Effects of the past (was Neville); memory charms

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 38466

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "lupinesque" <lupinesque at y...> wrote:

> It's true that Harry is driven, and almost driven to a disastrous 
> action, by his Dementor-induced memory of his mother

and more disquieting still, he is drawn to the Dementors - or at 
least his resistance is weakened -  because they give him a chance to 
hear his parents again.

I agree that some memories need to be put back again, having been 
taken out.  I don't believe that JKR is advocating eidetic recall of 
a whole life's experiences (nor do I advocate it), or that policy 
should be based exclusively on history.

On a related topic, the morality of memory charms, I believe that JKR 
is indicating they are not a good thing, not only because they 
wrongly bury the past.

The majority of actual uses we have seen have been tendentious: 
Lockhart, Crouch Sr on Jorkins; or damaging: Jorkins again, Lockhart 
again (on himself), the World Cup groundsman.

The last is particularly interesting, as it is endorsed by the MOM, 
but JKR is dissociating herself from it (IMO) by its effect on him.

David