When Harry returned to Hogwarts for his fifth year, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that things would be different. New characters, new security measures, and the banishment from Quidditch was just a few of the surprises Rowling dished out. Among them all, was a new Sorting Hat song. Unlike the songs of the previous years, the Hat did not keep up with precedent, and "branched out" from singing about the school's background and descriptions of the four Houses, and instead sang advice, a warning even. The Hat began off as it normally did, giving the first years a rundown of the Four Founders and the beginning of the school. But then somewhere down the line, the Hat's tone changed from Hogwarts: A History, to something much deeper. ". . . And never did they dream that they Might someday be divided, For were there such friends anywhere As Slytherin and Gryffindor? Unless it was the second pair Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?. . ." From those few lines, we can assume that, contrary to popular belief, Salazar Sytherin and Godric Gryffindor were actually friends - very good friends, if the Hat's words are true (and who would know more about the Founders than Gryffindor's old hat?). So Slytherin's leaving, perhaps, had nothing to do with a bitter rivalry with, or hatred for, Gryffindor. ". . .The Houses that, like pillars four, Had once held up our school, Now turned upon each other and, Divided, sought to rule. . ." So it was not just the Slytherins and Gryffindors that turned on one another, but all four Houses. Whether it be one House against three or two against two is left unsaid, but the fact of the matter is that all four Houses turned on each other - not just Slytherin, but each other. Each House - yes, even the meek Hufflepuff - sought for dominance. ". . .And for a while it seemed the school Must meet an early end, What with dueling and with fighting And the clash of friend on friend. . ." And how can anything that was supposedly built on unity, teamwork, and the overall intention of spreading education ever stand erect when within its walls, students and teachers alike would turn on one another? That each House would unite only within themselves, thereby excluding anyone whose robes were unlike their own. Hogwarts was dangerously close to crumbling… ". . .And last there came a morning When old Slytherin departed And though the fighting then died out He left us quite downhearted. . ." Then finally Slytherin left, the real reason still unknown. Perhaps the feuding had become too much for him, or maybe he could not bear to deal with the other Founders. Whatever the reason was, his departure, while eventually brought the fighting to an end, left them all affected. The tensions simmered, yet the obvious feeling of a lack of that 'certain something' still haunted them all. The duels may have stopped, but the single fact still remained: Hogwarts was no longer complete. ". . .And never since the founders four Were whittled down to three Have the Houses been united As they once were meant to be. . ." With Slytherin gone, the school had lost its zing, that special little something that kept it standing. The four strong pillars were now three, and, strong as they might be, could never bear the weight of four Houses, nor the burden of being incomplete. Hogwarts was built to be a symbol of unity, the four Houses a testament that, while obviously divided, still held strong and united beneath the intertwining school crest that bore their own separate ones. But with Slytherin gone, the Houses could, and never would, be united as they were meant to be, once upon a dream. ". . .And now the Sorting Hat is here And you all know the score: I sort you into Houses Because that is what I am for, But this year I'll go further, Listen closely to my song: Thought condemned I am to split you Still I worry that it's wrong, Though I must fulfill my duty And must quarter every year Still I wonder whether sorting May not bring the end I fear. Oh, know the perils, read the signs, The warning history shows, For our Hogwarts is in danger From external, deadly foes And we must unite inside her Or we'll crumble from within I have told you, I have warned you. . . . Let the Sorting now begin. . ." And so the Hat, sensing that the school was indeed in danger of repeating its tragic history, sang them all a warning, hoping each would hear it, and listen. With the arrival of the fifth book, Rowling provided us all with the key ingredients to repeat this Founding history. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and perhaps even Neville are, in no doubt, perfect representatives for Gryffindor. Cho Chang and newcomer Luna Lovegood would be Ravenclaw's. For Hufflepuff is Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott, who, despite the fact that they were introduced in earlier books, were both only developed more into real characters now. And Slytherin? Mr. Ferret-Face himself. Ever since the beginning, Slytherins were hated and discriminated. Already, the three Houses pitted themselves against the Snakes, although without such intensity as that of the Lions. The Slytherins, while holding strong against the tide, are only human (despite what others say). How much longer will it be before they're pushed over the edge, and out of the school? So maybe Draco will become a Death Eater, like so many have already condemned him to be. But what then? Slytherin leaves, and the four pillars will once again wither into three, therefore leaving themselves weak and vulnerable, no longer united. Dumbledore had said so himself, during the Leaving Feast of Harry's fourth year, that they needed to unite in order to defeat Voldemort. That Voldemort's gift of manipulation will stir them all into distrust, yet they must rise above his evils and gather their strengths against him. But in order to do that, they'd need the cooperation of all of the Houses. And for that to happen, they need Slytherin. They need Draco. So what does it mean, the Hat's message? Perhaps Harry's role may not be the only defining one in the series. That maybe, just maybe, the one to turn the tide bears the mark of a snake… For now, only time will tell. Ron gave an enormous swallow and said, "How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a hat?" "I have no idea," said Nearly Headless Nick. "Of course, it lives in Dumbledore's office, so I daresay it picks things up there." "And it wants all the Houses to be friends?" said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was holding court. "Fat chance." "Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," said Nick reprovingly. "Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate Houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron." |