My child wants to be in Slytherin! (light-hearted)

[CautiousOptimist]

I love Harry Potter, and my two older DS age 7 and 5 are developing a love for it too. They’ve watched the first 3 films and we’re reading Philosopher’s Stone together.

Today I asked them which house they’d like to be in. DS5 said Gryffindor. DS7 said Slytherin, because he wants to win!

I’m strangely unsettled by this! Thing is, he does love to win, hates to lose, and is going through a phase (I hope) of being rather unkind to his brother - asking him the answer to maths questions he doesn’t know for example, telling him his drawings are ‘rubbish’, occasionally pushing him if he’s in his way etc. Obviously I discipline and talk to him about all of this. He saves his bad behaviour for home. At school he’s popular and would never dream of acting like that to his friends.

So his answer got me thinking, am I raising the next supporter of the Dark Arts?! And what can I do about it? I try to talk to him about how lucky he is, how it’s important to be kind, why we do things as a family like donating to food banks...

For what it’s worth, I know I’d be in Hufflepuff, and I’m quite proud of it! What’s wrong with being a hard worker and a good loyal friend anyway?!

Slytherin here!! I wonder how much of the 'othering' of the Slytherin children fed the divide?... Even the teachers were so judgemental from the start! ( Overly invested? Me?! 😆)

Another Slytherin here!

I also have a slytherin dd. She isn’t a psycho though, or at least not yet!!

I have one Slytherin and one Hufflepuff. The Slytherin also wants to join the First Order (star wars). I am doomed!!

I have genuinely written whole essays about the problems of dividing children into Good, Bad, Boring and Brainy.

Pottermore puts you in houses and tells you your patronus.

DS1 got Gryffindor, DS2 & I are Slytherins. You have to remember Merlin was a Slytherin and the Sorting Hat would have put Harry in Slytherin until he asked not to.

Oh dear op, I'd def look into some private tutoring for spells to make sure he doesn't go too dark...

Andromeda tonks was Slytherin and she was lovely. Slytherin's were very loyal to eachother and what's so wrong with being ambitious? Be proud of your little snake.

Oh this thread is so timely. I was ironing DD's Harry Potter PJs this evening (the legs go so short they need to be ironed out). And one has the Gryffindor logo and the other Ravenclaw. And I wondered did any kids ask for Slytherin clothing or memorabilia - and here you all are.

I reckon if I did the online quiz I would be a Slytherin as I am quite mean!!!

I think it is more interesting of your DD to go to the non obvious one.

I'm a Hufflepuff too and proud. Pottermore put me in Hufflepuff but I already knew. My DD7 is HP obsessed and is Gryffindor through and through. DD3 isn't sure yet but I can imagine her being a Slytherin

Nothing wrong with Slytherin!
I'm a Hufflepuff and proud.

Puffs and Slytherins are meant to bring out the best in each other !

I have 1x Gryffindor, 1x Slytherin and 1x Huffelepuff. The Slytherin could be a Ravenclaw if they develop some empathy as they mature🤞🤞🤞!😬😆

DS, who is 7, is also a wannabe Slytherin. So are a lot of people— look at how much fanfic rehabilitates the Slytherins, or some of them.

In fact, I’ve always thought JKR missed a trick in not reforming some Slytherins towards the end of the series. It would have been such a great dramatic moment at the Battle of Hogwarts, if a few Slytherins stayed to fight against Voldemort, and had to earn the trust of the other houses in the middle of the fighting, while being regarded as traitors by their peers.

After all, Slytherin has produced more dark wizards than the other houses, it’s not that the Hat only sorts in the definitely evil, and some of them at least must have felt loyalty to their school...?

It's been a while since I read the book, but I thought some of the Slytherin's did fight. Im 99% Horace Slughorn was there.

In the very last scene of the book, when Harry is in Dumbledore's office being congratulated by the former heads of the school, the portrait of Phineas Nigellus says "Let it be noted that Slytherin played its part!"

@FernFurze I too think that JK missed that trick. Mind you, Percy Weasley is Slytherin-like in character (ambitious, power-hungry, decisive about where his loyalties lie), and the way he suddenly changes sides near the end of the story is similar to that idea.

In the battle of Hogwarts the lions just plough in , hopelessly outnumbered but the snakes sneak off. They get reinforcement then come back. I'd be glad if either of my son's turn to be that resourceful and with that much foresight! Nothing wrong with taking time to consider tactics and strategies.

Slughorn, yes, (and Snape, secretly), but from what I remember of the novel, after Pansy Parkinson and the Slytherin students show they're prepared to deliver Harry to Voldemort, McGonagall has them all escorted to the Room of Requirement and evacuated, and we’re told the Slytherin table is empty, whereas some overage students from the other three houses stay to fight. We know Crabbe, Goyle and Draco sneak back to ambush Harry as he searches for the diadem, but later Voldemort says Draco didn’t fight with him, like the other Slytherins, which makes it sound as if all as if they all joined V’s side after the evacuation?

Don’t know about the film.

Take it you haven't seen/read The Cursed Child yet then OP?

Yes, go on Pottermore, OP. I'm a Slytherin, though when tested again got Ravenclaw.

@smeerf

I've got the book but not managed to plough through it. I read the first bit and thought, 'Dear Lord, you've lumbered your middle child with every disadvantage going, Harry!' and couldn't go on. I also disagree with him naming the other two James and Lily. Doesn't sit right with me. Akin to naming two siblings Romeo and Juliet.

Just about to say the same thing. Definitely see the Cursed Child - or buy the text of the play if you can't and are able to endure scripts.

Thanks all for reminding me of the decent Slytherins, and how it all pans out at the battle of Hogwarts. I’ve seen Cursed Child but must reread the script.
I’ll be proud of my little snake! After all Snape was Slytherin, and one of the best.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/storyamp.php%3ftitle=mte2mdawoq2srl

I don't have any problems with Slytherin but Harry was only nearly sorted in to Slytherin because of the piece of Voldemort's soul in him.

I'll be honest.

I pretend to be Hufflepuff.

Hell, I have a Hufflepuff duvet cover.

Butt really, deep down inside I'm a true Slytherin. :(