What if the sorting hat went the other way?

Television, Movies Games and Books Harry Potter
#1

I was rewatching the first movie the other day and a thought came to mind. What if Harry was placed into Slytherin instead of Gryfindor. The Sorting hat said he could have been in either. Would the love from Harry’s mom that saved Harry from Voldemort curse prevailed or would he have been corrupted. Would he have given into the anger and hate that is also in his heart. No doubt his friendship with Ron and Hermonie would have been less and possibly non-existint.

While he may not have taken on Draco as a true friend he may have taken him on as a means to an end. I could have seen him going the dark path and allying himself with Voledemort as a means to get close to him and eventually kill him. I don’t think it would be to far of a stretch to see Voldy taking him under his wing. It would be a greater blow to the wizarding world to have their poster child corrupter by evil than to have him killed. I think Harry would try and grow close and learn from Voldy and then use that knowledge to turn it on his master. It would be very Sith like.

I could also see Harry becoming a much darker wizard than Voldy was. He would blame Dumbledore and Sirus and the Order of the Phoenix for letting his parents die. The Muggle world for making his younger life so difficult. It was his friends, his teachers, and the Weasleys that showed him love that eventually led him to be the hero that he came to be.

What do you all think. Speculate away…I love thinking of alternate worlds.

#2

I’ve always been surprised that Harry never really blamed Sirius for the colossal mistake that killed his parents and put him under the roof of the Dursleys.

That being said, the way harry would have been in Slytherin would have been by rejecting Ron on the train and befriending Malfoy. That decision right there laid the foundation for his entire path as it were.

But it would have been interesting to know what Harry would have been like if he had valued feeling special and superior over sticking up the little guy, if being in the cool crowd mattered to him. He’d still have to face off against Voldemort, but from a very different way. It wouldn’t be a duel to stop Voldemort to free the Wizarding World; it would have been a struggle for power.

#3

Slytherin does not necessarily mean evil. HOWEVER if Harry was evil…ho-crap, Dursleys would be totally frakked. Not even killed. Like tortured. Continously. Forever. Harry’d keep the Sorcerer’s Stone just to keep them alive so they could suffer more.

#4

This is a really interesting concept. Since Slytherin doesn’t necessarily mean “evil” (as I should know, right? :)) must it follow that Slytherin would turn Harry evil? Might not Harry have simply dismantled Voldemort’s work from within – possibly even with less death and destruction for all?

#5

I could totally see him, just by the virtue that he’s well he, turn the Slytherin house against Voldemort and that way of thinking. At least for his year and after him. Cause I mean c’mon he’s like Michael Jordon, who doesn’t want to be like Harry. =D

I definitely see him being a more capable wizard if he was in Slytherin though, those kids know their shit. Plus Snape probably wouldn’t hate him SO much if he was in his house cause that’d be a pretty big departure from him being just like James.

Eh. Iunno, I can see the logic in the choice Sirius/James/Lily made, I mean it’d have been a great plan if Pettigrew wasn’t such a tosser. It’d be like if Harry had to go into hiding and instead of Ron or Hermione he made Neville his secret keeper, except that Neville has a spine.

Agreed

Eh. I don’t see it that way. I think Harry would have gone on to play pro Quidditch instead of being an Auror. Done books. That kinda thing. But not want to be the next dark lord

#6

That’s just it, though. Voldemort marked Harry as his the moment Snape related the prophecy to him, meaning that Harry had to face off agaisnt Voldemort no matter his house or ethical leaning. I just think he would be too arrogant not to want to face off after being in Slytherin house and believing in his blood and wizarding superiority.

#7

I think if Harry had been sorted into Slytherin and became friends with those in that house he likely wouldn’t have lived very long. Many of the Death Eaters named in Goblet of Fire had connections to if not children in Slytherin and that would have provided Voldemort greater access to Harry early on.

#8

I think it was mentioned in Half Blood prince that a number of the death eaters thought that due to Harry surviving against Voldermort as a child he could be a very powerful dark wizard, someone to rally around. If he was placed in Slytherin Lucius may have more influence over Harry. It’s a stretch but Voldermort may not have came back at all.

#9

I agree there’d be a face off, I don’t agree that he’d become the next dark lord though

#10

I don’t think that Slytherin would have turned him bad i think it would be the influence of people in that caused him to go “bad”. And i don’t necessarily think he would have been intentionally evil. I think that it may be something akin to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith. Anakin really was trying to do the right thing. But he was manipulated by both sides to much that he shut down and lashed out. Unfortunately that turned him. Then it escalated so much that there was eventually no going back. It was the friends that Harry made mostly in Gryfindor but also in some of the other houses (not Slytherin) that kept him grounded.

This passage also helped spark the imagination some. Olivander also notices the power within Harry. He says that he can expect great things from him just like Voldy did great things. V’s were horrible things but great none the less.

Also in all reality Voldemort would have come back earlier. He would have come back in Sorcerers (Philosophers) Stone. And he would have come back much weaker than he eventually came to be i think. I know the Stone would grant him long life but i think Harry’s blood was a much more powerful revitalizing power.

#11

There of course are tons of fan fics that explore this idea, but personally, my favorite explanation is that if Harry did go into Slytherin, he would have been affected by their “darker” tendencies, but he would also influence some of the Slytherins. Perhaps Draco would have been a lost cause, but some of Draco’s lackeys might have been drawn to Harry. That way when Voldemort did come back, people like Crabbe and Goyle may not have sided with the Malfoys. Also, being sorted into Slytherin may have given Harry more of a father figure in Snape.

#12

I dunno, I think Snape’s hatred of Harry was deeper than his fondness for his house.

Welcome aboard, BTW!

#13

It’s not just that Snape favors his own house–he actively hates all things Gryffindor. Perhaps if Harry started to exhibit some more Slytherin characteristics, Snape wouldn’t equate him so much with James.

Thanks. Glad to be here. :slight_smile:

#14

Hrm. The more I think about it, the more I can see that.

#15

Just remember… Snape was ALWAYS loyal to Dumbledore, even when it wasn’t apparent. After reading through the whole series and looking back, you see that while there were many times that Snape appeared to just be an all-around crapbag, it sometimes follows the idea that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

#16

That is exactly why I think it would have been awesome for Harry to have Snape for a role model/father figure. He had so many people in his life trying to shelter him from the truth or only see him as a celebrity that I think it would have been beneficial to have someone who cared for his safety while treating him like any other kid. Much like Sirius, I suppose, but unfortunately, Harry didn’t get a lot of time with him.

#17

A father figure Snape would have gotten Snape killed MUCH earlier, sinec he was a Voldy double-agent.

I don’t think Snape would have been any different. If anything, he’d probably be even WORSE to Harry, since he still hated James and Lily was not in Slytherin, but her son was. Really shoving it in his face and all that.