Lupin question

Marvin Long msl at fc.net
Mon Jan 22 15:28:45 UTC 2001


No: HPFGUIDX 10147

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Amy " <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> Amanda wrote:
> 
> >I think if Harry had not developed the friendship that he did with 
> Lupin,
> >that Moody would have had much more trouble with his machinations.
> >Thoughts?
> 
> Unlike Susan, I am not a pro in the field but I agree.  Harry notes 
> similarities between Lupin and Moody as, reading GoF the first
time, 
> did I.  He's a nutter version of Lupin but shows some of the same 
> kindness, or so we think--I trusted him from the moment he gave 
> Neville the book (evil ironic laughter in background).  And Harry 
> naturally can't help liking someone who's that horrible to Draco 
> (Lupin wouldn't bounce a student on a stone floor--his one fault.  
> J/K).

I suspect that Harry would have trusted Moody the moment he bounced
Draco around, Lupin or no.  When I was Harry's age, the image of the
gnarly, crusty old coot that Moody presents would have been
fascinating--hypnotizing, even.  Add to that a personality that
immediately recognizes the rottenness of my "sworn enemy" and we'd be
talking about a pretty instant bond, or at least an instant desire to
bond if instinctive reluctance still remains.

> BTW on second reading, the first DADA lesson shows Crouch is a real 
> sadist, don't you think?  I think he is getting an actual kick out
of 
> rubbing Harry's and Neville's faces in the curses that struck their 
> parents.  With Neville it's particularly sick assuming that Crouch
did 
> torture the Longbottoms as accused.  
> 
> I think when he tells them "I know it's harsh, but you've got to
know" 
> he also means that.  For him they have to know the power of the
Dark 
> Lord because he wants them to be paralyzed with terror.

That, and, "You don't KNOW the power of the dark side.  Now you will
learn the true meaning of the Force, er, Curse!"  :-)

One thing about this scene...perhaps for Harry, Moody/Crouch's sadism
was a familiar echo of life at the Dursleys.  I wonder if, being
accustomed to rough brutality whenever an adult wanted to teach him a
lesson, Harry had a blind spot that might have prevented him from
suspecting as inappropriate Moody's use of the imperius curse on
students.

I remember that when I first read this scene, I thought, "Finally! 
Moody knows what he's doing and will give the kids the education they
need!"  Upon further reflection, though, Crouch/Moody reminds me of
those bad martial arts instructors who beat up their students just for
the hell of it:  

"This is how strong you could be!" Whap! 
"Don't show weakness!" Whap!
"Learn to take it!" Whap!
"It's for your own good!" Whap!

And so on, using the premise of "self-defense" to indulge himself in
others' defenselessness.

marvin

ps - I wonder how Crouch would have felt if he learned that Harry
escaped in part because he was resistant to the imperius
curse...something Crouch apparently neglected to tell his master.





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