Monday Musing – Sorting Hat

So I spent part of my weekend with my godson and siblings (henceforth known as my niece and nephews) and it was wonderful. I’ll be in London soon and, now that I have the go-ahead from mom, I want to begin their formal introductions into the Potter-verse, which means, they must be sorted!

My family hasn’t read all the books, but we discussed qualities, potential, and overlap (since not all character houses are obvious… Hermione could be Ravenclaw, Harry a Slytherin, etc etc). We consulted the text and read the iconic Sorting hat delivery from Philosopher’s Stone.

As we continued to discuss I realized one house in particular was not taken as a compliment at all! In fact, based on the reaction, I felt pressured to “soften” it by combining it with another house just to make it acceptable. I have a feeling you know which house I’m referring to… which leads to my musing for today:

Don’t mistake me, I’m a superfan, so I know why people dislike the house, or rather its representative characters, but a couple of things stand out.

1) It is still a house suitable for Hogwarts to foster.
2) Voldemort may have been Slytherin but many of his followers were not.
3) There were several good Slytherin characters (and many minor characters whose affiliations are given no mention).
4) Every house has its antagonistic traits, Golden Mean style!

We know Slytherins are known to be cunning, clever, resourceful, ambitious, and determined. This can be good or terrible depending on how you use those traits. What I see is Slytherin encompasses traits from what other houses have to offer. It’s as if when combined with other houses, Slytherin makes them better (perhaps a reason why it’s still a House at Hogwarts despite the annoyingly bad reputation). It’s the ultimate combo and caters to the introvert and extrovert alike! So why be embarrassed to stand alone? Let’s examine.

Gryffindors: Bravery, Daring, Courage is the mean, but too much of either  and you are rash, abrupt, arrogant, and over-confident. Daring is helpful and happens to be a shared trait with Slytherin. Consider, Gryffindors are known for having a lot of nerve… is ambition really that different? Not that far of a stretch, right?

If you’re the extroverted Slytherin type, then courage and nerve are a valuable means to achieve your ambitions. Having ambition without the nerve to pursue it is a depressing way to live. I’d imagine a Slytherdor would be a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Sidenote: Which is why I think Harry could have easily been a great terrifyingly evil wizard. He could be great you know…  terrible… but great. [Dark Wizard Example: Peter Pettigrew]

Ravenclaws: The house is known for their wisdom, intelligence, cleverness and knowledge. Their main difference as I see it is that they prefer those traits over the brawn of a Gryffindor. For this reason, Ravenclaws are often considered introverts, preferring their head in a book, which is why I see this archetype as the introverted Slytherin who learns more toward cunning and resourceful.

They use their accumulated knowledge to achieve their goals. In this instance, a Slytherin may not always make the wisest decision like a pure Ravenclaw is supposed to, but they would at least consider it before making one that would serve a greater good. [Dark Wizard Example: Quirrell, allegedly Barty Crouch Jr.]

Hufflepuffs: Humility and loyalty are great traits that can be displayed by any house. Prioritizing hard work, dedication, and patience are what make Hufflepuffs special. They are “just and loyal.” Fairness requires perspective and a willingness to listen. The downside to a Hufflepuff is they can be extremely prideful. Being known as the fair and just ones without actually cultivating the knowledge and experience required to execute those skills correctly just leaves you with pride in one’s humility, which makes them the conceited opposite of the traits they purport to possess.

Now, a Slytherpuff is resourceful and dedicated enough to cultivate the faculties required to maintain a just demeanor. The patience of the -Puff is a plus… but when one is determined you tend to have to be patient, even if you don’t want to be. [Dark Wizard Example: According to Pottermore, “the least amount of dark wizards” came from Hufflepuff].

Regardless of the house you are in, you can benefit from sharing in some Slytherin traits. Don’t let the few ruin the resourceful old house for you. If you need exemplars, focus on Horace Slughorn, Severus Snape, Phineas, Andromeda, or Regalus Black! Even Merlin.

Moral of story? It’s ok to be Slytherin. #StopSlytherinShaming