January 5, 2024 | Tony Braun

Sly Facts About Slytherin


Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has four distinct houses, and Slytherin gets the worst rap of them all. Yet even though Slytherins can be sneaky, immoral, and just a tad snobby, we should also remember that they can be fiercely loyal in their own way, they are incredibly resourceful, and, let's be honest, they have the best house colors. Here are 24 sly facts about this notorious Hogwarts House. Slytherin pride, right?


1. Pure Blood Only

Salazar Slytherin was obsessed with pure-bloods, and even the Sorting Hat admits that wizard-born blood is a factor in its Sorting of a student into the mean, green House. Nonetheless, technically anyone displaying the qualities Slytherin broadly valued—cunning, resourcefulness, and ambition—may be sorted into Slytherin. It is, however, very rare for Muggle-borns to end up as Slytherins.

Slytherin

2. Taste the Rainbow

Who wants to wear scarlet and gold anyway? Slytherin's house colors of green and silver are classy, timeless, and oh-so-chic. Emerald green dress robes? Enlist me for the upcoming confrontation against the Dark wizard!

Slytherin FactsFlickr,kelly

3. Ambitious

Not only are Slytherins smart and skilled, they also go after what they want and don’t stop until they get it. It's just that, er, sometimes they don't have the most noble of goals in their sights.

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Philosopher

4. Loyal

Despite them seeming only to look after their own necks, don’t count Slytherins out as disloyal. They are usually very selective when choosing friends and will go to extreme measures to protect their own. Remember how badly Draco wanted Harry in his corner?

Wizarding families factsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Warner Bros.

5. Self Preservation

Although Gryffindors might think that Slytherins are cowardly, in reality they just have a strong sense of self preservation, and don't go running into situations without some forethought. Instead of rushing in, Slytherins will often think of a cunning way to win the day.

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Sorcerer

6. A Slithering Mascot

Lions and ravens and badgers, oh my! But while Gryffindor has its king of the jungle, Ravenclaw its wise bird, and Hufflepuff its, uh, noble beast, Slytherin has the sneaky Snake, a symbol of Salazar's Parseltongue abilities. Salazar's locket, which eventually became Voldemort's third horcrux, fittingly depicts a snake on its surface.

Hogwarts FactsFlickr

7. Odyssey

Salazar's locket went through quite an odyssey before it landed in Tom Riddle's Dark Arts hands. A family locket, it was handed down the Slytherin line until it ended up in the Gaunt family. Merope Gaunt—Voldemort's mother—took the locket from her father and sold it to Caractacus Burke. Subsequently, the witch Hepzibah Smith purchased it from Borgin and Burkes. Smith erred by revealing the locket to Riddle, who was an employee at the store then. A few days afterwards, she was discovered lifeless, as Riddle disappeared carrying his birthright along with his brand new Horcrux.

Slytherin FactsWikipedia

8. Notables

Besides Slytherin himself, there have been two notable Heads of House: Horace Slughorn, the professor who first told Tom Riddle about the Horcruxes, once served as top snake, and everyone's favorite tragic hero, Severus Snape, was also Head of Slytherin for a time.

Professor Snape FactsFlickr

 

9. Awesome Alums

Slytherin in general has a pretty impressive list of alumni, even if they haven't always been the good guys. The House of Black, including Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, and Dolores Umbridge all came from Slytherin. But these alums also aren't always the bad guys either: Andromeda Tonks, mother of Nymphodora Tonks, was not only a Black but also a Slytherin, and was a close ally of the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter Issues FactsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2,Warner Bros.

 

10. Watery Connection

Each Hogwarts House is linked to a different element: despite their green emblem, Slytherin is actually connected to water. Snakes have long been associated with water, and have a fluidity and flexibility that recalls water's amorphous form.

Great Escapes FactsPixabay

 

11. Bad Reputation

While it isn't known precisely how many dark wizards and witches originated from Slytherin before Riddle attended school, it's known that Riddle recruited his unscrupulous followers mainly from Slytherin. If we take Ron Weasley at his word, “There’s not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin". Granted, that doesn't mean there aren't good wizards in the house! #NotAllSlytherins

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Philosopher

12. Creepy Common Room

While Gryffindor House boasts a cozy, tapestry-filled common room, Slytherin students call quite a different common room and sleeping quarters home. Their dormitories are housed underneath the Black Lake in Slytherin Dungeon, and to access Slytherin central you must speak the password in front of a damp stone wall. The only known password, “pureblood,” was used in 1992.

Slytherin FactsFlickr, Roe

13. No Intruders

We know this "pureblood" password only because Harry and Ron snuck into the Slytherin Common room, through a clever use of Polyjuice Potion, to find out if Draco Malfoy was the one opening the Chamber of Secrets. Before this incident, no one outside of Slytherin House had been in the common room for over seven centuries!

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Warner Bros.

14. Mind Readers

While Slytherins may not exactly be brave, they make up for it with a very unique skill set: They are gifted at Occlumency (the ability to resist having your mind read by Legilimency). Voldemort, Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, and Slughorn are all notable Slytherin Occlumens. Indeed, most known Occlumens in the world are Slytherin alums.

Professor Snape FactsHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Warner Bros.

15. First and Last

Slytherin is the very first Hogwarts House mentioned in the Harry Potter series, in Chapter 5 of The Philosopher's Stone. It's also the last house mentioned: at the end of The Deathly Hallows, Harry's son Albus worries he'll be sorted into Slytherin.

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(2), Warner Bros.

16. World Famous Student

Voldemort may not be the most (in)famous student Slytherin has ever had: A few years, ago, Rowling herself confirmed that the great wizard Merlin did attend Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin. The Order of Merlin First Class even has a green ribbon on it, showcasing Merlin’s connection to the house.

Slytherin FactsWikimedia Commons

 

17. Family Reunion

Although the young Harry is desperate to avoid being sorted into Slytherin, the Potters, like Voldemort and Salazar, are distantly related to the Peverell brothers from the "The Tale of Three Brothers."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone FactsHarry Potter and the Philosopher

18. They Got Game

When Harry and friends started Hogwarts in 1991, Slytherin had won the House Cup for the past six years—let's just say they were dominating the game. Even then, when Gryffindor finally wrestled the cup from Slytherin's grasp in The Philosopher's Stone, they only did so only on a technicality, as Dumbledore awarded Gryffindor extra points.

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Philosopher

19. Not All Bad

Many readers don't think that Slytherin House was very helpful during the Battle of Hogwarts: in the books, Slytherin students appear to flee as soon as things go south. However, Rowling later clarified that this was not the case: the students actually went "off for reinforcements," and many returned to fight alongside the rest of the Houses.

The Weasleys factsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(2), Warner Bros.

20. One House, Many Translations

Harry Potter has been translated into a whole host of different languages, and you can say "Slytherin" in many different ways. In French, the house is called Serpentard, and in Dutch it’s Zwadderich, which ironically translates to "Snake Poison." In German, Swedish, Arabic, and Spanish, however, Slytherin is just "Slytherin."

Slytherin factsInverse

21. An Unlikely Sorting

It's worth repeating: not all Slytherins are bad or destined for evil. In fact, the Harry Potter's own son, Albus Severus, was sorted into Slytherin upon his arrival at Hogwarts. This is hinted at in The Deathly Hallows, but fully revealed in The Cursed Child. He'll do the House proud—and maybe set them straight a little.

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(2), Warner Bros.

22. Patron Ghost's Dark Side

Slytherin’s house ghost, the Bloody Baron, has a fittingly bloody backstory. In a fit of regret, he ended his own life shortly after he ruthlessly ended the life of Rowena Ravenclaw’s daughter, Helena. He was enamored with her, yet after one rejection too many, he took her life in a fit of anger, and subsequently turned his sword on himself. The two (Helena is the Grey Lady who roams for Ravenclaw House) have haunted Hogwarts ever since. Twisted Romeo and Juliet anyone?

Slytherin FactsHarry Potter and the Philosopher

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5


READ MORE

Top Three Hotels For Adventurers

If you’re looking for unique thrills, an average hotel just won’t cut it. For an unforgettable vacation, check out one of these amazing adventure hotels.
June 13, 2023 Kaddy Gibson
Gros Morne National Park

Five Incredible Destinations For Nature Lovers

If you’re looking to embrace the call of the wild and experience breathtaking views, check out these great nature destinations.
June 13, 2023 Kaddy Gibson
St. George's Church

The Creepiest Abandoned Attractions

Despite their ominous origins, these abandoned attractions have become some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
June 13, 2023 Kaddy Gibson
internal-vienna

Destination Of The Day: Vienna

With an abundance of beautiful architecture, fine art, and historical attractions it's easy to see why Vienna was once considered the capital of the world.
June 14, 2023 Kaddy Gibson
internal-louvre

Destination Of The Day: Paris

With rich history, beautiful streets, and world-renowned cuisine, it’s no wonder why Paris is among the top tourist destinations.
June 14, 2023 Kaddy Gibson
bali_internal

Destination Of The Day: Bali

Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but don’t let that stop you from visiting this beautiful Indonesian island.
June 14, 2023 Kaddy Gibson