Slytherin Defense Club

Why Hogwarts Needs Slytherin

Why Hogwarts needs Slytherin house

As far as Hogwarts’ history appears to stretch, Slytherin has always stood out from the other houses.

Slytherin’s reputation for turning out ‘bad eggs’ has dogged the house for centuries. And it doesn’t exactly help that the founder of Slytherin was a Muggle-loathing, Chamber of Secrets-creating, Basilisk-owning… well, the list goes on. But Slytherin is just as important and necessary at Hogwarts as Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Here is why Slytherin will always be needed…

~~

Because Slytherins can be brave too

Despite the fact that some Slytherins – not naming any names – aren’t exactly chivalrous, there are some members of this house whose bravery could arguably match that of your average Gryffindor. Severus Snape is one of the best examples; a man who played a very long game, bravely suppressing his own feelings and working for both Dumbledore and Voldemort – a truly unique feat.

There are other examples of Slytherin bravery, like Regulus Black who turned his back on Lord Voldemort, and would later even help destroy one of his Horcruxes. Then there’s Professor Slughorn, who returned to join the Battle of Hogwarts despite previous hesitations; a big step up from pretending to be an armchair.

~~

Success is not to be sniffed at

The Sorting Hat frequently sings of Slytherin’s desire to succeed, so it’s no surprise that a family like the Malfoys are incredibly wealthy, probably as a result of their ambitions. But material wealth isn't everything and, as a house, Slytherin has done quite well for itself.

Before Harry enrolled at Hogwarts, they had a six-year streak of House Cup victories, which, for a house that Harry describes as ‘an unpleasant lot’, is a huge accomplishment. Yes, Slytherin can be boastful, but without ambition, where would many Hogwarts students be?

~~.

Slytherin teaches students that people are complex

Yes, Slytherins can be snide and cruel, as Harry Potter can vouch. But we think being a Slytherin does not necessarily make someone a bad person.

Draco Malfoy is the prime example of this. Very boastful and callous upfront, but as we saw in Half-Blood Prince, really just a young, insecure boy who hid behind bullying, before being emotionally destroyed by Lord Voldemort. To us, Draco is proof that Slytherin is not a breeding ground for evil and Dark wizards, but wizards full of flaws and desires just like anyone else.

~~

Having cunning is actually very useful

This goes hand in hand with Slytherins being defiant. Most Slytherins are pretty cunning people – the snake emblem is a bit of a giveaway – and so they usually get far in the world. Even people like Dolores Umbridge, a rather nasty piece of work, managed to become both Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Headmistress of Hogwarts using very underhand ways. How more people didn't see her true colours sooner beats us.

On a more positive note, Merlin, perhaps the most famous wizard of all time was sorted into Slytherin house. His strong advocacy of Muggle rights clashed with the anti-Muggle position Slytherin house commonly takes. So the fame and success of Merlin is yet another feather in Slytherin's cap.

~~

Not all Slytherins are corruptible

One of the biggest and most sweeping assumptions anyone can make when it comes to Slytherin house is that everyone in it is unreservedly evil. And that's pretty unfair for the majority of people who actually get sorted into Slytherin when they’re innocent, wide-eyed, 11-year olds.

Take these three Slytherins: Malfoy, Snape and Slughorn. Three wizards not without their flaws. Malfoy appeared mean, Snape appeared cruel and Slughorn appeared elitist - but each one, at some point or another, unveiled a different side of themselves. Draco showed a glimmer of compassion, Snape shockingly revealed his eternal love, and Slughorn offered companionship.

Of course, Slytherins like Tom Riddle and Dolores Umbridge don’t exactly help with the house’s PR.

~~

Without Salazar Slytherin, there would be no Hogwarts

Salazar’s opinions made him a terror of a man, but his ambition and wisdom did indeed contribute to the creation of Hogwarts in the first place – which is something that should never be forgotten. Although Salazar eventually drifted away from his fellow founders due to his discrimination against Muggle-borns, the Sorting Hat tells of the four 'working in harmony for several happy years'. What happened to those years?