The Evil Trio deserved hexes [was The Train Stomp vs. Dumbledore, etc.]

[marinafrants <rusalka@ix.netcom.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51464

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Diana Lucas <dianasdolls at y...> 
wrote:
> I agree with Jim and dumbledore11214.  Not only was
> Draco gloating about the horrible, wasteful death of
> Cedric, Draco was actually *threatening* to kill
> Harry, Hermione and basically every other other decent
> person [read non-Voldemort supporter] in the WW. 
> 

I think that whether or not the Slytherins deserved to be hexed 
and/or "stomped" is not the real issue here, at least not for people 
who are bothered by the scene.  Look back at the Shrieking Shack 
confrontation in PoA.  Once the truth is revealed, all the 
characters present, including Harry, pretty much agree that 
Pettigrew deserves to die.  And as a reader, I can't say I 
disagree.  But Harry still stops Sirius and Remus from going through 
with the killing -- not for Pettigrew's sake, but for theirs.  He 
doesn't want Sirius and Remus to become murderers, he doesn't think 
James would've wanted it, and I think that his choice is presented 
as the right choice -- not because it saved Pettigrew, but because 
it saved Sirius and Remus.  The message I got from that scene was 
that there are certain things that we just mustn't do, even to a 
deserving target, because of how *we* are affected by doing them.  

Given that message, the confrontation on the train can come across 
as quite disturbing for reasons that have nothing to do with whether 
or not the Slytherins deserved it.  Draco came in and behaved like a 
vile git, yes.  The Gryffindors were enraged and struck back with 
violence.  Was their rage justified?  Yes, I think it was.  I see 
one big problem here, however: justified rage and unjustified rage 
feel *exactly the same* at the moment when you're actually feeling 
it.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com