Salazar Slytherin's Perspective on Umbridge and Dumbledore's Army

From a modern viewpoint in the era of Harry Potter, it's fascinating to speculate how Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin House, would have felt about the figures that populate his fictional world. Two such characters who provide ample grounds for reflection are Dolores Umbridge, with her Inquisitorial Squad, and Dumbledore's Army, led by Harry Potter and his friends. Though Hermione and her allies would resist any such impression, it's plausible to imagine that Salazar Slytherin, with his rough pragmatism and pureblood sentiment, might have mixed feelings about both.

Admiration for the Slytherin-Waged Battle

For Dumbledore's Army, one quarter of Salazar Slytherin would have been grudgingly amused by their tactics.

On one hand, Salazar Slytherin would have found the use of stealth, sneakiness, conspiracy, and wit to defeat the plans of an adversary to be an intriguing and socially acceptable form of warfare. Slytherin was known for valuing cunning over foolish displays of strength. He likely would have respected their ability to outmaneuver Dolores Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad, much in the same way that he might have admired other cunning and intelligent purebloods who had managed to navigate the complex social and political landscape of Hogwarts.

Disgust at Political Correctness

The remaining three quarters of Salazar Slytherin would have been less favorably inclined.

One particular aspect that would have annoyed Salazar Slytherin was the inclusion of so many muggle-borns within Dumbledore's Army. In his eyes, true wizards and witches should come from bloodlines that have been magically active for generations. The idea of including those with muggle ancestry in a group dedicated to the protection of the wizarding world would have been anathema to him. He probably would have viewed it as an affront to the purity and quality of wizards and witches.

In contrast, Salazar Slytherin would have found the Weasleys and Neville Longbottom to be acceptable, purely due to their pureblood status. He would have particularly relished the thought of Fred and George Weasley, given that they combined traits of cleverness and mischief. In Salazar's view, such traits were valuable and could be harnessed for the greater good of the pureblood community, especially in the pursuit of their goals.

Contempt for Umbridge and Her Squad

For Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad, the first quarter of Salazar Slytherin would have grudgingly admired their goals.

Slytherin would have likely felt a certain respect for Umbridge and her Squad for their objective of oppressing those whom they deemed beneath themselves. In a way, this mirrors his own goals of maintaining and preserving the pureblood line. He would have understood their desire to reinforce the social hierarchy and exclude non-purebloods. However, this respect would likely have been tempered by his distaste for their methods.

Disapproval of Umbridge's Lack of Competence

The remaining half of Salazar Slytherin would have been contemptuous of their incompetence.

Salazar Slytherin would have been particularly appalled by the Inquisitorial Squad's inability to effectively enforce their own rules. He would have found it difficult to respect a group that could not even adhere to the very regulations they imposed on others. This incompetence would have been magnified by his own belief in power and harmony. Slytherin would have believed that rule should be enforced by those who truly knew and understood the power they wielded. The Inquisitorial Squad's failings would have been seen as a significant flaw in their character and effectiveness.

To further illustrate his disdain, Salazar would have found their actions to be a failure in leadership and strategy. As a cunning and strategic thinker, he would have found it difficult to take their operations seriously, especially when contrasted with his own well-planned and executed actions.

The Approved Umbridge of Deathly Hallows

When it comes to the Umbridge at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Salazar would have been far more approving, if not entirely.

At the end of the series, Dolores Umbridge is transformed by a series of events that turn her into a more violent and openly oppressive figure. She becomes an ally of Bellatrix Lestrange, engaging in acts of cruelty and betrayal. This transformation would have been particularly appealing to Salazar Slytherin. Her efforts to oppress those with muggle blood would have been enthusiastically endorsed, as he would have seen this as further evidence of the need to maintain blood purity and ensure the survival of the pureblood wizarding world.

However, given Salazar's overall disdain for those who can't follow through with their plans or succeed in their goals, he might have still found her to be lacking in many ways. Nevertheless, her actions would have been closer to his ideal of pureblood superiority, making her a more approvable figure in his eyes.

It's worth noting that despite his overall favorability towards Umbridge's later actions, Salazar Slytherin would still have found her to be lacking in many other aspects. He would have found her leadership style to be erratic and her methods to be overly brutal, which are traits that he himself would have avoided.

In conclusion, Salazar Slytherin, while not entirely without admiration for Umbridge and her Squad, would have ultimately held far more disdain for the Inquisitorial Squad's incompetence and personal dissatisfaction with the inclusion of muggle-borns in Dumbledore's Army. However, he would have found the transformation of Umbridge into a more brutal and direct oppressor of muggle-borns to align more closely with his personal ideals, even if he might not have wholeheartedly approved of her methods.