[HPforGrownups] Remember Cedric

[Shannon]

No: HPFGUIDX 45308

At 10:13 PM 10/13/2002 -0500, Richelle wrote:
>Okay, I need help.  Can someone clear this up for me?  This comes from 
>Dumbledore's end of year speech to the students in GoF:
>
>"Remember Cedric.  Remember, if the time should come when you have to make 
>a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to 
>a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the 
>path of Lord Voldemort.  Remember Cedric Diggory."
>
>First of all, that sounds like the makings of a battle cry "Remember 
>Cedric!"  That note aside, what exactly is Dumbledore getting at 
>here?  Cedric did what was right (didn't he?), he knew Harry was there 
>first, he wanted him to have the victory.  By doing that (in addition to 
>Harry's goodness wanting Cedric to win) he strayed across Voldemort's path 
>and got himself killed.  Whta would've been easy in his case? To take the 
>cup alone?  And then what would've happened?  It just almost sounds like 
>Dumbledore's telling them if you do what's right and get in Voldemort's 
>way doing it you'll die.  Is that a warning?  I think I know what he's 
>getting at, but it could be taken wrong.  Can someone else share their 
>interpretation?

My interpretation of that speech was not so much that he was saying that 
Cedric took the right path rather than the easy one.  After all, he 
didn't.  He didn't know that he was going to end up in Voldemort's sights, 
after all (though I personally think had he known he'd have done the same 
thing).  I think what he meant was that when the time comes for them to 
make the choice between which side to choose, they should remember exactly 
what they are going into, or what they are considering supporting.  Cedric 
was a student that most everyone loved and admired.  He died because he was 
in the way.  He wants them to remember that the person they are considering 
siding with is someone for whom killing an innocent boy is as 
inconsequential as swatting at a fly.  For some students these will be hard 
choices.  They'll be afraid, and some of them will be facing pressure from 
family and friends to choose Voldemort's side. It would be easy to cave in 
to that pressure, or give in to that fear.  Voldemort's casual murder of 
Cedric is really the essence of why he is so hated and feared.  Dumbledore 
wants them to realize that and make their decisions accordingly.

I think that his speech about Cedric is one of the most beautifully written 
parts of the books so far.  She spent the whole book making Cedric someone 
we like and respect, and then uses his death to make us truly grasp 
Voldemort's evil.  Hopefully with that speech, the students will grasp it too.

Shannon




>Richelle
>
>********************************************************************************
>"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."
>---- Lady Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring
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