Fifth Years, Lesson Three

"Today, you will be learning about the other two founders: Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin." The class would be a little longer since Slytherin had a lot of heinous acts and Ravenclaw had very little information about her.

"So, Ravenclaw would be the one that valued intelligence above them all. she even quoted 'We will teach those whose intelligence is surest.' So, that and creativity were qualities that she was said to have, and thus what the hat looks into for sorting those into her house. There is not much known about her unfortunately, so I'll just give out the basics for this founder. It is under speculation that she grew up in a 'glen', which likely means in Scotland. Others believe that she grew up where the Loch Ness Monster resides." Vader did not know whether or not it was a fact or a speculation since he did not verify it herself, and it was all up to debate since it was not written down anywhere. "The colors are blue and bronze, and the house symbol is an eagle, which is said to represent those of high academia. Why an eagle over a raven because the name is 'Ravenclaw' is beyond me, as ravens are also birds of high intelligence. Anyway, Ravenclaw is said to have died of a broken heart. She had a daughter named Helena Ravenclaw, who is allegedly the Ghost of Ravenclaw in Hogwarts Scotland. So, if you have a pen pal from that school, you can have them ask the ghost more questions. Our Ravenclaw House ghost is Professor Gladys Wright. She will tutor students, especially those that need help with Arithmancy. And that finishes up Ravenclaw so we are moving over to the next founder: Slytherin."

"Salazar founded the Slytherin house, of course. Slytherin himself can be seen as honorable, or as a devil, depending on which side of the spectrum you are on. There are a lot of mixed feelings about Slytherin that transcend to the house itself just because of the origin. However, considering his morals and beliefs, you will come to understand why."
Vader didn't know anything about Salazar Slytherin until he even came to this school, but after reading about him, let's just say her opinion was pretty low of the man. "By now, you all should know that just because Slytherin himself might have done some evil things, doesn't mean that all students in his house are. The colors of his house are green and silver, and the mascot is a serpent." Vader paused.

"Salazar Slytherin grew up in the fen. Majority of the sources will agree to that, so it must be true. It is also the name generally used for the Eastern Portion of England. It was said that he was a Parselmouth and a Legilimens. Furthermore, Slytherin wanted to create a school with the other three founders, a school where magical children could learn magic and hone their skills. However, as wonderful as it sounds, there were some conflicts. Two founders butted heads." It would take some time for him to understand the rivalry between the houses. "Slytherin and Gryffindor could not agree. This conflict broke up the fantastic four, and the reason for their fight would be because Slytherin believed that only children with pure-blood should be allowed to attend. Gryffindor disagreed. The conflict ultimately drove Slytherin off. But he did not leave without a parting gift. It was a legend until Harry Potter confirmed it true. Slytherin left behind a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets - a secret that Slytherin created. The basilisk had a mission to kill." Vader paused for a moment, as he looked over the students, seeing what they thought of this mess.

"The basilisk almost succeeded, twice. Tom Riddle, a descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself, was able to open the chamber and command the beast. I'm sure you know him as Lord Voldemort by now. Anyway, the basilisk was let loose two times before it was struck down. Once in the early twentieth century and then again in the 1990s. The basilisk killed one student the first time, and she is a ghost there currently. Tom got away with, framing a part-giant student. Tom was at it again in the 1990s, using a student to set the basilisk loose but luckily, no one died. Infamous Harry Potter killed the basilisk inside the chamber when he was a second year. There's more information in the library over it if you want to go research for yourself. The house ghost in Scotland was the Bloody Baron, but ours is known as the Dark Rider. He does not give out his name for whatever reason, but judging from his clothes, he has been here for a very, very long time. If you want to know the very history of New Zealand, you might have some luck there." Seeing as that would dive off the subject of Slytherin, but Vader was pretty much done for the day. "And that concludes the lesson." he waved his wand toward the chalk board to write up the assignment. "Homework is on the board. Class dismissed."
Assignment: RP the lesson.
Extra credit: If you are in Ravenclaw/Slytherin, then write a small essay if you think the hat made the right choice. If you are not, then you can write about either a person you know, or if you think you should have been in Ravenclaw/Slytherin and why. Worth 5 EC points.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top