Musings on loyalty (long)

[Peg Kerr]

No: HPFGUIDX 788

Have been thinking about what the books have to say about loyalty. Quite
a lot, actually.

It occurred to me recently that one reason (among many) that Rowling
included the whole house elf subplot was that it was both a
foreshadowing and an ironic commentary on the scene between Voldemort
and the Deatheaters in the graveyard. Think about it: isn't there
something rather similar between Winky, groveling at the Quidditch match
while Crouch, Sr., says "I have no use for a house elf who disobeys me"
and Wormtail groveling before Voldemort, as Voldemort taunts him that
perhaps he isn't loyal enough.  Loyalty, as demonstrated between Harry,
Ron, Hermione, Sirius, the Weasley family, and Dumbldore is highly
valued--but the house elf plot, like the story of Voldemort and his
followers is included to warn us: "Be careful: if you wish to give your
loyalty to someone, be sure that they deserve it."

What is the difference between loyalty as demonstrated Our Team (Harry
and his friends)
versus as demonstrated by the Other team 1) the house elfs and their
masters (all the masters we've seen are dark wizards and 2) the Other
Team (Voldemort and his followers?)

Well, on Our Team, loyalty is reciprocal (meaning it goes both ways),
and it is flows between people who consider themselves to be equals.
Harry helps Ron and Hermione, knowing that they, in turn will help him.
This is demonstrated perhaps most effectively when Harry recognizes that
since he and Cedric have helped each other, they are equals, and he
acknowledges this by suggesting that they take the Triwizard cup
together. Loyalty is demanded, but not in the nature of a one-up,
one-down relationship, but because people on Our Team are responsible
for each other and look out for one another. Remember Hagrid scolding
Ron and Harry in PoA for snubbing Hermione: "I thought you two would
value your friend more'n broomsticks or rats." And remember what Sirius
said to Wormtail, when Wormtail protested that he had to betray James
and Lily (turn his back on his loyalties) to save himself:

Wormtail: "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

Sirius: "Then you should have died--died rather than betrayed your
friends AS WE WOULD
HAVE DONE FOR YOU."

On the Other Team, however, loyalty is definitely not reciprocal.
Remember in the first book
when Dumbledore tells Harry that Voldemort left Quirrel to die: "He
shows just as little mercy
to his followers as his enemies." The house elf masters that we have
seen (Malfoy, Crouch)
consider loyalty as something they demand from their servants, but do
not seem to think they
owe anything to their house elves in return. Voldemort, too, when the
death eaters come,
scolds them for how they has let him down, and punish some, cruelly. But
although he gives
Wormtail back a hand, my impression is that everyone understands that
all the giving is going
to flow toward Voldemort, not the other way around--unless he decides to
reward his
follows on a whim. Note, too, that the Deatheaters return this "loyalty"
of Voldemort's with
coin just about as false. They come back to him out of fear, or because
he can offer them
scope for depraved pleasures--not because they think, "By gum, my friend
Voldemort is in a
spot of trouble, and he needs me, and I know he's always stuck up for me
before." Others,
observing the characters of these Death eaters, note that their loyalty
is false. Karkaroff and
Wormtail, for example, both guage their loyalty to Voldemort by
calculating first and foremost
what's in it for them.

Other thoughts: it was something about loyalty, or more specifically,
about choosing sides, that led to the first falling out between Draco
and Harry.  Remember the scene on the train, first year: Draco wanted
Harry to join "his side" and appealed to him to avoid Ron and others of
that ilk.

Draco: "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better
than others, Potter.  You don't want to go making friends with the wrong
sort.  I can help you there."

Harry: "I think I can tell who are the wrong sort for myself, thanks."

The whole Mudblood story line is also about loyalty: which side will you
stand with?  Purebloods only, or all wizards, including Mudbloods?

Look at how much dramatic mileage Rowling gets out of many characters
like Quirrel, Moody and Krum, Karkaroff, Fudge and Snape, where a big
part of the plot (and the surprises) hinges on: where does this person's
loyalty truly lie?

Think about the implications of the students being sorted into four
houses, and the interhouse competition, and the Triwizard tournament.
Rowling is doing a lot in these books about loyalty, competition, about
assessing who is on your side, trusting, betrayal, etc.

I could go on in this vein but will probably stop here for now.
Comments?