This editorial is a follow up to the editorial of the above title by Jessica Hickey. The article in question is about whether or not Dumbledore will eliminate the separation of the houses, as it may be the only way to save Hogwarts School and the lives of its students. I would advise readers of this article, if they have not done so already, to read the original editorial, just for some background reading.

Due to a recent statement written by J.K herself, during the much awaited web-chat, I have the slight suspicion that Dumbledore will take the sorting hats advice and unite the houses within Hogwarts, from the dining arrangements to Quidditch and the House Cup:

Bibwhang: Will Ron ever get on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?

JK Rowling replies: Well, he's already there! The question is whether the new Quidditch Captain will allow him to stay!

This statement could be quite innocent in its content but it grabbed my attention straight away due to the fact that the tone of it sounded quite ... well, odd. Partly because by the end of HP5 Ron was increasing in confidence and his game was improving, resulting in the triumph for Gryffindor in the Quidditch Cup. So it wouldn't make sense to dismiss Ron from the team on the basis of talent and I couldn't see any Gryffindor, Captain or otherwise getting rid of a fellow student just because they wanted Ron off the team. So maybe it won't be a fellow Gryffindor but an opposing Slytherin?

This theory of mine gives me the impression that in HP6 we should expect to see all the houses combined and the students united. The complications of this 'olive branch' will for the time being, can only be guessed at, but will no doubt be settled with humor and originality by the hand of J.K. One suggestion is that the Quidditch teams will probably be decided by placing the names of the current players in a hat (maybe even the sorting hat itself as it was its advice after all), and with an interesting twist Ron gets picked to play on Draco's team, and as we know of the intense dislike they have for each other, Draco keeps Ron on the bench and refuses to play him or even let him stay on the team altogether.

The question now on our lips should not be will the unity of the houses save Hogwarts? But whether the opinions formed by centuries of rivalry are the downfall of Hogwarts? Because it doesn't matter whether the houses are united it's whether the inhabitants of Hogwarts are willing to forget old differences and create and upheld a bond to stand together in the fight against Voldemort.

Even though this alliance is not an integral plot of the HP series, it is however important in understanding the struggle not just within Hogwarts but the wizarding community as well. They can defeat their common enemy the easy way, by respecting and understanding every living magical being by forgetting the past but remembering it, or they can do it the hard way, by building on the already unstable foundations of their world which will take a lot longer to rebuild than if they begin to rectify their mistakes now.

I'll leave you with a quote from and extract that lives close to my heart, maybe this could be the method that Harry and Co. will use to mend their splintered community:

"Remember, to handle yourself, use your head, to handle others, use your heart."

If you have any comments to add about the above topic or you would like to respond to it, please don't hesitate to submit them to the following address: laz_henwood@hotmail.com

4/7/04