- Although some Slytherins are seen as rule-breaking, selfish, sneaky, arrogant, or prejudiced, there are many positive ways to be a Slytherin.
- Slytherins are cunning, ambitious, resourceful, determined, prideful, and shrewd. They also have incredible self-preservation skills.
- Not all Slytherins are evil or dark! Some of the most powerful and complex wizards in the Wizarding World were part of the Slytherin house.
Strong Slytherin Traits
Ambition Slytherins are incredibly goal-oriented and determined. Ambition will get you anywhere you want to be, and Slytherins are known for aiming high and taking all the steps they need to get where they want to be. However, their ambition is not always to bring themselves up—take Severus Snape for example, who kept Harry Potter safe above all else, even when his emotions occasionally got the best of him. Slytherins also tend to be incredibly proud of their house and heritage and incredibly competitive in winning the house cup or the latest Quidditch tournament.
Confidence Although it might sometimes tip into the selfish territory, Slytherin’s daring nature and confidence in themselves and their abilities are incredibly admirable. Even when someone from this house feels insecure, they tend to fake it until they make it and learn to love themselves. Although Draco Malfoy has his faults, he never once said anything bad about himself, even when his father constantly put down his achievements.
Cunning A Slytherin’s skillful craftiness is just another example of their intelligence, and their cunning character allows them to get anywhere they want to be in life. This deviousness might seem like a negative trait, but it can be incredibly useful and positive in the right circumstances. Narcissa Malfoy, for example, used her cunning nature during the Battle of Hogwarts to lie to Voldemort by saying that Harry Potter was dead, which led to Potter eventually defeating the Dark Lord.
Resourcefulness Slytherins are well-known for being strategic, intelligent problem-solvers. After all, they’re clever, quick on their feet, and always find ways to overcome whatever lies in their path. Slytherins have a knack for planning ahead and thinking about what moves their enemies will make before taking action. For example, Narcissa Malfoy made Snape take an Unbreakable Vow to protect her son after learning about Voldemort’s plans.
Natural leaders The core traits of the Slytherin house are perfect building blocks for the leaders of tomorrow. They’re ambitious, cunning, and resourceful, which can help anyone achieve great heights in their chosen field. For example, the famous wizard Merlin was a Slytherin who founded the Order of Merlin, which promoted Muggle’s Rights and created rules against using magic on them.
Shrewdness Slytherins are naturally intelligent and pragmatic, with sharp powers of judgment. Although their problem-solving skills and strategicness may be viewed as sinister, their ability to stay calm under pressure and evaluate situations quickly are powerful traits. Their shrewd nature can definitely contribute to good—for example, Severus Snape constantly proved his loyalty to Voldemort and even made an Unbreakable Vow to keep his true commitment to Dumbledore hidden until nearly the end of the series.
Loyalty Although Slytherins are less known for their loyalty, it’s definitely the backbone of the entire house. As the biggest rebels of the four houses, they tend to be dedicated to certain people or ideas and regularly go against typical standards. Although this trait has been used for evil, it’s definitely used for good as well. Narcissa Malfoy was devoted to her family even against the Dark Lord’s wishes, and Severus Snape stayed faithful to Dumbledore and Lily Potter until the very end.
Self-reliance Because Slytherins are so self-confident, they aren’t afraid to go out and succeed in situations all by themselves. They don’t require anyone’s help or permission and trust themselves above all else. Although it might not have been an admirable goal, Draco Malfoy prepared the Vanishing Cabinet and accepted Voldemort’s requests, refusing Snape’s help and determined to achieve it all by himself.
Weaker Slytherin Traits
Self-preservation Though this isn’t an inherently bad trait, being independent and self-confident can quickly spiral into putting your own life or needs above other people's. The most infamous example is Voldemort, who put his goal to become the most powerful dark wizard above everything, even the lives of his own followers.
Rule-breakers Slytherins enjoy pushing the boundaries of whatever rules and regulations may be standing in their way. Although this can be great when trying to make positive change and progress, like Merlin did when he created the Order of Merlin, it can also create chaos for the people around them. For example, when Draco attempted to kill Dumbledore, he used various methods, like transporting a cursed necklace, that threatened the safety of other students.
Prejudiced There are plenty of Slytherins who are known to be a bit judgemental. However, there are a select few whose judgemental nature spirals into prejudice and are racist against any wizard who isn’t pureblood. This goes all the way back to Salazar Slytherin, who created the Chamber of Secrets to one day unleash the Basilisk and get rid of all the muggle-borns at Hogwarts.
Arrogant Slytherins are full of pride for their heritage or house, but for some of the more infamous wizards from Slytherin, this can quickly turn into elitism or haughtiness. Draco Malfoy, for example, could be incredibly condescending, superior, and disdainful towards Ron Weasley and his siblings for being poor.
Selfish While Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors are known for sticking up for others, Slytherins’ ambitions tend to be more self-preserving. Although in the end Severus Snape protected Harry Potter and remained loyal to Dumbledore, his mean streak toward Harry was definitely born out of selfishness.
Sneaky Many students who are part of Slytherin are great at getting out of trouble and evading punishments. This trait can be incredibly useful for Slytherins looking to achieve their goals, but it also means that they have a tendency to throw other people under the bus or lie to others. Draco Malfoy often snuck around the castle, trying to catch Harry Potter breaking the rules, and Horace Slughorn hid his true memory of Tom Riddle from Harry and Dumbledore to hide his guilt for telling Voldemort about Horcruxes.
Manipulative One of the most negative Slytherin traits is their ability to be cruel, manipulative, and vindictive to achieve their ends. Not all Slytherins are this way, but their bad reputation comes from those who are. For example, during the Triwizard Tournament, Barty Crouch Jr. impersonated Mad-Eye Moody and manipulated events to make sure that Harry Potter touched the portkey and got transported straight into the arms of Voldemort.
Slytherin House Compatibility
Slytherin and Gryffindor go together better than people might think. Whether it’s Quidditch games or winning the House Cup, Slytherins and Gryffindors are incredibly competitive with each other. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be friends! They’re both daring and confident, and Slytherin’s cunning nature can balance out a Gryffindor’s fiery temper and courage. In love, these two always poke fun at each other and push each other to achieve greatness.
Slytherin and Ravenclaw may be a difficult match, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work! Ravenclaws seek knowledge above all else and tend to be happy right where they are, which might conflict with Slytherin’s goal to reach bigger and better things. However, if they can learn to balance each other’s ambitions and needs, they could be a powerful couple in both friendship and romance.
Slytherin and Hufflepuff are an unlikely but nearly perfect pair. Hufflepuffs are incredibly loyal, and so are Slytherins. Although Slytherins may feel frustrated by Hufflepuff’s laid-back approach to life, it may be just what they need to embrace where they are. Plus, Slytherin may give Hufflepuff the confidence and courage they need to pursue their dreams. Together, they can create a strong long-lasting partnership.
Slytherin Fun Facts
Slytherin’s common room can be found in Hogwarts' dungeon. Its stained-glass windows face underneath the emerald waters of the Black Lake, bathing the entire common room in green light. Some students have even reported seeing mermaids pass along the windows. To enter, speak the current password to the right stretch of damp stone wall, and as long as you’re a Slytherin, the bricks will peel away so you can enter. In the second Harry Potter book and movie, Harry and Ron Weasley entered the common room disguised as Crabbe and Goyle to find out if Draco Malfoy was opening the Chamber of Secrets.
Slytherin’s house colors are green and silver. The green color represented the lakes and lochs in the area often being green, and the silver color is said to be associated with grey rainwater. In addition, their animal emblem is a snake or serpent. Because of the common room’s location and the mythological serpent’s association with the sea, Slytherin’s element is water.
Slytherin’s house ghost is the Bloody Baron. The Baron haunts the castle covered in silver blood and carries heavy chains as self-punishment. He’s often found groaning and clanking in the Astronomy tower or scaring young Slytherins in the dungeon and the Slytherin common room. The Baron died after he fell in love with Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of the house founder Rowena Ravenclaw. When Helena ran away, the Baron was ordered by Rowena to chase after her. After Helena refused to go with him, the Baron killed her and then himself.
Some of the most notable wizards come from Slytherin. Although Slytherins tend to get a bad rep due to some of the more unsavory wizards (you might have heard of Tom Riddle, AKA Voldemort), there are many Slytherin wizards who are heroes in their own way—they just might be just a bit more complex than heroes from other houses. Here are some of the best but often misunderstood Slytherins in the wizarding world: Merlin The Bloody Baron Horace Slughorn Narcissa Black/Malfoy Draco Malfoy Regulus Black Leta Lestrange Severus Snape Andromeda Black/Tonks (Nympadora’s mother) Scorpius Malfoy Albus Potter
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