Gryffindor and Slytherin

While reflecting further on Steve's 'red and blue' imagery - in other words, the fact that we all see things differently, and need each other in order to get the full picture - I found myself thinking about the different Hogwarts houses in Harry Potter.

All students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are 'Sorted' into one of four houses on the day they arrive at the school.  The Sorting Hat magically determines which house is the best fit.  Gryffindor is for the bravest and boldest; Ravenclaw is for the cleverest; Slytherin is for the most cunning, and only takes those of pure wizarding stock; and Hufflepuff takes all the rest.  Harry and most of the other main characters are Gryffindors: courageous and fiercely loyal.  They do what's right even if it means breaking a few school rules.  Harry's friend Hermione explains that the Sorting Hat nearly put her in Ravenclaw, as she is extremely bright, loves school work, works very hard and is top in almost every lesson (only in Defence Against the Dark Arts does she come second - to Harry).  Hermione shows she is a true Gryffindor, however, when she starts breaking school rules, encouraged by Harry and Ron, in their various schemes to stop the dark wizard Voldemort.  

One thing I really love about the Harry Potter books is that it is not always brains and talent that win out in the end.  Neville Longbottom is clumsy, lacks confidence and only does well in Herbology (care of magical plants).  He goes on to lead the resistance to the dark wizards in his final year at Hogwarts, however, and even kills Voldemort's snake (to understand why this is important, read all seven Harry Potter books.  Seriously.  They're brilliant).  Luna Lovegood may be brainy, but she is utterly bonkers with limited social skills.  She is a wonderful character who makes jewellery out of corks, has few friends, walks around in her own dream world and has an uncanny knack of saying bluntly honest things which embarrass everyone around her.  Despite her oddness, Luna is a loyal friend to Harry, Ron and Hermione (she is glad to have friends at last) and follows them into danger without a second thought.  The Hufflepuffs may be seen as 'duffers' by the other houses, but they too have a role to play.  When Harry is in danger during the final Battle of Hogwarts they stand in between him and the Slytherins, ready to defend him.

There is a sense in which Slytherin are the 'baddies'.  Most if not all dark wizards start off in Slytherin House, as it is ruthlessness and cunning which are most prized there.  Voldemort himself was a Slytherin.  Draco Malfoy, whom Harry detests and who makes his life a misery whenever possible, is a Slytherin, and eventually falls in with the dark wizards himself.  Even the Slytherins are not beyond redemption, however.  Regulus Black is a Slytherin and dark wizard who repents at the end of his life and rebels against Voldemort.  Draco Malfoy and his odious parents seem to regret their involvement with Voldemort at the end of the series, as it turns out that their family affection is stronger than their loyalty to him.  And of course Severus Snape turns out, in many ways, to be the hero of the whole series.  Not only does he turn traitor and spy on Voldemort, at great danger to himself; not only does he play the perilous game of running Hogwarts along with the dark wizards, playing along with their nastiness while endeavouring to protect the students from the worst of it; not only does he pass crucial information to those who are fighting against the dark wizard; but Harry is able to defeat Voldemort in the end solely because Voldemort wrongly thinks Snape is on his side.  Again, to find out how, read the books!

Snape is able to bring about the defeat of Voldemort in the end because he is an exceptionally good occlumens - he is able to protect his thoughts against those who can read minds.  Voldemort is extremely good at reading minds, and does not realise where Snape's true loyalties lie.  Right up until the very end, Harry is convinced Snape is a dark wizard.  Despite the fact that they have been enemies for the entire time of their acquaintance, Harry names one of his children after Snape.  You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts, he explains to Albus Severus.  One of them was a Slytherin, and he was the bravest man I have ever known.