[HPforGrownups] Re: Slytherin's evil

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 2217

milz wrote:

> Frankly I think there's a duality in most things. For example,
> acetamenophen (Tylenol) is a poison if it is taken in large
> quantities. On the other hand, if used judiciously and wisely, it is
> a pretty good medicine for headaches, fevers and muscle pains.
> Likewise a pair of scissors can be used judiciously and wisely to cut
> a piece of paper or it can be used to stab someone. These examples,
> like the Basilisk, are defined as "good" or "evil" by their usage.

Nope, must disagree. Acetominaphen and scissors (at least Muggle scissors)
have no life and no innate nature. Living creatures are a horse of a
different color; they will have "bents." JKR does freely invent creatures,
but they tend to be based on folkloric themes, and nowhere that the
Cockatrice or the Basilisk are found are they anywhere near good. The
folklore of plain ol' snakes does vary, but in European folklore they're not
real desirable, either. One can argue that it was not the choice of how to
use the basilisk, but the choice to use it at all, that shows Slytherin (or
Riddle) was inclined to evil.

--Amanda