"The Hat puts young people in Slytherin," Mandy points out.

"I really don't think the founders of the school decided to make a house for evil people."

"Cunning and ambition," Dayo singsongs. "Not evil."

"Exactly. There's nothing wrong with wanting to accomplish big things and cunning is a useful tool in a wide variety of situations."

"So how come evil wizards are always Slytherin?" asks Mandy.

"Being evil is an ambition," Padma points out.

"Part of it is probably because everyone expects them to be evil. Expectations are powerful things."

"They become evil because people think they're evil?" Mandy asks, sceptically.

"I guess it depends on what you mean by evil. I think if everyone expects you to join with whatever dark lord comes along it's more likely that you will. Less dramatically, the same is true of people expecting you to be a blood purist, or more benignly read a lot if you've been sorted into Ravenclaw."

    "Maybe."

    "I think it makes sense," agrees Padma. "But now everyone who's in Slytherin is evil. Maybe not you," she tells Dayo.

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm not sure that's anymore true than the idea that everyone in Ravenclaw spends most of their studying."

"The culture in there isn't the healthiest," she admits.

"I'm sure you can handle it. I wish you didn't have to though."

She shrugs. "It's good to have something useful and good to do."

"Reforming a whole house is a big project but I think you might manage."

"Of course I will."

    "...okay, I gotta give it to you, that's ambitious," Mandy admits.

Sarah smiles. "I'm not sure if I could be helpful but if I can be let me know."

Giggle.

And lunch is soon over.

Sarah sets off for her next class.