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He successfully dupes Slughorn into revealing crucial information, demonstrating his slyness in obtaining knowledge that would later become key to his transformation into Lord Voldemort. In the memory shared by Professor Horace Slughorn, a young Tom Riddle can be seen deftly manipulating the conversation to extract information about Horcruxes, a dark and forbidden branch of magic. While we see Harry, Hermione, and Ron frequent Dumbledore’s office for being disobedient, Slytherins are different in the sense that they enjoy pushing the boundaries when it comes to rule following. If it serves them, they’re more than happy to oblige, but when it no longer benefits their wellbeing, they’re ready to wreak havoc. Draco’s interaction with his peers, particularly his cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, exemplifies his supreme confidence.
Why Lucius Malfoy was the perfect example of all the worst Slytherin traits - Wizarding World
Why Lucius Malfoy was the perfect example of all the worst Slytherin traits.
Posted: Mon, 08 Nov 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Bloody Baron
The Chamber of Secrets remained hidden for centuries until it was opened by Tom Riddle in 1943. Riddle attempted to use the chamber to rid the school of muggle borns, and nearly succeeded. He killed Myrtle Warren, a muggle-born girl, and petrified several others.
#2: Cunning

Draco’s actions during this period are indicative of the lengths some Slytherins are willing to go to achieve their goals, often justifying their disregard for rules and norms with their ambition and the ends they aim to achieve. However, it’s crucial to remember that these actions represent an extreme and not all Slytherins engage in such behaviors. An illustration of this can be found in Draco Malfoy’s actions in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” In this book, Draco is tasked by Lord Voldemort with a mission of great importance – to assassinate Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

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While Harry ends up revering Snape at the conclusion of the series, it's also fair to say that the potions master was incredibly cruel at times, both to Harry and to other students who weren't in his house. Those who end up in Slytherin are the "cunning folk," according to the Sorting Hat, willing to "use any means to achieve their ends." However, there is a bit of a shadow cast over this house thanks to Salazar's stance on Muggle-born students. The founder distrusted these students and argued that they shouldn't be admitted to Hogwarts or taught the magical arts.
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There is no doubt that she deeply cared for her daughter Nymphadora – she even became an ally of the Order of the Phoenix because of it. She was also devoted to her grandson Teddy, who she ended up raising single-handedly after Tonks and Remus both died in the Battle of Hogwarts. For Andromeda, love came before ambition or power, and she demonstrated how that wasn’t incompatible with being a Slytherin. And if we are talking about love, we should also give a nod to her sister Narcissa. While she wasn’t a good person – what with her support of Voldemort and highly unpleasant views – she was devoted to her son and valued that above all else. She even defied Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts, when she lied and told him that Harry was dead so she could get back to the castle to find Draco.
The Different Qualities of a Slytherin
Slytherins' shrewd nature and ambition also means they can be somewhat manipulative. Lucius Malfoy displays this trait quite often, networking with his contacts at the Ministry of Magic to gain control and advance his own social standing. One detriment of Slytherins is that they aren't always the nicest (and that can be an understatement). Draco is a well-known bully during his years at Hogwarts, and his father, Lucius Malfoy, is no different.
Snape was also fairly insecure as a child and lived a solitary life. This lack of confidence and desire to avoid being ordinary is likely what drew him to Voldemort. On the flip side, not all Slytherins are arrogant—they can also be quite insecure. Once Draco is enlisted by Voldemort to kill Dumbledore, he's truly shaken and realizes he's in over his head with the task. His son Scorpius inherits some of these insecurities, but Scorpius' are mostly due to speculation that he could be the son of Voldemort.
However, the cunning nature of a Slytherin can be used for both good and bad purposes. ‘Shrewd Slytherin from fen’, as the Sorting Hat’s song goes, was the most controversial of the Hogwarts four Founders. Slytherin was a Parselmouth – able to converse with snakes – which, in those less enlightened times, was considered an affront to nature and proof of dark wizarding blood. He was also a skilled legilimens and also had a particular interest in magical creatures, which again was looked upon by his contemporaries. Even more worryingly, Slytherin was rumored to have practiced the Dark Arts. Andromeda Tonks was a Slytherin whose primary incentive in life seemed to be love.
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The most famous wizard of all time, Merlin was a master of magic and he accomplished many great things during his lifetime. However, Slughorn was also a bit of a glory-seeker and he loved nothing more than to boast about his famous students. This is how Harry came to possess one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, as Slughorn unwittingly told Harry about them. Slughorn was an accomplished Potions Master and he had a gift for picking out talented students. He took Snape under his wing and helped him to become the potions genius he is today.
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Slytherin was a wizard who believed that only those with pure blood should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. He believed that Muggle-born students were not worthy of attending the school and would eventually bring about its downfall. Slytherin students are known for being ambitious, cunning, and resourceful. Many people also think of Slytherins as being cold-hearted and ruthless. And this is true to some degree – Slytherin is known for producing many Dark Wizards.
She was also incredibly cruel and she loved nothing more than to inflict pain on others. She’s literally the type of person who’s so easy to hate – I certainly hated her throughout the series. During her time as Headmistress of Hogwarts, she instituted many draconian rules and she tortured students who disobeyed her.
Riddle was a gifted student and, like Snape, he was also quite ambitious. Tom Riddle was the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time and the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series. He was born to a Muggle father and a Witch mother, making him a half-blood. But his mother was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, making him the heir to the ancient and powerful Slytherin bloodline.
Being cunning might mean being dishonest from time to time, but it could also be interpreted as simply playing one's cards close to the vest. While Draco always seems to be plotting something, that's not what makes him a villain for most of the series; his terrible attitude and hatred of anyone he deems inferior are his real bad qualities. Plus, Hogwarts students have to be pretty cunning just to get through their classes, to say nothing of the constant dangers that lurk within the school's halls. Hogwarts can be a tricky place to be a kid; a little cunning wouldn't hurt anyone, whether they're Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, or Slytherin. Dolores Umbridge is another cruel and sadistic character, completely unafraid of torturing students as punishment. She places blind faith in authority, first to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and then to those who later took charge, all while trying to gain power for herself.
And it’s all thanks to Salazar Slytherin’s fine work during the founders’ time. Well, Draco figured out how to repair The Hogwarts Vanishing Cabinets. A good number of feuds in the Harry Potter series can be traced to the Slytherins House. Students in this house notably antagonized their Gryffindor counterparts. Another case in point is the Malfoy family in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ who went to great lengths to remain true to each other. A perfect demonstration of ruthless ambition is seen when Severus Snape commits himself to annihilate Lord Voldemort after the latter kills Harry Potter’s parents.