History of the house Serpentard and famous people
Foundation of the Serpentard House
The House of Slytherin was founded at the same time as Gryffindor, Hogwarts and Serdaigle, when the sorcerers who gave them their names one day decided to found the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The school is located in the Highlands of Scotland and is magically hidden in plain sight so that no unauthorized person can enter. For Muggles (non-magical people) approaching the area, Hogwarts would simply look like an old abandoned castle.
The school is considered one of the best witchcraft schools in the world. A child born into a magical family can expect to receive their confirmation letter when they are about 11 years old. School fees are free, as the school is owned and funded by the Ministry of Magic.
The four greatest sorcerers of their time: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hogwarts, Rowena Serdaigle and Salazar Slytherin wanted to pass on their knowledge and help other magical children, so they founded Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and magic, around 990 AD. The school's motto is "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus", or "Never tickle a sleeping dragon".
Salazar Slytherin leaves Hogwarts
Originally, the founders chose their students based on the personality trait they liked best. Gryffindor wanted students who were courageous, daring and willing to fight for the right cause. Serdaigle chose students who could rival his intelligence, wisdom and creativity. Slytherin chose students who were resourceful, determined, cunning and ambitious, although he had a weakness for pure-blooded witches and wizards and for people like him who could speak the snakes' tongue (pitchfork). As for Helga Poufsouffle, she accepted any student, but favored those who were hard-working and patient.
One day, the founders worried about the future of their school after their death. Trying to find a solution to their problem, Gryffindor took his hat and enchanted it so that, placed on a new student's head, he could examine his mind and choose the house that would suit him best. Since then, it has been a tradition for students to wear the "Hat Chooser", who then decides on the student's home.
In the beginning, Slytherin was good friends with Gryffindor and the rest of the founders. However, shortly after founding Hogwarts, he tried to change the way they accepted students, as he believed that only children from pure blood families deserved to learn magic. So he tried to convince the other founders to get rid of the others. This caused a disagreement between Slytherin and the rest of the founders, especially Gryffindor. When the dialogue broke down, Salazar finally decided to leave the school.
The life of Salazar Slytherin
According to Le Choixpeau, Serpentard was born in the marshes around 976, a swampy place teeming with snakes and other reptiles. The Serpentard family possessed the rare power of Fourchelangue, the ability to talk to snakes. Because of the rarity of this gift, those who can speak Fourchelangue must be descended from the Slytherin family, and therefore be related to Salazar Slytherin himself.
Slytherin created his own wand made from snake wood and basil horn. Later in his life he founded Hogwarts, taught students and left. But before he left, he built the Chamber of Secrets to make one last attempt to clean the school of students he deemed unworthy.
Salazar Slytherin's descendants
A descendant of Slytherin married the Gaunt family (another wealthy family descended from the Peverell family) thus uniting the Gaunt and Slytherin.
Both families believed in the purity of blood and would see the snakes again, so they only married into pure blood families. Family members who deviated from the norm and married sorcerers and witches born of Muggles or even directly from Muggles, were disowned at best or even killed at worst.
Because of this spirit of superiority, the Slytherin and Gaunts practiced inbreeding and marriage to cousins, a practice that became common among families obsessed with blood purity.
It is highly probable that the Slytherinists disappeared because of this practice. It may also have been the reason why the Gaunts were reduced to poverty, physical deformity and insanity when Bob Ogden, a wizard working for the Ministry of Magic, visited their home in the 1920s.
The Slytherin Dungeon
While the Gryffindors and Serdaigles have dormitories in towers, the Slytherin and Snakebirds have theirs in basements. The Slytherin dormitory is known as the Slytherin Dungeon. To get there, you have to go through the lobby, stop at a stone wall and say a password (it changes every two weeks - the new password is placed on the Slytherin's bulletin board) before you find a passageway to the common room.
The common room looks like an underwater dungeon. Since it is underground, the windows show the lake bottom, allowing students to see the giant squid and other creatures living in the lake. For strangers like Harry and Ron who have snuck into the Snake Keep, it seems cold and dark, like the habitat of a snake. But since the Slytherin have the largest number of rich, pure-blooded students, it is likely that to the Slytherin's eyes, the common room is much more beautiful than Harry describes.
Slytherin's Famous Snakes Through the Different Epochs
Merlin
Merlin himself was sorted as a Slytherin when he was at Hogwarts, and the young sorcerer became one of the most famous sorcerers in history. Associated with King Arthur he is the object of many myths and legends. In addition, the Order of Merlin, named in his honor, has been awarded since the 15th century. Legend has it that the green ribbon of the first Order of Merlin reflects his house at Hogwarts.
Severus Rogue
As Master of Potions at Hogwarts, Severus Snape made almost impossible demands on his students. As head of the House of Slytherin, he was up against some of Gryffindor's most active students, such as Harry Potter.
Phineas Nigellus Black
Sirius Black's great-great-grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, was the least popular of all Hogwarts directors. Perhaps because he hated being a teacher and young people in general. Even after his death, Phineas continued to advise future directors.
Tom Jedusor
Orphan Tom Jedusor has found a home at Hogwarts and has also found purpose in the dark. A direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, Tom Jedusor shared his ancestor's attitude that learning magic should be reserved for pure bloods, even though he himself had a Muggle father. He also shared with him the ability to speak to snakes (pitchfork). As a teenager, he unlocked the Chamber of Secrets, resulting in the death of a girl born to the Muggle family, and even learned black magic to protect himself from death.
Horace Slughorn
Another master of Hogwarts potions, Horace Slughorn, was the head of the House of Slytherin - twice. Lily Potter, Harry's mother, was one of his most gifted students. He was also the one who explained the concept of Horcrux to Tom Jedusor.
Ghost of the house : the Bloody Baron
The Bloody Baron is the ghost of the Slytherin's house, gaunt and bloody. He is the only one who can control the infamous Peeves. Strong and silent, the Baron wears chains as a penance for a terrible act that no one knows about.
The character traits and abilities of the Slytheriners
The Slytherin are ambitious
In moderation, this is a very good trait to have even if some Slytheriners have really pushed it too far... It is not always easy to set goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them, but being able to do so allows a person to achieve the things they want in life and to succeed. Goals do not always have to be about career or money, but can also focus on improving mental health, relationships or emotional needs.
Although not all students at Slytherin House are as ambitious or smart as others, overall, they are quite successful. They are people who want to succeed and want to be seen to succeed. They also want to be respected in life, which pushes them to be the best in their field. Of course, ambition can sometimes go too far, but having a healthy amount can be a great thing. That's how you find a lot of success in life.
Slytheriners are Leaders
This is a positive trait of Slytherin that Harry Potter fans don't talk about enough. Leadership is a trait that is mentioned by the flag choice and that also appears if you pay attention. While not all Slytheriners make great leaders, the other traits lend themselves to leadership positions. Ambition, cunning and resourcefulness are all important traits that can help someone reach the top in his or her chosen field.
Although each of them is different, they are all very good leaders who know how to lead. Voldemort is one example. Okay, he's not very nice and he may have been the most evil wizard of all time, but he's a great example. Voldemort leads his forces with power and with good leadership skills, although some would say that he used fear as his primary method of leadership. In any case, everyone obeyed him and did exactly what he said.
Slytherin are sneaky and cruel
Considering that Slytherin's mascot is a snake, it's not surprising that the sorted students in this house are associated with deviousness. Overall, many of the sorted students here tend to be good at getting away with things and not getting caught. They are quite good at escaping, sneaking out and lying effectively. This is probably one of the worst features of the house that comes out.
It is one of the worst traits that some of the Slytherin in the Harry Potter series have. Although not everyone in the house is cruel, some are. It's a little unfair to see some of the Slytheriners, but the bad students in the group are so bad that it gives the rest of the group a similar reputation. People like Malfoy and his friends were quite cruel. They didn't really care what happened to their classmates, and they were inclined to agree with the dark arts.
Of course the fact that they are so selfish and arrogant doesn't really help their image to the audience and they are often presented in a bad light. One may wonder whether the author or directors of the various films really carried the snake in their hearts.
You'll end up in Slytherin
If you're pretty smart,
Because those are real foxes
Who always achieve their goals.
Excerpt from a song by the Magic Sorting Hat
Parseltongue : speaking the language of snakes
It is a rare skill that allows you to understand and speak the language of snakes. It is reserved for the lineage of Salazar Slytherin, with the notable exception of Harry Potter. The parseltongue can be partially imitated (as Ron does to re-enter the chamber of secrets) and understood by some exceptional beings who are not of the lineage (Dumbledore would have learned it to better understand Voldermort).
Being able to talk to snakes is a talent strongly associated with Voldemort, so Harry's reputation is seriously tarnished when his talent is known at Hogwarts in the Chamber of Secrets.
In the Order of the Phoenix, a scoop by Rita Skeeter (who else?) tells the world that he is a parseltongue, which causes Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic at the time, to be even more suspicious of him after Voldemort's return.
Anecdotes and Theories about the Slytherons
The Chamber of Secrets
The room is located deep under the school. It was home to what was known as the "Slytherin Monster", which later turned out to be a basilisk, also known as the King of Snakes, who was raised by the Shadow Wizards. A basil could kill a person - magical or Muggle - simply by looking directly into their eyes; if a person looks into their eyes indirectly, they are left petrified. The Ministry of Magic believed that no sorcerer could tame a basilisk because of its nature and powers, but in truth, Slytherin and all his descendants who could speak the language of the Parselt could.
Slytherin left his basilisk (a large snake capable of turning his victims to stone) in the Chamber in the hope that one day his heir could return to Hogwarts, open the Chamber of Secrets and cleanse the school of the Born Muggle. After Slytherin's departure, rumors circulated about the existence of the Chamber and the presence of an unknown monster. The founders and their directors tried to find the Chamber, but because of its hidden entrance and deep underground location, there was no proof of its existence, and it was therefore dismissed as a legend.
This would cause problems for centuries, especially in 1943 when Slytherin's heir, Tom Riddle, opened the chamber and accidentally killed a student named Myrtle Warren, and later in 1992 when part of Tom Riddle's soul, trapped in a newspaper, possessed the body of Ginny Weasley and made him open the chamber. However, Weasley was killed by Harry Potter in 1992.
A venomous snake has been named: Salazar Slytherin
In a report published in April 2020 in "Zoosystematics and Evolution", a team of scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India, discovered a new species of bright green snake and named it Slytherin Snake Salazar. This particular green viper inhabits northeastern India and its males have a red-orange band on their heads. Its full name is "Trimeresurus salazar".
"The specific epithet is an affixed name for J.K. Rowling's fictitious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Witchcraft co-founder Salazar Slytherin," the researchers wrote in the paper.
The "Trimeresurus salazar," colloquially known as the "viper of Salazar," is unlikely to lead you through an ancient pipe to an underground dungeon. Nor will it speak to you because you are the host to the soul of a magical super-villain. But it certainly indicates a great undiscovered biodiversity in South Asia.
If you want to embody the Slytherin House, don't forget to check out our snake ring collection !
