What it Means to be a Slytherin
Frequently I am asked by friends and other peers which House from Harry Potter I belong to. When I replay Slytherin without a pause to ponder the question, it tends to unnerve people. And why would it not? Voldemort, and almost every villain in the Harry Potter Universe belongs to that house.
Some people may wonder if my choice in house has to do with my fascination with villain characters. And while I certainly do tend to like the antagonists in a majority of stories over the heroes that oppose them, there is another reason in this case.
Lets describe the 4 houses in Harry Potter. I can do it in one word for each.
Gryffindor which is the house of protagonist Harry Potter and most of his friends can be described by the word Courage.
Hufflepuff which is the house of fan favorite Luna Lovegood as well as Cedric Diggory can be described by the word Loyalty
Ravenclaw which is the house of many of the bookworm characters not named Hermione Granger in the series can be described by the word Intellect,
Slytherin which is the house of almost all the villains in the series including Voldemort, Bellatrix, and the Malfoys and their little group can be described by the word Cunning.
Now lets look at the words and how they do (and don’t) apply to me. I’ll start with Hufflepuff which is the house I am the least like. Loyalty is very important to me. But I have been back-stabbed frequently by people in my life so I don’t have much faith in the people around me and hold little faith in loyalty. Also Hufflepuff is the house that believes that everyone is the same. An idea I am incredibly opposed to.
Now lets look at Gryffindor. While I do exhibit many of the traits of this house, namely courage and leadership, I believe in reason before honor. This concept is in direct opposition to the ideas of this house. I believe that charging blindly to protect my friends is foolish and tends to get everyone killed. Instead it is better to examine the situation and find a way to protect your friends without giving up any pieces that are needed on the chessboard of life.
Now lets look at Ravenclaw. This house I am very closely aligned with, and if not for Slytherin, I would in all likelihood find this house as my home. Ravenclaw teaches that knowledge is power. And I one hundred percent agree with the statement. Ravenclaws pursue ideas and concepts and bring in many of the brightest minds. Many of my friends find themselves as Ravenclaws, and in my mind, Slytherins and Ravenclaws think almost the same. The only reason I do not choose this house is due to me believing in street smart being more important than book smart.
Finally, lets look at Slytherin. I am firmly of this house. Knowledge is power, but you must stay alive for it to matter. I don’t let myself be tricked the way a Gryffindor does. I do not want to be just a number as Hufflepuffs would have me be. And while I have the utmost respect for Ravenclaws, I believe that for me to function best, I cannot stay in a classroom all day. I believe in pragmatism. I would rather use a mind control spell over a destructive fireball. One is more powerful and far more subtle than the other. I might be called a dirty coward by some (especially a Gryffindor) but I feel the need to repeat that to be “honorable”, you have to stay alive.
“I would rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not” Spoken by Kurt Cobain, this sums up in my mind what it means to be a Slytherin. I may be a snake and a manipulator, but I find it easier to deal with people when they understand that I am my own number one. Anything I do to help anyone, ultimately benefits me in some way.
It may sound like I am selfish, and I probably am. However, I feel that this deep understanding of myself is part of this power of knowledge. And cynicism, darkness, and cunning are what makes me who I am. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.