The Hydra Throne

**The Hydra Throne** was the chair upon which the Prince of Slytherin sits.

## History

At 3:30pm on the 27th of March, 1994, Harry Potter attempted to withdraw his candidacy for the position of Prince of Slytherin from the Hydra Throne. This was due to the revelation that, in addition to the Potter Prophecy, he had just learnt about Sybil Trelawney's Second Prophecy which also foretold about the end of the world. After explaining both Prophecies hanging over his head and thanking them for all their teachings, the Exemplars dismissed him from their presence.

Later in the night however, Harry was summoned back to the Throne. The Exemplars revealed after he left, they deliberated and reached a unanimous decision. Each of the Exemplars revealed how Harry met their criteria for becoming Prince;

* Rajah, Exemplar of Ambition, explained that true ambition means to act for something greater than yourself. By attempting to withdraw his candidacy to avert the Prophecies, Harry was worthy.
* Jormungand, Exemplar of Diplomacy, liked how Harry developed friends and allies from even the unlikeliest of sources. As such, Harry was worthy.
* Ka, Exemplar of Intellect, explains how Harry's academic endeavors set him apart from his peers. As such, Harry was worthy.
* Mara, Exemplar of Cunning, tells Harry that even when falling to his death, he kept his mind keen, thus defeating his enemies. As such, Harry was worthy.
* Delilah, Exemplar of Charm, has always liked Harry, so Harry must be worthy.
* Nidhogg, Exemplar of Ruthlessness, explained the true test of ruthlessness is not what you are willing to do to your enemies (i.e. Draco Malfoy and James Potter), but what you are willing to do to your friends. By allowing Remus Lupin to be captured by Peter Pettigrew , risking Severus Snape's life, and trying to turn James against Jim Potter, Harry was worthy.
* Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto the Runespoor, Co-Exemplars of Tradition, explain how Harry is not only fluent in the ways of the Wizengamot  but also opposes those who would misuse Wild Magic and thus has taken his place on the Watch Tower. As such, Harry was worthy.

Despite Harry's objections, the Hydra Throne bestowed Harry with the title of Prince of Slytherin. They also stated that averting the Prophecies should be an important priority during his administration.

## Seven Exemplars of Slytherin

The back of the Hydra Throne is comprised of seven snakes, each of which a different species of snake. Each Exemplar represents a different characteristic that Salazar Slytherin thought is important for his students and can be communicated with by the Prince of Slytherin. Parselmouths can also communicate with them, even if they are not a Prince. In order to become Prince of Slytherin, a Prince-Claimant must impress all seven Exemplars in order to claim the title.

The Seven Exemplars of Slytherin are:

### Rajah the Basilisk

Rajah represents the characteristic of **Ambition**, although he prefers to see it as "Vision" as simply wanting to become rich or famous is not enough to impress him. A Prince-Claimant must have desire to shape the world in whatever way they want, even if it will be for the worst. He sits at the top centre of the Hydra Throne.

### Jormungand the Python

Representing **Political Acumen** and named after the World Serpent found in Norse Mythology, A Prince-Claimant must be able to form powerful political groups in order to win his respect. An example of this is Harry's Inter-house study group, the idea of which Jormungand is very supportive of. On the Hydra Throne, he sits to the right of Rajah.

### Ka the Cobra

Representing **Academic Excellence**, Ka believes excellence in academic life will help one achieve success. As a pseudo-scholar, when unknown situations arise that don't have a precedent, he will argue with the other Exemplars in order to produce better rulings amongst what the Hydra Throne will provide. He sits to the left of Rajah on the Hydra Throne.

### Mara the Ashwinder

Representing **Cunning** and **Cleverness**. For a Prince-Claimant to impress her, they must be able to demonstrate cunning actions in order to achieve their goals. She sees utilising the ideas of others as unbecoming of a Prince. An example of this is when Harry used Theo's idea to conjure a snake in order to communicate to the previously silent Throne, Mara disregarded Harry commenting he had months to come with the idea.

### Delilah the Boomslang

Representing **Charm** and **Subtlety**, Delilah is the most rebellious of the Exemplars on the Throne, to the point of actively going against the wishes of the other Exemplars. She is also noted to "love everybody", likely as a way to actively express the characteristics she represents. In order for a Prince-Claimant to win her respect, they must demonstrate subtle when dealing with issues that arise. With many current Slytherin student undervaluing subtlety, she has been very disappointed with the current Slytherin students.

### Nidhogg the Krait

Representing **Ruthlessness** and being named for the Norse mythological dragon that exists at the base of Yggdrasil, Nidhogg believes that crushing any enemy is the optimal path to overall victory, but also believes that having an rival is an important way of achieving growth. As a result, he dislikes any form of disarming, or "neutering", your rivals that will result in them being left without a means of retaliation. He sits on the far right of the Hydra Throne.

### Tisiphone, Megaera and Alecto the Runespoor

Representing **Respect for Wizarding Traditions**, the Runespoor is the most strict of the Exemplars on the Throne, obeying the rules Salazar Slytherin and any Prince-Emeritus lay down for him. As a result, he will often defer to these rules as law when new issues arise, such as when Tom Riddle commanded the Hogwarts snakes into silence, despite the state he was currently in. They sit on the far left on the Hydra Throne.

## References

Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 128 - Redux (Pt 2),

Harry tries to withdraw his Prince of Slytherin candidacy.
Book 3 - HP&DEM - Ch. 129 - Redux (Pt 3),

Harry is given the title of Prince of Slytherin, despite his objections.

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