Contents

Slytherin Welcome Message......................................................................................................................... 2

By J.K. Rowling .................................................................................................................................. 2
Pure-Blood .................................................................................................................................................... 6
By J.K. Rowling ...................................................................................................................................... 6
6 reasons why it's great to be a Slytherin .................................................................................................... 11
8 times the good guys were surprisingly bad ........................................................................................... 17
Being bad isnt always black and white. In fact, there are many shades of grey in between. .. 17
1. Sectumsempra .................................................................................................................................. 17
2. Attacking the Fat Ladys Portrait ................................................................................................... 18
3. Dumbledore and Grindelwald ........................................................................................................ 19
4. Hermione setting birds on Ron...................................................................................................... 21
5. James bullying Snape ...................................................................................................................... 22
6. Xenophilius and the Death Eaters ................................................................................................. 23
7. Bartemius Crouch and his son ....................................................................................................... 24
8. Snape killing Dumbledore .............................................................................................................. 25
Slytherin Welcome Message
By J.K. Rowling

Congratulations! Im Prefect Gemma Farley, and Im delighted to

welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent,
the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and
silver, and our common room lies behind a concealed entrance down
in the dungeons. As youll see, its windows look out into the depths of
the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by and
sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout
has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck.

Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin and a
few you should forget. Firstly, lets dispel a few myths. You might
have heard rumours about Slytherin house that were all into the
Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a
famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you dont want to believe
everything you hear from competing houses. Im not denying that
weve produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three
houses they just dont like admitting it. And yes, we have
traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of
witches and wizards, but nowadays youll find plenty of people in
Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent.
Heres a little-known fact that the other three houses dont bring up
much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous
wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you
want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at
the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett,
inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?
I didnt think so.

But thats enough about what were not. Lets talk about what we are,
which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win,
because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin.

We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that
respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but
you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the
wild side. Chuck out a few hints that youve got access to a whole
library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your
pencil case.

But were not bad people. Were like our emblem, the snake: sleek,
powerful, and frequently misunderstood.
For instance, we Slytherins look after our own which is more than
you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of
swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each
other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The
corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and
youll be glad youve got the Serpents on your side as you move
around the school. As far as were concerned, once youve become a
snake, youre one of ours one of the elite.

Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen
students? The seeds of greatness.Youve been chosen by this house
because youve got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the
word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the
common room whom you might not think are destined for anything
special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in
here, theres something great about them, and dont you forget it.
And talking of people who arent destined for greatness, I havent
mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins
and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I
think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind
you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor
prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than
we like to think. But that doesnt mean that we cosy up with
Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like
beating them.

A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the
Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him hell sometimes
agree to frighten people for you. Just dont ask him how he got
bloodstained; he doesnt like it.

The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an

eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into
our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered
it for more than seven centuries.

Well, I think thats all for now. Im sure youll like our dormitories.
We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and
bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries
depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins cover the walls, and
silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. Youll sleep well; its very
soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at
night.
Pure-Blood
By J.K. Rowling

The term 'pure-blood' refers to a family or individual without

Muggle (non-magic) blood. The concept is generally associated
with Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whose aversion to teaching
anybody of Muggle parentage eventually led to a breach with his
three fellow founders, and his resignation from the school.

Slytherin's discrimination on the basis of parentage was

considered an unusual and misguided view by the majority of
wizards at the time. Contemporary literature suggests that
Muggle-borns were not only accepted, but often considered to
be particularly gifted. They went by the affectionate name of
'Magbobs' (there has been much debate about the origin of the
term, but it seems most likely to be that in such a case, magic
'bobbed up' out of nowhere).
Magical opinion underwent something of a shift after the
International Statute of Secrecy became effective in 1692, when
the magical community went into voluntary hiding following
persecution by Muggles. This was a traumatic time for witches
and wizards, and marriages with Muggles dropped to their
lowest level ever known, mainly because of fears that
intermarriage would lead inevitably to discovery, and,
consequently, to a serious infraction of wizarding law.*

Under such conditions of uncertainty, fear and resentment, the

pure-blood doctrine began to gain followers. As a general rule,
those who adopted it were also those who had most strenuously
opposed the International Statute of Secrecy, advocating instead
outright war on the Muggles. Increasing numbers of wizards
now preached that marriage with a Muggle did not merely risk a
possible breach of the new Statute, but that it was shameful,
unnatural and would lead to 'contamination' of magical blood.**

As Muggle/wizard marriage had been common for centuries,

those now self-describing as pure-bloods were unlikely to have
any higher proportion of wizarding ancestors than those who
did not. To call oneself a pure-blood was more accurately a
declaration of political or social intent ('I will not marry a
Muggle and I consider Muggle/wizard marriage reprehensible')
than a statement of biological fact.

Several works of dubious scholarship, published around the

early eighteenth century and drawing partly on the writings of
Salazar Slytherin himself, make reference to supposed
indicators of pure-blood status, aside from the family tree. The
most commonly cited signs were: onset of magical ability before
the age of three, early (before aged seven) prowess on a
broomstick, dislike or fear of pigs and those who tend them (the
pig is often considered a particularly non-magical animal and is
notoriously difficult to charm), resistance to common childhood
illnesses, outstanding physical attractiveness and an aversion to
Muggles observable even in the pure-blood baby, which
supposedly shows signs of fear and disgust in their presence.

Successive studies produced by the Department of Mysteries

have proven that these supposed hallmarks of pure-blood status
have no basis in fact. Nevertheless, many pure-bloods continue
to cite them as evidence of their own higher status within the
wizarding community.

In the early 1930s, a 'Pure-Blood Directory' was published

anonymously in Britain, which listed the twenty-eight truly
pure-blood families, as judged by the unknown authority who
had written the book***, with 'the aim of helping such families
maintain the purity of their bloodlines'. The so-called 'Sacred
Twenty-Eight' comprised the families of:

Abbott
Avery
Black
Bulstrode
Burke
Carrow
Crouch
Fawley
Flint
Gaunt
Greengrass
Lestrange
Longbottom
Macmillan
Malfoy
Nott
Ollivander
Parkinson
Prewett
Rosier
Rowle
Selwyn
Shacklebolt
Shafiq
Slughorn
Travers
Weasley
Yaxley
6 reasons why it's great to be a Slytherin

When an 11-year-old boy is chanting NOT

SLYTHERIN! NOT SLYTHERIN! endlessly
into a Sorting Hat, you may get the impression
that this Hogwarts house has an iffy
reputation.

Of course, Slytherin do have a couple of foibles: their issues with

Muggles, a terrifying serpent emblem, and that dreadful chap
Lord Voldemort. But if you do get Sorted into this house, there
is absolutely no need to be down about it. This ancient
community has just as much to offer as the other three houses,
despite all evidence to the contrary. We promise.

1. Not every Slytherin is a total git

It's a common misconception that Slytherin house is host to
every dark wizard imaginable. Alright, so its founder, Salazar
Slytherin, had a tendency to target Muggle-born students with a
terrifying giant snake in a specially-made Chamber every now
and then... And fair enough, Lord Voldemort is more or less the
most evil force in wizarding history. But it's not all doom and
gloom!

Take one of Hogwarts' most esteemed professors, Severus

Snape, who gave his life for the greater good, all in the name of
love.

How about Regulus Black, Sirius Black's brother, who famously

defected from being a Death Eater in order to try and vanquish
one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes? Nymphadora Tonks's
mother Andromeda defied the pure-blood traditions of her
family (which included her sister Bellatrix Lestrange) to marry a
Muggle-born: a very un-Slytherin sort of thing to do. And as for
wily old Horace Slughorn, he may have had some skeletons in
his cupboard, but in the end shone true in the great Battle of
Hogwarts.

2. The common room is quite picturesque, you know

Unlike the other houses, Slytherin's common room is situated
deep in the dungeons of Hogwarts, surrounded by the school's
Great Lake. Its dcor includes a crackling fireplace, carved
chairs and greenish lamps which actually sounds quite homey.
And dungeons, smungeons. What's not to love about a nice,
Gothic feng shui?

JKR/Pottermore Ltd. Warner Bros.

3. One of the greatest wizards ever known was a
Slytherin
Slytherin's repute is always going to be ever so slightly tarnished
by the fact that pesky Lord Voldemort was a staunch house
member who embodied every Slytherin stereotype going. But
not much is said of the fact that one of the most famous wizards
of all time, Merlin, was also from the house. So beloved and
great was Merlin, that to this day, wizards are awarded The
Order of Merlin to celebrate an outstanding achievement. Proof
that even Gregory Goyle may one day turn into a great
inspiration. Okay, maybe not.

4. Snakes are cool

And while we're defending things, let's also hear it for snakes
the Slytherin emblem. We can understand that sometimes
serpents have some poisonous tendencies that also relate to a
few of Slytherin's alumni, and yes, sometimes snakes can be
murderous Basilisks or even secret Horcruxes, but don't hold
that against them. Snakes are some of nature's most resourceful
creatures, and if life weighs down on them, they shed their skin
and start anew. Some Slytherins, including a certain Draco
Malfoy, have been known to do this too.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

5. Slytherins are born winners

When Harry first joined Hogwarts, Slytherins reigned supreme.
They had flattened Gryffindor on the Quidditch pitch and were
on course to win the House Cup for the seventh time in a row
before Harry, Ron and Hermione put an end to that. Now, if
Slytherins were so terrible, where did all those house points
come from? And since when was being good at sport a crime?
Perhaps everyone who has a go at Slytherin is just a bad loser.

6. And finally: who doesn't look good in green?

Let's be honest. If we had to pick between a glorious emerald
dress robe and a ghastly yellow one, we'd pick the former every
time. (Sorry, Hufflepuff.)
8 times the good guys were
surprisingly bad

Being bad isnt always black and

white. In fact, there are many shades of
grey in between.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Beware of spoilers.
No one is 100% good or bad, but here are eight times Harry
Potter characters made bad choices despite good intentions.

1. Sectumsempra
Harry may be the The Boy Who Lived, but he isnt immune to
bad decisions or dangerous impulses. In Half-Blood Prince,
Harry pushes his luck after acquiring a dusty old Potions
textbook that has been heavily annotated with notes and
homemade spells spells Harry decides to try out.
This backfires horrifically when he tries Sectumsempra out on
Malfoy during an angry confrontation. Noted as being for
enemies, the spell was clearly not friendly, and turns out to be a
hex that slashes Malfoy, seriously hurting him. Harry and
Malfoy have never been bosom buddies, but the magnitude of
the attack is huge, leaving Harry to question himself and his
trust in the anonymous Princes scribblings.

2. Attacking the Fat Ladys Portrait

 JKR/Pottermore Ltd. Warner Bros.

When were first introduced to Sirius Black, hes a wanted

fugitive on the run from Azkaban, convicted of the murder of
Peter Pettigrew and of betraying Harrys parents. Not a good
start. Sirius doesnt exactly improve matters when he tries to
sneak into the Gryffindor dormitory by slashing the Fat Ladys
portrait.

We later discover that Sirius is not a blood-thirsty murderer at

all, and simply wants to get revenge on the real villain of the
piece the not-at-all-dead Peter Pettigrew. But taking it out on
the Fat Lady wasnt so heroic. Firstly, the entire of Hogwarts
was panic-stricken, including his own godson. Secondly,
paintings have feelings too.

3. Dumbledore and Grindelwald

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Its difficult to disagree with the fact that Albus Dumbledore was
a marvellous man, lauded and respected by many. However, as
Rita Skeeter so distastefully revealed, his past was a little more
complicated.

Albus was once friends with Gellert Grindelwald, a wizard who

we know would succumb to true darkness in his later years.
During their youth, Gellert was enamoured with his a plan for
the greater good that would see wizards rise up and take their
rightful place above Muggles.

Their friendship ended after Dumbledores sister Ariana was

killed by a stray curse cast during a heated three-way argument
between the pair and Albuss brother, Aberforth.
This all sounds very unlike Dumbledore the wise teacher, but we
shouldnt forget that he was young once too. Dumbledore bested
Grindelwald in a legendary duel many years later but probably
not without a shadow of guilt for Ariana, and the tragedy that
his old friend had descended so far into darkness.

4. Hermione setting birds on Ron

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hermione is one of the greatest witches of her generation, and a

strong advocate for using magic for good. But despite her
incredible acumen, she was also once a 16-year-old girl with
hormones. This comes into play when Ron starts his
relationship with Lavender Brown, and very publicly, might we
add, in the Gryffindor common room.
When Hermione tries to get away, the new couple blunder into
the exact room shes in, just to rub the salt extra thoroughly into
the wound. Its the last straw for Hermione, who promptly
snaps and charms a flock of birds to attack Ron. Its not very
Hermione-like to maim one of her best friends, but to be fair,
Ron didnt exactly break the news to Hermione sensitively...

5. James bullying Snape

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Lily and James Potter are well-known figures in the wizarding

world, for their talents and their tragic, early deaths. So its only
natural that Harry, having lost his parents so young, had
perhaps a rather rose-tinted view of them both.
As such, it was a shock when he saw the way his father treated
Snape when they were teenagers at Hogwarts. Having always
wondered why the Potions master treated him with such
withering contempt, the reason became all too clear to Harry
when he realised James used to embarrass him in front of
students, perfecting the nickname Snivellus.

Of course, James grew out of this and became the man that
Harry believed him to be, but the revelation also taught Harry
that while his parents may have died heroes, they were
sometimes just as flawed as the rest of us.

6. Xenophilius and the Death Eaters

JKR/Pottermore Ltd. Warner Bros.

At first glance, Lunas father Xenophilius seems as harmlessly
eccentric as his daughter. Xenophilius even uses his infamously
bonkers publication, The Quibbler, to openly support Harry,
when the Daily Prophet would not. This loyalty doesnt last long.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione visit Xenophilius for help in

their quest for Horcruxes, Xenophilius alerts the Death Eaters
of their location immediately, but Hermione is quick to realise
why: Luna has been kidnapped, and he simply wants to get her
back at whatever the cost. A lesson that sometimes we do things
for love that we would never even consider normally.

7. Bartemius Crouch and his son

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Bartemius Crouch seemed like an upstanding member of the
Ministry of Magic: a straight up, law-abiding wizard who
banished his own son to Azkaban when he joined Voldemorts
ranks. Or so it seemed.

Actually, Barty had been breaking the rules for a while, sneaking
Barty Crouch Jr. out of prison, which led to him being reunited
with Voldemort. Barty Crouch Jr. then stole the identity of Mad-
Eye Moody, botched the Triwizard Tournament, and used Harry
to bring Voldemort back to full strength. Not the sort of stuff
you get promotions for.

The sad truth of the matter, however, was that it was Bary's
dying wifes final wish that she replace their son in prison, so he
might have another chance at life. Barty Crouch Sr. did what he
did for love, while his wife would never know that her sacrifice
would mark terrible things were to come.

8. Snape killing Dumbledore

 JKR/Pottermore Ltd. Warner Bros.

This one is rather complicated, obviously.

Snape doing arguably bad things is nothing new to us, but when
he used Avada Kedavra against Albus Dumbledore at the top of
the Astronomy Tower, he went from annoying Potions Master to
a truly Dark wizard.

How could he do it? How could he turn on the man who had
given him a second chance? Harry couldnt understand it and
neither could we; had Dumbledore really misjudged him so
much? As it turned out, no.

Snape killed Dumbledore at the request of the great wizard

himself, to spare the 16-year-old and terrified Draco Malfoy
from scarring his soul irreparably with murder. Snape was also
trying to atone for divulging the prophecy to Voldemort an
action that led to the death of the love of Snapes life, Lily
Potter. When examining what it is to be good, and what it is to
be bad, we feel Snape will always lie somewhere in those shades
of grey.