What is _right_ vs. what is _easy..._

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 38183

I just had a rather horrid thought.  Again and again we hear that the choice
is between doing what is _easy_ and doing what is _right._  In the next book
or two, we might see Harry himself fall to this hurdle, possibly like so:

One fine day, the Aurors come to Hogwarts, with orders to arrest Draco
Malfoy, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe.  A captured DE has grassed on
Lucius Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle Sr, and implicated the daylights out of
their sons just for good measure...either figuring that the more people he
throws to the MoM the easier they'll go on him,or out of malice and envy of
Malfoy Sr. for his wealth and old family name or...who knows.

In any case, Harry happens to _know_ that the Unholy Trinity (has anybody
else noticed that the Trio of Potter, Weasley and Granger is balanced by an
Anti-Trio of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle?) are completely innocent of the
charges brought against them---but nobody else knows this for sure, enough
to testify and get them released. Nobody knows, in addition, that Harry has
this knowledge---everybody thinks he's just a bystander, a spear-carrier at
best in this scene.    Harry is now faced with a huge temptation.

If he testifies, and the Anti-Trio are acquitted, he's going to have to
continue to put up with them, and from what he knows of them, their
gratitude is going to have the life expectancy of a mayfly hatching.  On the
other hand, if he just keeps quiet and doesn't insist on testifying---or
goes on the stand and lies like a rug---he'll get to see them dragged away
to Azkaban and at worst and least, he'll be _rid_ of them at long last.

Now, I _had_ a "Malfoy" figure in my own life, and in this position, I would
have been dreadfully tempted to Do Nothing...my rationalization would have
been that he had it coming _anyway_ and that getting punished for something
he actually hadn't done was merely sweet, sweet irony, considering all the
times he hadn't been punished for something he _did_ do.

I would bet that Harry would share his dilemma with his two best friends,
and I can just about imagine their responses.  Hermione, of course, would
urge him to stand up and testify, while Ron would, at least, be very sorely
tempted to urge him to say nothing and hoist a glass of Butterbeer down at
the Three Broomsticks on the day that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle get sentenced
to life without parole in Azkaban.  If Harry _didn't_ testify, it would put
a very severe strain on Hermione's friendship---she'd probably be horrified
that he'd allow _anybody,_ even Those Three, to be hauled off to Azkaban,
knowing that they were honestly innocent this time.

For a really, really nasty twist on the above, consider this:  Harry
_doesn't_ even tell the other members of the Trio, and stays still and
schtum.  Without his testimony, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle are convicted (by
the usual wonderfully fair Wizard World justice system---"guilty as charged
on the above counts, and also guilty of being the sons of Death Eaters!
Life without parole in Azkaban is too good for you!  Hanging's too good for
you!  Burning's too good for you!  You---should be TORN---into ITSY BITSY
PIECES---and BURIED ALIVE!  _KILL!"_)...and, later that same year, new
evidence comes to light that shows that they _were_ convicted quite
unjustly, and couldn't have been guilty at all---_and that Harry Potter knew
about it all the time and kept quiet!_   So, when he's finally thinking he's
_rid_ of the Anti-Trio, they're back, looking like they've been dragged
through Hell by the soft and dangly parts---and _he's_ the villain!  This
would make his life _interesting,_ as in the Chinese curse.  People seeing
these shaking, white-faced, cringing wrecks and shaking their heads in pity
and sorrow, and then giving _him_ dirty looks---dirty looks that he _knows_
he deserves.

*Brrrr*  Sometimes I scare myself!