your post

before I saw *spoiler* :-(

[Goblinmonger]

18. Sorry

there is so much else that you don't know yet, though.

[myrna minx]

23. It was my stupidity.

I should know better then to enthusiastically scroll in a thread with possible spoilers. :hi: I'm glad to know that there's still suspense for left for me.

[Bjornsdotter]

11. Spoiler.....

...I didn't get that at all. Snape loved Lily and everything he did for Harry was because of Lily. Snape hated Harry and that came through loud and clear in all of the books.

I do, however, think that on some level he felt sorry for Harry when he found out that Harry was to be Dumbledore's sacrificial lamb. I think Snape felt that Harry was being used, just like Snape was being used by DD.

Cheers

[Goblinmonger]

20. Spoiler response...

I think his "hatred" was an act because he knew he had to be on the opposite side of HP when Voldemort made his return. Remember he saves Harry during the Quidich match in the first book.

[TlalocW]

27. I don't think so

He knew he had to protect Harry because of the prophecy, but I think he resented it. There's no indication that he and James Potter ever reconciled their differences, and I'm sure it would be a constant thorn in the side to have to deal with the child of a woman he loved but had married someone else - someone he hated. Recall that Harry looks like his father so there's that constant reminder of the man he hated, but Harry also has Lily's eyes, which is a constant reminder of the woman he never had.

TlalocW

[Marr]

2. Haha- I'd never thought about, but yes- they're sort of Hogwarts' chapter of the Young Republicans.

[Mist]

3. Slytherins are presented as, at best, highly self-interested and selfish. So basically Repub! nt

[crispini]

7. Here is a direct link to the article....

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/08/06/the-good-slytherins/#more-10785

[Patiod]

8. Thanks!

I am so lazy.

[Tesha]

13. The real problem is that we're sending a bunch of Hufflepuffs up against them...

The real problem is that we're sending a bunch of
Hufflepuffs up against them when what we *REALLY
NEED* are a few bold Gryffindors!

Where'd that sword get to now...

Tesha

[yodermon]

14. BIG HUGE SPOILER

enough space? ok
As it turns out, Narcissa Malfoy saved the day in the end, out of love & concern for her son.

However I agree that the Slytherins could have been more multidimensional throughout the series.

[Goblinmonger]

21. Good point.

The Malfoys showed a group of characters that know when things are getting to evil for even the evil.

[Patiod]

17. Sent this to a Dem friend and her Rep husband freaked out

She emailed me to say "my husband ranted about (the FDL writer) as being 'repugnant' as the ones she hates just because they're Republicans. Definitely touched a nerve...!"

Oh well, I'll cut him a break because he was kind enough to rip me a copy of their "Wicked" cast recording, complete with all the song titles written out on the jewel case cover. And Republican who does that gains a few points with me!

[derby378]

22. Slytherins aren't necessarily evil - they're just badly misunderstood

Kinda like Shrek. Y'know, ogres are like onions and all that...