Harry Potter musings

[mari4212]

Just had to jot this down while I was thinking about it.

As many of you know, I'm getting sorted this week at sorting_elite. And reading over other people's house descriptions started me thinking...What do the Heads of House and the subjects they teach tell us about their house?


I'll start with Slytherin, as that is the easiest for me to see. To begin with, we have Snape. Now, no matter where you end up on the spectrum of beliefs about who Snape is, you cannot deny that he is smart, subtle, and good at manipulating the situation. He controls his class effortlessly, and can easily provoke the reaction he is looking for from most students. Classical Slytherin talents. Now, what about his subject? Potions is a demanding class. You have to be very deliberate in the class, as one mistake or bit of sloppy handling would mess up the potion, sometimes with disasterous consequences. You manipulate everything about the potion, from order and proportion of the ingredients, to the times and temperature in which things are added. Slytherins are known for their ambition and drive, as well as their ability to manipulate the situation to their advantage. This class strikes me as being a singularly good choice for a Slytherin, along the lines of their natural tendencies.

Gryffindor, on the other hand is lead by Minerva McGonagall, a woman known more for her strictness and fairness. By the end of the first week of classes, everyone knows what to expect from McGonagall. She demands your best effort, but when she gets it, she will be proud of you for it. She's determined, and loves a challenge. And we know she's brave. She stands next to Dumbledore, supports him against the Ministry. And she places herself in jeopardy to help Hagrid. Like Snape is for Slytherin, she is an excellent example of her House's ideals. So what about Transfiguration? How does it reflect Gryffindor house? Number one, it is a challenge. Gryffindors have always struck me as people who don't like to be bored. If a subject is too easy, they'll slack off. Second, we know that it requires a certain amout of confidence to do well. McGonagall mentions to Neville that his main problem is not a lack of power or skill, but a lack of confidence.

Turning next to Hufflepuff, we are shown Professor Sprout, and Herbology. Now, we aren't shown that much of Professor Sprout in the books, but we do see her as someone who is practical and dependable. She seems willing to praise those who deserve it, but is not above taking someone to task for messing around while they should be working. And she was the one to talk to the Diggories after Cedric's death. That's about all we are given on Sprout, and it definitely reflects the sorting hat's comments, that Hufflepuffs are just and hard-working. As for Herbology itself, it is a subject that demands hard work, patience, and responsiblity. You put in a lot of work when you are managing plants, more than is ever noticed by an outside observer. It takes patience and care to grow things, and you have to put in the work all the time. If you leave a plant alone for too long, it can die or become unmanagable. Definitely a subject that works well with Hufflepuffs.

Now, what about Ravenclaw? We really don't see much of Flitwick, but what we do see is a man who is curious about many things. Charms class shows this. From what we have seen, Charms class is a class where almost anything can happen. Charms are wide ranging in nature, but require precise wand movements and wording. There are plenty of questions for an intellectual to explore in Charms work, and the intelligence needed to master all of the various wand movements and vocabulary should not be underestimated.

Comments

[ljmckay.livejournal.com]

Wow! This is very insightful. To be honest, I'd never really thought all that much about how each Head's class reflects their house but you demonstrate very clearly that they really do. Well done!

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I ran across a few comments on someone else's application, and it lead me off on this tangent.