Guest Post and Giveaway: The Harry Potter Series–Dangerous Anti-Slytherin Propaganda by Sharon Bayliss │ DESTRUCTION Blog Tour
Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to have author Sharon Bayliss here at The Overstuffed Bookcase. I met Sharon at YABFest in Austin last year, and she gave me my first ever physical book for review! She’s cool like that! ;)
Sharon has also written two great books, The Charge, which is YA and came out last year, and Destruction (book one of The December People series), which is an adult book and just came out this week. I enjoyed both books a lot and I’m very excited to be a part of Destruction’s blog tour!
So Sharon’s here today to talk a bit about wizards, since Destruction is about a family of dark wizards living in modern-day Texas. And she’s not only talking about the wizards in her own book, but also about wizards in my favorite series of all time, Harry Potter! She’s also got a giveaway going on below, so be sure to look out for that. Take it away, Sharon!
I think we can all agree that J.K. Rowling is a Gryffindor. It’s pretty obvious by the way she wrote the Harry Potter series. Every important hero was a Gryffindor. Every important villain was a Slytherin. And, the poor Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were mostly unimportant side characters. That is SO how a Gryffindor sees the world.
In the United States, instead of Hogwarts houses, wizards are commonly classified by the four seasons, as in The December People. The Gryffindors are called summer wizards, which is apt because they believe they are the sun and the world revolves around them. The Slytherins are called winter wizards.
The winter wizards in The December People constantly struggle against dark wizard prejudices, like those perpetrated in the Harry Potter series. You can see this clearly in one scene in the last book, where students are choosing whether to flee or stay and defend the castle. According to Rowling, lots of Gryffindors stay, a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and a BIG FAT ZERO Slytherins. I ask you…really? Really? Out of all those Slytherins, not a single one of them thought, “Hey you know, Voldemort is kind of bad guy. Maybe I don’t want him to kill me and everyone I love.” This is where Rowling really gets it wrong. Although dark wizards are prone to varying degrees of evil, they are definitely not cowards. Opposed to running from battle, they are often the ones at the front lines, the ones least afraid of darkness, pain, and death. And, they would never stand idly by while someone threatened them or people they loved. Like mama bears protecting their cubs, they will maul your face off if you get too close to their babies.
At least, in the last book, she also shows a little more Slytherin complexity than she had in the previous books. Most importantly, we learn the truth about Snape…one of my favorite characters anywhere, ever. We learn that far from a coward, he is probably the bravest character in the series. He is also capable of loving deeply and being fiercely loyal. We also see Narcissa Malfoy betray Voldemort in order to find and protect her son. I still think it was too little, too late, but I’m glad Rowling finally showed another side of darker wizards.
So, if you happen to be of the Slytherin persuasion (and a grown-up…The December People series is not for kids) there is a story for you. Check out my recently released novel, Destruction.
This is a photo of me and my wand. Which Harry Potter character owned this wand before me? Be the first to guess correctly in comments and win a free digital copy of Destruction!
Now, David must parent two hurting children from a dark world he doesn’t understand and keep his family from falling apart. All while dealing with the realization that everyone he loves, including himself, may be evil.
About the Author
Sharon Bayliss is the author of The December People Series and The Charge. When she’s not writing, she enjoys living happily-ever-after with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and playing in the mud (which she calls gardening). She only practices magic in emergencies.

Stephanie
April 16, 2014 at 6:14 pmLove this post! I am going to guess Narcissa's wand.
I'm not sure that I am of the Slytherin persuasion, but I do agree with you! I think there would have been more Slytherin's that would have thought: "Hey you know, Voldemort is kind of bad guy. Maybe I don't want him to kill me and everyone I love."
I am going to go add this book to my GoodReads list now. Thanks! :D
Sharon Bayliss
April 16, 2014 at 8:56 pmWell done, Stephanie!! You got it on the first try. Go ahead and send your e-mail address to sharonebayliss @ yahoo.com and tell me what format you prefer. Congrats!
Stephanie
April 16, 2014 at 9:18 pmYay. After reading what you wrote, I thought it would either be Snape's or Narcissa's. :D I am going to email you now. Thank you!
Bittner
April 19, 2014 at 5:28 pmRavenclaw's were totally portrayed to be highly intelligent and competitive people. The Hufflepuff's totally got screwed because they were portrayed as the kids who get picked last in gym!
But I do agree about the part where she mentioned that surely some of the Syltherines would have fought for Hogwarts. When she said it was zero my first reaction was to want to reread the book and find a Slytherine in there some where because that just can't be right!
I do kind of feel, as a proud Hufflepuff, that a book about dark wizards might be a little intimidating.