Rulebreaking (Official Philip Nel Question #6)

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 38505

It seems to me that rulebreaking in the HP books is presented in three
distinct categories.  There's rulebreaking for a good cause (to thwart
the bad guys or to help a friend in trouble); rulebreaking for fun;
and rulebreaking for a bad cause (to harm somebody, or for personal
gain at somebody else's expense).  The first kind is presented as good
and even heroic.  The second is okay as long as it doesn't hurt
anybody, but it's not heroic, and if you get caught you're supposed to
take the punishment with good grace.  The third is never okay.

Harry's rulebreaking almost always falls into the first category; he's
the hero, after all.  When he goes after the Philosopher's Stone, or
helps Sirius and Bugbeak escape, the actions are clearly presented as
admirable.  When he strays into the second category (the trip to
Hogsmeade), he's censured, but not too harshly.  He's lapsed out of
his heroic behavior for a bit, but he hasn't gone over to join the bad
guys or anything.

Fred and George pretty much live in the second category. :-)  That's
okay for them, because they're not the heroes -- they're the comic
relief good guys.  Despite Molly's worries, I doubt either one of them
is heading for a life of crime.

Draco and the Slytherins engage in rulebreaking for bad reasons.  So
did Tom Riddle.  So did Snape when he tried to go to the Shrieking
Shack in order to get the Marauders into trouble.  This is always
presented as bad, and never ends well.  We never see Harry and Co.
break rules to harm someone -- they don't go around trying to get
Draco in trouble or plotting to get Snape fired.

Now that I think of it, the only example I can think of where one of
the good guys engages in "type 3" rulebreaking is Sirius and his
Prank.  Even though I believe Sirius only meant for Snape to be
frightened, not hurt or killed, he was still breaking rules in order
to cause something bad to happen to another person.  Hmmm... I'm
actually not sure what JKRs opinion of the Prank is.  Snape is furious
about it, but his reaction is not presented sympathetically.  Sirius
is frankly unapologetic.  Nobody else expresses an opinion, because
there are more immediate important things going on, but I did get the
definite feeling that Lupin does not approve.  I'll be curious to see
if, in future books, Sirius ever acknowledges that he was wrong.  Or,
failing that, if Lupin or Harry or Dumbledore ever express the opinion
that Sirius was wrong.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com