SLYTHERIN

“Or perhaps in Slytherin, you'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends."

DESCRIPTION

is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Salazar Slytherin.

HOUSE COLORS
— Green and Silver

ANIMAL
— Serpent

ELEMENT
— Water

TRAITS

Resourcefulness
Determination
Pride
Cunning
Ambition
Self-preservation
Leadership
Fraternity
Lineage

HEAD OF HOUSE
— Horace Slughorn

HEAD GHOST
— Bloody Baron

BACKSTORY

There was a controversy at Hogwarts and it was the root of a feud between former friends Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor.

Slytherin later decided to leave the school when an argument started between him and Gryffindor, and they either duelled or started a civil war+

between the two houses. Such an argument would be forever known as the origin of the feud between their two houses and also made them the houses that are most competitive.

When Slytherin departed Hogwarts, he left behind the Chamber of Secrets with the purpose of an heir opening the chamber one day and unleashing a basilisk that would kill the Muggle-borns.

The chamber was opened twice and the Serpent of Slytherin was killed the second time by Harry Potter in 1992. Slytherin’s views at the time could be attributed to the persecution of witches and wizards at the hand of Muggles during that century.

BLOOD PURITY

The Sorting Hat claims that blood purity was a factor in selecting Slytherins. It is not the main factor but it suggests that the sorting hat takes into account the lineage of the student as well as traits. Muggle-born Slytherins exist, but are very rare.

There have also been definite examples of half-bloods sorted into the house, including Voldemort himself. Harry Potter was nearly sorted into Slytherin, but because he asked not to be, he was placed in Gryffindor instead.

The concept of blood purity playing a part in picking students for Slytherin house stems from the founder Salazar Slytherin, who wanted a stricter policy of admission. This was contrary to the wishes of the other founders, who wanted to accept students of any blood status.

REPUTATION

Slytherin has a well-known reputation for creating dark witches and wizards. While it is true that many were in the house, it is untrue to say every single one of them was, as Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor and Prof. Quirrell was in Ravenclaw.+

It appears that reputation has led to an ironic prejudice against the entire house. It is unknown how many dark witches and wizards were from this house before Voldemort began recruiting Death Eaters but many of them came from a family that valued blood purity.

In fairer terms, there were many good witches and wizards in the house who opposed the use of the Dark Arts, as well as discrimination based on blood purity, such as Horace Slughorn, Andromeda Tonks, and Leta Lestrange.

Also, the allegiance of Severus Snape was found to ultimately be towards Albus Dumbledore to the point of serving as a triple agent for the Order of the Phoenix, in stark contrast to Peter Pettigrew, the former Gryffindor who became a double agent for the Death Eaters instead.

The behaviour of Slytherin house at the Battle of Hogwarts is also debated. The majority of their members departed Hogwarts before the battle started and a few joined their families in becoming Death Eaters.+

However, many of them returned to Hogwarts to fight against the Death Eaters and were led back by their Head of House, Horace Slughorn.

MAY I JUST ADD..

COMMON ROOM

is in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle and underneath the Black Lake. Because of this, the light in the common room is green. To enter the common room, you must speak aloud the current password in front of a damp stone wall.

Once the word is uttered, a concealed stone door will slide aside leaving a rectangular hole in the wall leading to the Slytherin common room.

END OF THREAD;