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I can't really tell if the book implies that Snape could've been in Gryffindor, had he chosen to(as Harry did in The Sorcerer's Stone when the Sorting Hat gave him a choice), or if it is simply emphasizing the fact that we all choose our own paths, or perhaps both?

"Karkaroff's Mark is becoming darker too. He is panicking, he fears retribution; you know how much help he gave the Ministry after the Dark Lord fell." Snape looked sideways at Dumbeldore's crooked-nosed profile. "Karkaroff intends to flee if the Mark burns."

"Does he?" said Dumbledore softly, as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies came giggling in from the grounds. "And are you tempted to join him?"

"No said Snape, his black eyes upon Fleur's and Roger's retreating figures. "I am not such a coward."

"No agreed Dumbledore. "You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I think sometimes we Sort too soon...."

What are your thoughts?

Slytherin, definatley but remember Tom was in Slytherin and look how he turned out! Because you can't say all Slytherins are horrid and all Gryffindors are amazingly brillant and in love with themselves.

Originally posted by Arianna
Slytherin, definatley but remember Tom was in Slytherin and look how he turned out! Because you can't say all Slytherins are horrid and all Gryffindors are amazingly brillant and in love with themselves.

What? What you said doesn't even make any sense. "Remember Tom was in Slytherin and look how he turned out" yes, he turned into the most evil wizard to ever exist. So that kinda completely goes AGAINST you saying that not all Slytherins turn out horrible. And since when have Gryffindors EVER been known for being 'amazingly brillant (sic) and in love with themselves'? The quality that Gryffindor is known for is bravery. Not smarts, not ego.

Anyway, I liked that bit a lot. What it seemed to imply to me is that Snape had gone through a huge change in character through his life from being cowardly to being a very brave person, and that while he was a Slytherin he embodied what Gryffindor stood for.

He wanted to be in Slytherin.... The same way Malfoy had wanted to, because what they were brought up to believe, ultimately the sorting hat follows a person's will, it doesn't really matter about the wizard's character, except for the fact that certain people prefer certain houses.

Originally posted by Some_Black_Guy
Interesting. I thought that it was a unique occurence(The Hat presenting the wearer with an option).

Didn't Harry indicate in the epilogue to his son that he'd pretty much be sorted into the house of his choosing?

I don't recall ever hearing of a character that got put into a house that he didn't want....

Originally posted by Soljer
Didn't Harry indicate in the epilogue to his son that he'd pretty much be sorted into the house of his choosing?

I don't recall ever hearing of a character that got put into a house that he didn't want....

I'm under the impression that the Sorting Hat takes a person's aspirations and qualities into consideration first. Harry did tell his son that the Sorting Hat would give him a choice, but he also said "It did for me", which doesn't mean that it does for everybody because not everyone has the criteria for more than one house.

Originally posted by Lana
What? What you said doesn't even make any sense.
I never make much sense. I meant that Slytherin isn't just for evil people, it's also for double crossers, cunning people and people that will gladly hide behind their bigger and more powerful friends.

I think the sorting hat probably takes everyone's own opinion into consideration but we don't know it because Harry was really ashamed to talk about it and other people would probably just as shy to mention it.

Argh. Slytherin itself is not evil.

Slytherin is for people who are ambitious and cunning, and these are not necessarily bad qualities. They just happen to be qualities that are more likely to be used for a darker purpose.

Someone can be loyal to a fault - there is the possibility of being too smart, to the point of ignorance... and being brave and chivalrous, dashing into things without thinking - well, of course that can be used badly too.

Snape is a Slytherin. That does not mean that he does not contain qualities from the other Houses - we have seen that he is an extremely brave person. It's just that the Hat saw his overriding quality as being ambitious - "A thirst to prove himself," perhaps? Where have we heard that before...

I think Hermione also had a choice, in a way. Didn't she say in OotP that the Sorting Hat wanted to put her in Ravenclaw, or considered putting her there?

And yes, I think Dumbledore was telling Snape that he perhaps could have been in a different house.



Harry makes the connection between himself, Snape and Tom Riddle towards the end of the book.

The three of them have a great deal in common. One of the central themes in the books seems to be what you choose to do; Voldemort, Snape and Harry are all defined by the choices they made, and what they did with those choices. One went down a path of darkness, one went down the path of darkness but turned back, and one went toward the path filled with light but often was tempted by the shadows.

...I had a point somewhere in here. Drat...I lost my train of thought. *sulk*

Don't worry, I caught the point.

"Choices are what really matter in the book."

Hopefully?

Originally posted by siriuswriter
Argh. Slytherin itself is not evil.

Slytherin is for people who are ambitious and cunning, and these are not necessarily bad qualities. They just happen to be qualities that are more likely to be used for a darker purpose.

Someone can be loyal to a fault - there is the possibility of being too smart, to the point of ignorance... and being brave and chivalrous, dashing into things without thinking - well, of course that can be used badly too.

Snape is a Slytherin. That does not mean that he does not contain qualities from the other Houses - we have seen that he is an extremely brave person. It's just that the Hat saw his overriding quality as being ambitious - "A thirst to prove himself," perhaps? Where have we heard that before...

Thank you siriuswriter! It seems that people think if your in Slytherin you become a Death Eater and if you are in Gryffindor you become an Auror! For Being the most intelligent race on earth, we don't think much sometimes.

Snape's informant was the portrait of Dumbledore. It was Dumbledore's idea to move Harry prior to his 17th birthday and it was Dumbledore's idea to use polyjuice potion to create 7 Harrys. Dumbledore's portrait instructed Snape to confund Mundungus and implant the entire plan in his mind.