HARRY POTTER and the Chamber of Secrets: SLYTHERIN
◆AN INTRODUCTION◆

'Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.'
THE SORTING HAT

WELCOME TO the most ambitious house at Hogwarts. Slytherins are proud to come from a line of respected and sometimes feared wizards who strive always to win and be the best. Founding wizard Salazar Slytherin looked for great cunning in his students, and favoured wizards of pure-blood, a controversial preference that caused strife between himself and the other founders early in the school's history.

Slytherin is a house that helps its students fulfil their potential for greatness. Because of the value members of Slytherin place on ambition, many go on to seek power and influence. It is their fiercely competitive nature that gave them the drive to win the House Cup six years in a row, a winning streak that was only broken by their arch-rivals Gryffindor in Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts.

Slytherin house has historically been home to those attracted to the Dark Arts. Indeed, the most infamous Dark wizard of all time - Lord Voldemort - was Sorted into Slytherin in his first year, when he was known as Tom Riddle.
The qualities associated with Slytherins are often seen as negative traits. However, their cunning can be more charitably interpreted as shrewdness, their pride and ambition as a healthy expression of self-esteem. Merlin, one of the most revered wizards of all time, hails from Slytherin.

Although many notorious Dark wizards have originated in Slytherin house, it is important to remember that not all Slytherins are Dark wizards - Slytherin has produced exceptionally brave and noble wizards. Head of House Severus Snape, who maintained a dangerous deception in order to infiltrate Voldemort's inner circle, ultimately laid down his life for a cause close to his heart, and is just one of the many great wizards who have walked in Salazar Slytherin's footsteps.

◆MAKING SLYTHERINS PROUD♦
It would be a mistake to assume that Slytherin is always on the wrong side of wizarding history. In the Battle of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall challenged Professor Slughorn and Slytherin house to decide where their loyalties lay, and anticipated that they would abandon Hogwarts castle and save themselves. Having apparently left the school, Slughorn returned, bringing reinforcements, in a moment that typifies the shrewdness and cunning of Slytherin house:
'And now there were more, even more people storming up the front steps, and Harry saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn, who was still wearing his emerald pyjamas. They seemed to have returned at the head of what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who had remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and bomeowners of Hogsmeade. The centaurs Bane, Ronan and Magorian burst into the Hall with a great clatter of booves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.'

◆HOUSE FOUNDER SALAZAR SLYTHERIN◆
Salazar Slytherin was a powerful wizard and could speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, a skill that was passed on to some of his descendants. Slytherin was a notorious champion of pure-blood supremacy and believed that only pure-blood wizards should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. It was this belief that ignited an argument with his great friend and fellow founder Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin left the school. A legend circulated that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber at Hogwarts, a chamber that was home to a monster which would rid the school of half-bloods and Muggle-borns, a chamber that could only be opened by Salazar Slytherin's true heir. It was in Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts that this legend was proved to be fact.

♦HOUSE RELICS♦
Salazar Slytherin's ring is crudely made of gold and set with a heavy black stone. It was passed down through Slytherin's pure-blood line to Marvolo Gaunt, who passed it on to his son, Morfin Gaunt. Voldemort stole the ring from his uncle Morfin and turned it into one of his Horcruxes.

Slytherin's locket is made of heavy gold and emblazoned with a serpentine S. The locket was also passed down through Slytherin's ancestors to the Gaunt family. Merope Gaunt, Lord Voldemort's mother, sold it for ten Galleons to Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of Borgin and Burkes. He in turn sold it to Hepzibah Smith, from whom Lord Voldemort stole it. As with the ring, the locket was used by Voldemort as a Horcrux.

♦ HOUSE LIVERY♦
The Slytherin heraldic beast is a mighty silver serpent, sleek and powerful, chosen because of Salazar Slytherin's affinity with the beasts. The house colours are green and silver.

♦HOUSE GHOST♦
Name: The Bloody Baron
Appearance: He has wide, staring eyes and a gaunt face. His robes are covered in silver bloodstains and he wears a clanking chain.
Method of death: The Bloody Baron committed suicide. In a fit of rage he stabbed his lover, then, overcome with remorse, turned the knife on himself.
Grievance: The Bloody Baron is filled with guilt and regret for killing his lover. He wears his chains as penance.
Did you know? He is the only person - dead or alive - who can control Peeves the poltergeist and his favourite haunt is the Astronomy Tower.