# Harry Potter: Is Slitherin evil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459 "2003-12-17T03:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/21 "2003-12-18T08:20:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmm, here’s a theory: You put the “ambitious” ones all in one house, they fight amongst themselves. You let them spread out among the houses, and the houses soon start fighting amongst themselves for dominance and control. Whereas in Slytherin, they’re corralled. Quidditch, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/22 "2003-12-18T08:34:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ISiddiqui \* > \*\*I think we can agree that Hagrid’s statement is incorrect. However, the simplest answer to why may be sloppiness by Rowling. She may have thought of the story in terms of black and white in the beginning, but then realized it would be much more compelling with shades of grey and went in that direction. \*\* Actually, the simplest answer is Hagrid’s talking without fully thinking things through - as he does many, many times throughout the series. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/23 "2003-12-18T08:42:43Z")
Perhaps, but he says it with such conviction in SS, it almost does seem like an about face on the part of Rowling, with the convenient answer that Hagrid gets things wrong sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/24 "2003-12-18T11:07:02Z")
Does anyone not think that Draco Malfoy may possibly reform? I just have this feeling that he’s not all bad… ---
**Author:** ![Joachim\_Pieper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Joachim\_Pieper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joachim_Pieper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/25 "2003-12-18T12:38:55Z")
Who would have thought there’d be rules lawyers on the straightdope? The Humanity! Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/26 "2003-12-18T13:45:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shy guy \* > \*\*I always thought that part of the point of the mudblood-hate is that it wasn’t based in any kind of logic whatsoever, kind of like racism. > > Like Hagrid points out, Hermione is pretty much as talented as they come, and she’s a mudblood. \*\* Or, look at it this way: Wizards = caucasions Muggles = Jews Mud-bloods = partly Jewish people Mud-Blood-hating wizards are like anti-semites, hating Muggles and mixed-race Mud-Bloods. Some, like the Malfoys, are full-fledged Nazis, wishing to rid the Wizard world of half-Muggles. It doesn’t have to make sense. There are people like Snape who don’t necessarily like the idea of half-muggles, in fact actively dislikes them, but, since the original fall of Voldemort, draws the line at extirpating them. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/27 "2003-12-18T23:22:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jennyrosity \* > \*\*Does anyone not think that Draco Malfoy may possibly reform? I just have this feeling that he’s not all bad… \*\* No he is from an oldschool family ,and old money. When lucious lays down the law, Draco will obey orders. Besides , I think he is a little prick ,that I would not mind seeing impaled turkish style. Declan ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/28 "2003-12-19T02:46:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kizarvexius \* > \*\*I always make the distinction between houses in terms of work ethic… Slytherin: “What’s in it for me?” > > Slytherins are not necessarily evil. Just more likely to be cold, calculating, and cynical. \*\* Umm, hate to break this to you, but in a great many systems of morality, primacy of self-interest is the definition of evil. Evil isn’t necesarily the insane genius who wants to destroy the world, but the one who can’t have compassion for any one else (cf. _Les Miserables_, **Javert** ). Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/29 "2003-12-19T03:13:37Z")
> [@](#): > > There are people like Snape who don’t necessarily like the idea of half-muggles, in fact actively dislikes them, but, since the original fall of Voldemort, draws the line at extirpating them. Actually, have we ever heard Snape express anti-mudblood views post his conversion to Dumbledore’s side? He sure hangs out with the wrong crowd, but come to think of it, I don’t right now recall him talking about the importance of being pureblood. Like Percy, he seems FAR more obsessed about people who “break the rules,” like Harry. Probably because he “broke the laws” once, paid dearly for it, and gave up quite a lot in order to reform: so he hates seeing Harry not only get away with breaking the rules but even be called a hero for doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459/30 "2003-12-19T03:23:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kaylasdad99 \* > \*\*The culture at Hogwarts is for people to tend to hang arond with friends from their own house. The adolescent James Potter does not strike me as being likely to have a non-Gryffindor as one of his three best friends. For this reason, I have generally assumed Peter Pettigrew to have been a Gryffindor. \*\* And don’t forget that the Sorting Hat asked Harry if he thought he might do well in Slytherin. Probably Peter Pettigrew was given the same choice… and just couldn’t hold up the Gryffindor end of things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-slitherin-evil/219459.md?page=1)