Anybody ever wonder what happened to all of Hermione's Muggle friends after she went to Hogwarts? I mean, she's an 11-year-old girl. She's not just friendless until she meets the wonder-duo, is she?
And I thought I'd tell you, as I'm big on sharing XD. I just discovered why I like the Slytherins better: They are more real. They are petty and clannish and childlish, and I can see then smuggling alcohol into the dorms and getting pissed drunk, I can see them organizing an underground supply net of porn, and running out of the castle to go clubbing. Organizing the annual drag-queen contest, and Draco actually writing Weasley is Our King in the common room, with help from the entire house. I went to an all girls school in a school sistem different from yours, and I spent 12 years virtually locked up with 24 more girls. As a result, we ended up practically sisters, and 3 years later we still get togheter several times a year, get drunk and talk about men. My point is, close proximity usually makes bonds in a group strong.
I adore Slytherins. I can see them getting into all kinds of shit and messing up and generally being teenagers and having fun ^_^
Exclusion from other groups also has that effect: making a smaller group bond together. Right from the get-go, the Slytherins have been judged too mean, too evil, and too unworthy to be befriended by any of the other three houses. The Hufflepuffs are too scared, the Gryffindors too righteous, and even the smart Ravenclaws can't get around their petty differences. For that reason, I mainly see the Slyths bonding. But you are absolutely right.
I still see a lot of the Slyth pettiness and annoying behavior as evidence of their 2-dimensional-ness, with the exception of Snape and Draco. I'm afraid I don't know nearly enough about any of the other Slyths to make judgment calls about why they act the way they do. Right now, JK has allowed them nothing more than the role of bullies, on the whole.
I like them mean and petty. I read once something that went like this:"boy1: You are making it really hard to like you. boy2: should I be making it easy? You aren´t going to like me anyway, so I´ll be damned if I go out of my way to accomodate you"
See, they are mean and petty, but they are excluded teenagers. Rebelion, anyone? They hate them in school, so they hate everyone right back. They are bitter, because 3 houses against one and the world frowning down on you is not fair, and hell, why shouldn´t they be? Dumbledore took away the House cup at the last possible minute, disapointing and humiliating them and the entire school cheered. It´s one thing to be competitive, and another altogheter if everyone is hell bent on celebrating your misery. They carry a grudge, and so would I. Being the smart people they are they have long ago figured out they aren´t getting the cup, not in the current order of things. They cheat at quidditch and are mean and nasty because if if Griffindor is winning, they might as well suffer for it.
Anyway ^^ The fact that they are so very tribal in theyr organization (moving as a pack, where there´s a hierarchy averyone aderes to) makes me think they must have done some very stupid things indeed. They do things for the hell of it, making eforts just for the personal satisfaction of it, and if this were the real world, sex, booze and drugs would be in order. I don´t know if it´s gone quite as far, but it makes me wonder...
as a parting note, sorry for the gram ^^ I´m sort of unable to separate lenguages right now, dunno why.
I don't know if sex, booze, and drugs necessarily go hand in hand with this sort of situation, but I agree with your approximation of their reasoning. They are treated unfairly, that's for sure. They must have been livid that first year, and naturally would lash out. It's one of my pet peeves about the series that JK spends so little time talking about her "villains." Villains are so much more interesting when they are given agency.
^^ I just discovered something...
Date: 2005-10-15 02:51 pm (UTC)From:I adore Slytherins. I can see them getting into all kinds of shit and messing up and generally being teenagers and having fun ^_^
Re: ^^ I just discovered something...
Date: 2005-10-15 06:10 pm (UTC)From:I still see a lot of the Slyth pettiness and annoying behavior as evidence of their 2-dimensional-ness, with the exception of Snape and Draco. I'm afraid I don't know nearly enough about any of the other Slyths to make judgment calls about why they act the way they do. Right now, JK has allowed them nothing more than the role of bullies, on the whole.
Re: ^^ I just discovered something...
Date: 2005-10-15 08:08 pm (UTC)From:See, they are mean and petty, but they are excluded teenagers. Rebelion, anyone? They hate them in school, so they hate everyone right back. They are bitter, because 3 houses against one and the world frowning down on you is not fair, and hell, why shouldn´t they be? Dumbledore took away the House cup at the last possible minute, disapointing and humiliating them and the entire school cheered. It´s one thing to be competitive, and another altogheter if everyone is hell bent on celebrating your misery. They carry a grudge, and so would I. Being the smart people they are they have long ago figured out they aren´t getting the cup, not in the current order of things. They cheat at quidditch and are mean and nasty because if if Griffindor is winning, they might as well suffer for it.
Anyway ^^ The fact that they are so very tribal in theyr organization (moving as a pack, where there´s a hierarchy averyone aderes to) makes me think they must have done some very stupid things indeed. They do things for the hell of it, making eforts just for the personal satisfaction of it, and if this were the real world, sex, booze and drugs would be in order. I don´t know if it´s gone quite as far, but it makes me wonder...
as a parting note, sorry for the gram ^^ I´m sort of unable to separate lenguages right now, dunno why.
Re: ^^ I just discovered something...
Date: 2005-10-16 05:33 pm (UTC)From: