Slytherin

Slytherin is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts, the other three being: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Characteristics of a Slytherin student include ambition, cunning, resourcefulness and pure-blood heritage. Another characteristic seems to be a hunger for power, far greater than students from other houses display. Slytherin is represented by a snake and its colours are green and silver. The Bloody Baron is the houses’ ghost and Professor Snape is the head of house.

While Slytherin students are more likely to be pure-blooded it is not a definate requirement. Those who can speak Parseltongue (the ability to speak to snakes) are also more likely to be sorted into Slytherin.

Some students, including Harry Potter have a negative view of Slytherin based on the fact that many of the evil wizards have come from Slytherin.

Salazar Slytherin

Salazar Slytherin was power-hungry and came from Eastern England. Slytherin was a parselmouth, giving him the ability to speak to snakes and therefore Slytherins are represented by a serpent.

Slytherin created the Chamber of Secrets beneath the school. The snake was left there to purge the school of Muggle-borns.

Slytherin owned a locket, which was stolen by Voldemort and turned into another horcrux.

Slytherin Students

Some notable Slytherin students include:

• Lord Voldemort
• Severus Snape
• Bellatrix Lestrange
• The Malfoy family
• The Black family
• Horace Slughorn
• Pansy Parkinson
• Vincent Crabbe
• Gregory Goyle

Related Content