Always

Slytherin: On “Their Ends”

hpffhelp:

“Or perhaps in Slytherin you’ll make your real friends, those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends.” — The Sorting Hat, PS/SS

Why not “good ends” or “positive ends” or any other adjective before “ends”? 

There’s an obvious reason. I mean, really obvious.

Because JKR meant “their”. As in “the ends of the cunning folks in Slytherin”. Or more specifically, “the ends of each Slytherin individually”.

This implies selfishness. When I say “selfishness”, most Slytherins either nod in cocky agreement or start composing an angry reply, but hear me out.

Here’s the definition:

Selfishness (n): Unwillingness to relinquish one’s needs for the needs of others; a concern for one’s own welfare and a disregard of others; egoism; harming someone else in order to help oneself.

Most people tend to think of selfishness as something they must overcome, but Slytherins embrace selfishness as a basic tenement of humanity, as necessary for survival. This is not to say that Slytherins cannot help others; however, they tend to help others knowing that they will receive something in return, whether it’s notoriety or a favor or just the lift that having done something nice for someone else gives them. The point is, Slytherins know what their time is worth — what their life is worth — and it certainly isn’t free. 

With that in mind, let’s look at “…use any means to achieve their ends” in terms of each Hogwarts House. The different Houses tend to orient themselves in terms of what the self pursues. Gryffindors tend to champion a cause, an ideal. Hufflepuffs tend to put their time and energy into other people, friendships and relationships. Ravenclaws tend to concern themselves with ideas, learning, newness. And Slytherins are all about ambition, about protecting and promoting the self above all else.

So it goes like this:

  • Gryffindor: “…use any means to achieve the end which best suits the cause they endorse.”
  • Hufflepuff: “…use any means to achieve the end which is best for everyone.”
  • Ravenclaw: “…use any means to achieve the end in which they learn to most.”
  • Slytherin: “…use any means to achieve the end which they desire for themselves.”

There are huge differences in the priorities of each House at Hogwarts, as you can very clearly see here, and Slytherin has the most controversial priorities by far.

Here’s why. In order for society to function smoothly, not everyone can afford to be selfish, which is why Slytherins tend to have the reputation of ambitious disregard for the rules or for societal norms. Their selfishness forces them to live outside (above, under, etc.) the laws that normally restrain others from acts of selfishness. Since societies are built on the idea of altruism and selfishness is the exact opposite of altruism, Slytherins are pushed to the fringes of society: positions of great power, artistic (read: creative) pursuits, or criminal activities. All three of these examples are very small minorities of society as a whole.

So it’s no wonder Slytherins tend to be a majority of minorities; they are led to this outcome by their selfishness. And what’s more, they like their fringe status. Slytherins thrive through selfishness in the same way that Gryffindors thrive when they can champion an ideal, Ravenclaws thrive on knowledge, and Hufflepuffs thrive through hard work and patience. Is that a bad thing? It’s up to you.

Slytherin: On Creativity

hpffhelp:

When the Sorting Hat first uttered the words “those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends” way back in PS/SS, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Slytherin was doomed to a misunderstood existence. Finally, after years of pondering why I felt that way, I’ve come up with a decent answer: It’s the word cunning. It bothers me.

Why does cunning bother me? Well, here’s a dictionary definition:

Cunning(n): Skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile; adeptness in performance; dexterity.

Skill. Shrewd. Sly. Deceiving. Craftiness. Guile. Adeptness. Dexterity.

Not so bad, right?

Here’s another one:

Cunning (n): Skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit.

Skill. Achieving. One’s (read: selfish) ends. Deceit.

It’s the second definition, the simpler one, that most people ascribe to Slytherin, but I say that there are no simple Slytherins. They are, almost by definition, a complex House. Perhaps the most complex. So why do people insist on describing Slytherins using that ridiculously shallow definition?

I think that has much more to do with the people labeling than the people getting labeled.

Anyway, I think there is a definition of cunning that is being overlooked here. If you look up synonyms for cunning in a thesaurus, you’ll find a selection similar to this:

Machiavellian, able, acute, adroit, artful, astute, cagey, canny, clever, crafty, creative, deep, deft, dexterous, foxy, guileful, ingenious, insidious, keen, knowing, masterful, sharp, shifty, shrewd, skillful, slick, slippery, sly, smart, smooth, street-smart, streetwise, subtle, tricky, wary, wily

Did you see it? Alright, pay attention because this is the crux of this article: I think that cunning is just a skewed way of saying creative.

Let’s look at the dictionary definition of creativity, shall we?

Creativity(n): The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.

Sounds like a Slytherin to me.

For those of you making whiny noises somewhere along the lines of “but Ravenclaw is the creative House!” right now, sit down. Yes, okay, Ravenclaws are creative, too, but not in the same way. Ravenclaws are known for their studiousness, their genius, but Slytherins are known for their street smarts, and that requires an altogether different kind of creativity. Ravenclaws are the House best known for their intellect, and yet intelligence is one of the most basic traits of Slytherin House. There’s bound to be some overlap of traits, but I think Slytherin’s got Ravenclaw beat when it comes to creative exploits.

Mostly because Slytherins are boss at creativity. Here are some examples:

  • Horace Slughorn doesn’t like the spotlight, but he likes the perks that come with fame and fortune, so he creates the Slug Club to reap the benefits of giving young witches and wizards bound for power and success their beginning. He uses his connections to help others achieve their goals and secures himself a steady supply of crystallized pineapple and Quidditch tickets. 
  • Tom Riddle needs to find a scapegoat for the Basilisk when he opens the Chamber of Secrets and Headmaster Dippet confesses that Hogwarts may close if the culprit isn’t caught, so he blames Hagrid, who is conveniently obsessed with monstrous magical creatures. Now that’s crafty! 
  • Draco Malfoy comes up with the idea to use a set of Vanishing Cabinets to open a secret entry into Hogwarts. 
  • Severus Snape is creative enough to invent new spells from scratch and make improvements on Potions instructions in his textbook.
  • Salazar Slytherin manages construct the Chamber of Secrets and to hide its existence from the other Founders even after he left Hogwarts by concealing its entrance under the sinks of a girl’s bathroom.
  • Merlin. The end.

With all of these examples and many more from Canon, how can it be argued that Slytherins aren’t a creative bunch?

Still not convinced? I present to you the HPFandom.

A huge majority of artists and writers in the HPFandom were either sorted into Pottermore as Slytherins or grew up identifying with Slytherin. Why is that? Well, we can attribute it to that titillating so-bad-we’re-good persona for which Slytherin is known OR we could look at it like this:

As the number of Pottermore-sorted Slytherins increases, we have a broader pool of people to examine for common attributes. We’re no longer limited to Death Eaters and bullies, a near Slytherin-wide failing in Canon. We can see the sheer number of creative people (writers, artists, musicians, etc.) who are recognized as Slytherins every day. With over 800,000 Slytherins sorted on Pottermore alone as of this posting, I think it’s high time we stop shouting cunning and start cheering creative!

Slytherins on Slytherin

hpffhelp:

I’m looking for some Slytherins who are interested in writing their opinions about their House!

  • What do you think about the traits commonly ascribed to Slytherin?
  • What traits are overlooked by other Houses in regard to Slytherin?
  • What do you, as a Slytherin, think about the other Houses?
  • What do you think about Slytherin’s history? It’s reputation?

I’m looking for meaty responses. Come on, Slytherins! Tell us what you really think!

SUBMIT A RESPONSE

Slytherin: General Overview

hpffhelp:

Founder: Salazar Slytherin

Ghost(s): The Bloody Baron

Colours: Silver and Green

Common Room and Dormitories: The Slytherin common room is found in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, and is located underneath the Black Lake. Because of its location under the lake, the light filtering in through the common room windows is greenish. Images: Pottermore (Canon) and Movie (Manon)

Information Given by the Sorting Hat:

  • “Or perhaps in Slytherin/ You’ll make your real friends,/ Those cunning folks use any means/ To achieve their ends.” - PS/SS
  • “And power-hungry Slytherin/ Loved those of great ambition.” - GoF
  • “Said Slytherin, ‘We’ll teach just those/Whose ancestry’s purest.’” … “For instance, Slytherin/ Took only pure-blood wizards/ Of great cunning just like him.” - OOtP

Traditionally-Associated Traits:

  • Traditionalism (n): The upholding or maintenance of tradition, esp. so as to resist change.
  • Resourcefulness (n): The quality of being able to cope with a difficult situation.
  • Cunning (n): Skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit.
  • Ambition (n): A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work; desire and determination to achieve success.
  • Leadership Qualities
  • Self-Preservation (n): The instinct for individual preservation; the innate desire to stay alive; the desire to protect oneself from harm or destruction.
  • Shrewdness (n): Intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings).
  • Determination (n): Firmness of purpose; resoluteness.
  • Certain Disregard for Rules
    • Rule-Breaker (n): One who does not follow known ascribed guidelines for behavior; one who disregards what is expected in favour of what is desired.
    • The Rule-Breaker’s Personality
  • Intelligence (n): The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
  • Seeds of Greatness

Draco apparated to the foot of a hill near Hogsmeade. He stumbled, nearly falling over, then twisted wildly around, searching for any sign of pursuers, but he was quite alone. Blood dripped steadily over the handle and golden contours of the Horcrux in his hand from under the sleeve of his robes. He tightened his grip to prevent it slipping from his grasp, trying to ignore the pain in his injured arm, to push back the hazy throbbing in his head and focus.

Focus! What now?

He forced himself to climb the hill, deciding he would be able to get a better idea of his whereabouts from the top. Wildflowers crunched under his feet as he picked his way around stones and low shrubs in the misty morning light.

A faint smell of smoke came to him on the wind, mingled with the familiar scent of lake water and dewy grass. And there was a growing noise, an uneven, distant static, punctuated now and then by shouts. Screams. The crackle of fire and the crush of stone on stone.

What is going on?

Panting and dizzy, Draco reached the crest of the hill. Hufflepuff’s cup slid from his limp fingers.

On the other side of the Black Lake, Hogwarts burned.

— The Stopper in Death by absumoaevum

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My dash went from a shit ton of Hunger Games to a shit ton of Avengers to a shit ton of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

All these fandoms whizzing by and I’m still over here being an HP blog like

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