Is There Hope Left for a Gryffindor/Slytherin Truce?
Dear Slytherin House Students,
I think it’s time that we sit down, have a chat, and sort some things out. For a long time, I’ve felt that perhaps the reason Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses don’t always get along is because we have qualities that overlap. When I was a kid, my mom would say that the reason I didn’t get along with someone was because we were too alike. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to wonder whether maybe this similarity is true for the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin.
I feel that we have both been judged and labeled by the stereotypes created by our House founders and that often the merits of the newer members of our Houses are not being taken into account. The idea that all Gryffindors make ridiculous spectacles when being brave is unfair to those who quietly and consistently make a difference in the background. It is also the same for those in Slytherin who are always deemed to have an evil ulterior motive when someone has big ambitions, instead of believing that they just wish to live in a better world. Ambition isn’t a negative personality trait, and being brave isn’t about showing off. Period.
Now, more than ever, it is deemed acceptable (and even praised) to be a mixture of two Houses. It is with these new mixes that the overlapping traits of Gryffindor and Slytherin are even more visible. Both Houses praise resourcefulness and determination in their student. They’re also quite fond of breaking the rules. We might have slightly different reasons for breaking the rules, but it’s still in the same ballpark.
I think it’s about time we cleared this stereotype for both of our Houses, and to do this we need to work together. It’s probably too much to ask for Gryffindors and Slytherins to be best friends. How about we try having some respect for each other? The world already has a lot of hate and intolerance, so why don’t we try something different?
Let’s just start with a butterbeer in Hogsmeade, or we could go for a stroll around the lake. The small steps we take now could help in the future, so what do you say?
Yours sincerely,
A Gryffindor Student
