Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died - Emerson Spartz [70]
And while the Gryffindors never hesitate to look down on the Slytherins for being pureblood racists, it’s fascinating that the Gryffindors are just as “clannish.” Harry’s parents were both Gryffindors, as shown in their Sorting Hat scene in DH. Harry may like girls from other houses, but those are just practice dates before HBP, when he comes home to Ginny, a nice argumentative Gryffindor girl. And look at all the Weasleys, with their pureblood red hair, all in Gryffindor, as are most of their spouses by the end of DH. Is that the true meaning of house unity—each house glorifies itself, especially Gryffindor?
The worst part of it is that certain glorious Gryffindors are self-righteous bullies. James and Sirius are obnoxious bullies in the books, picking on people and breaking rules, as in “Snape’s Worst Memory” in OotP. Yet, they are never punished much by Dumbledore, and James is made head boy so he can rule the house along with Gryffindor Lily [SS, p. 55]. In fact, the Gryffindors seem to be rewarded instead of punished in every book. The twins are just as irreverent as the Marauders, using their talents to hex people they don’t like, such as Dudley Dursley with the use of the Ton-Tongue Toffee in GoF. Their little sister Ginny doesn’t mind attacking Zacharias Smith for fun with her broom after a Quidditch match in HBP, or doing the Bat-Bogey Hex on him either, which is why Slughorn praises Ginny. It’s just as wrong for Slughorn to glorify Gryffindor as it is for Snape to favor the Slytherins. Hermione underhandedly helps Ron cheat during Quidditch tryouts in HBP so he can make the team, not to mention the fact that she does years of homework for him, which is why he never seems to learn anything. Then in the Epilogue, Ron brags about using magic to cheat on his Muggle driving test! So the Gryffindors don’t seem to be glorious at all. Yet it’s clear that Rowling wants us to pull for Gryffindor in spite of their flaws so that Harry can always win because he is so darn brave.
There are a few Gryffindors who aren’t thrill seekers, such as Neville, Dean, Parvati, and Angelina. It’s only when Neville gets covered with cuts and bruises, standing up to the Carrows and then Voldemort, that he finally seems worthy of Gryffindor house—even to readers who liked Neville all along anyway! It’s as if all of us bought into the idea from the books that only the brave deserve praise, and everyone else can go hang. Even Neville’s gran, who never seems to like him much before he becomes a warrior, suddenly respects him in DH. The motto of Gryffindor ought to be: “Be Reckless, Be Warlike—Go for the Glory.”
Verdict
Are Gryffindors equal to those in other houses, or are they born in the winner’s circle, destined for glorious triumphs? While posing for future statues could be seen as a Gryffindor trait, most of these characters have fallen off their pedestals by Book Seven. Verdict: No—while the focus is on the Gryffindors and their courage, they are not too glorified.
Which scene is funnier—Draco the bouncing ferret or the Weasley twins’ fireworks show?
Draco as the Bouncing Ferret (GoF)
Professor Mad-Eye Moody is lurking around in the schoolyard, and he’s aching to teach Draco a lesson. So when he hears the boy bragging about his Death-Eater father Lucius, and making fun of Harry’s dead parents, the punishment is swift and hilarious. Moody brandishes his wand and Draco becomes a slinky white ferret that goes bouncing all around a school court-yard. Now that’s what we call cruel and unusual. Would a real teacher do that? Is there a mystery here? Professor McGonagall comes to Draco’s rescue, telling Moody off for abusing a ferret, that is to say, Draco. Priceless.
The Weasley