Meritocracy: House points in Harry Potter

[scrollgirl]

I was surfing HP links and found an old discussion about house points and playing favourites in the Harry Potter books. Now, I really do sympathise with ickle firstie Draco in Philosopher's Stone--I watched the movie long before I read the book and Tom Felton's crushed expression tugged at my heartstrings--but having become familiar with the

Comments

[nemesister]

What book have you not read?

IA that Dumbledore's points are not for nothing, but I think the criticism stands that the last minute way he does it humiliates the Slytherins and therefor encourages animosity. The whole house cup system encourages animosity, and Dumbledore takes the effect to the extreme instead of softening it, which isn't exactly wise if he wants to get the Slytherins on his side, not is it nice! In other words he isn't exactly encouraging the Slytherins to fight Voldemort as bravely as the trio, but rather to assume they are not wanted anyway.

[scrollgirl]

I haven't read GoF yet, though I've seen the movie.

In CoS, DD gives the points to Harry and Ron then and there, and McGonagall gives the points in OotP while they're all still in the hospital wing. The only time DD gives last minute points is in PS, so it's not like he makes a habit out of it. Which, considering Slytherin had won the seven previous years, seems like not quite such a humiliation for Slytherin as it is a relief and welcome surprise to everyone else. I think our perceptions are skewed because we never see the seven years of easy Slytherin victory and subsequent gloating.

I do agree the house cup system encourages competition, but it can't be blamed entirely for the terrible animosity between the houses. Perhaps a better comparison would be if white children of families who fought for Confederacy were mostly sorted into House 1, and the white children of families who fought against the Confederacy plus black kids were mostly sorted into Houses 2, 3, and 4. Even if you can assume (as I would like to assume) that not

[nemesister]

* nor is it nice, btw

Yeah, I was only talking about PS, the other times it seems fine.

In general I wish things weren't so cut and dry, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw had a shot at anything ever and Harry would lose some trivial shit (like a quidditch game) at least once, but I'd have to write my own fantasy novel for that!

Have fun with GoF when you get to it, it has some great parts!

[scrollgirl]

It's true, poor Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are distant a 3rd and 4th all too often (except when Cedric was a Champion) but I like to pretend that we just don't see all the awards and special honours handed out at the end of year, which the brainiac Ravenclaws and hard-working Hufflepuffs rake up. Slytherin and Gryffindor want all the glory of the House Cup, but there are other recognitions to be had. *fanwanks*

Have fun with GoF when you get to it, it has some great parts!

Thanks! I haven't gotten far, but I'm just happy to have HP canon I haven't read yet :)