Hogwarts Legacy, which is being developed by Avalanche Software, will let players enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where they can learn magic, explore Hogwarts castle, tame magical animals, and make friends with their fellow witch and wizard students. Players will have to keep an eye out, however, as there are dangers afoot, including a Goblin Rebellion and odd, ancient magic that players can somehow manipulate. For gamers who have feelings of nostalgia for the beloved series,Hogwarts Legacyappears to be a title not to be missed.
Of course, any media depictingHogwarts castlecannot leave out one of the most interesting aspects of the school - the houses. Every year, new students are sorted into one of four houses depending on their skills and values. Of the four houses, Slytherin has always carried the darkest reputation, and students who emerge from it tend to become notorious. However, once one understands the history of Slytherin, it is easy to understand why it is considered the home of dark wizards.
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Salazar Slytherin, The Founder of Slytherin House
Hogwarts is a magic school located somewhere in Scotland, though Muggles can’t find it. The school was founded by four powerful wizards named Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor,Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They each had different ideas for the school, and they molded the four school houses after their ideals. Although the four founders worked together harmoniously at first, a rift was formed when Salazar declared that Hogwarts should only accept pure-blood students, referring to witches and wizards whose parents are both magical. The other founders vehemently disagreed with Salazar, especially Godric, causing Salazar to leave Hogwarts, but not without building the Chamber of Secrets beneath the school and imprisoning a deadly basilisk in the castle’s bowels.
Slytherin House maintains Salazar’s values, which are cunning, ambition, and fraternity. Like Salazar, students in Slytherin tend to value pure-blood heritage, and the competition between Slytherin House andGryffindor Housemirrors the feud between Salazar and Godric. The Slytherin House common room is located in the Hogwarts dungeons, and the house crest is green and features a fork-tongued serpent.
Due to Slytherin’s association with pure-blood supremacy, the house does have a bit of a stigmatized reputation, and students from the house are sometimes seen as self-serving. This is seen, for example, when Slytherin students flee during the Battle of Hogwarts, choosing to save themselves over facingLord Voldemort. However, it should be noted that not all Slytherins are bad, and the characteristics associated with the house can also be used for good.
Notable Slytherins
Quite a few important wizards and witches have come out of Slytherin and, unfortunately, a good deal of them are unusually fond of dark magic. Perhaps the most notorious example is Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Voldemort, who becomes one of the most feared dark wizards in wizarding history. Plenty of hisDeath Eatersare also from Slytherin House, including Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix Lestrange. During Harry Potter’s time at Hogwarts, he is in Gryffindor House and, naturally, his rivals are in Slytherin House, including Draco Malfoy and his gormless goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
One should not be fooled into thinking all Slytherins are lovers are dark magic, though, and throughout the series, there are a few Slytherins who prove themselves to be good, or at least not egregiously bad. This includes Merlin, Horace Slughorn, Severus Snape, and Andromeda Tonks who is disowned by her pure-blood supremacist family when she marries Ted Tonks, who is Muggle-born.
Due to Slytherin’s controversial history, it is expected that opinions towards the house are mixed with some fans falling in love with its mysteriously dark allure and others wondering why Hogwarts keeps a house that breeds so many dark wizards. WithHogwarts Legacy, players will get to exploreSlytherin Houselong before the time of Voldemort or Harry Potter. This will give players a chance to decide for themselves whether Slytherins are truly deceptive snakes or are just misunderstood.
Hogwarts Legacyis expected to release in late 2022 on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
