[HPforGrownups] Re: Discussion Question #2

[kellybroughton at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 37639

>Dazed_sparkling_dreamer talks about the Slytherins:
>
>
>>Now imagine going through all this as an adolescent. THe most 
>>emotionally screwy and embarrising years of your life and almost hte 
>>entire school hates you. Hell probably a lot of people can remember 
>>feeling like this at some point. Now imagine this for seven years! 
>>This would be traumatic anyway but these are also the most ambitous 
>>people in the school. They may well feel that well what is the point 
>>in being 'good', staying on the 'light' side. The light side has 
>>rejected them. 
>
>I include this quote here, because it is so similar to my argument for why 
>Snape joined the DEs, his experience of school failed to demonstrate the 
>ethical superiority of the Light side, that the results of incidents such as 
>the prank came dangerously close to Voldemort's philosophy of the invalidity 
>of the concepts of good and evil. 
>
>I originally said,
>> It's not so much what the Marauders did that's the problem, as what 
>> Dumbledore *didn't* do. I fancy he felt ever so let down by 
>> the 'light' side, didn't find justice in the all-wise all-just 
>> Dumbledore. . . . What's the point of allying yourself with 
>> goodness if evil goes unpunished? Is there any difference between 
>> the two sides? Perhaps not. 
>
>Eloise

I recall it being said that Tom Riddle was a prefect, Head Boy, and quite popular... and he was in Slytherin. When they say popular, I assume they meant he was popular with the whole school, not just Slytherin house.

As for Eloise's "evil going unpunished" statement... notice that's exactly what happened when Riddle framed Hagrid for the Aragog/Basilisk incident. He does something totally evil, and is actually given an award. As far as I know, Dumbledore is the only one who seems to have a better understanding of young Riddle than anyone else at the time, and yet does nothing(?)... simply perhaps because he didn't have the authority to do anything at the time?

-kel




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