Breaking the Rules (was Harry and Morality)

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 57373

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Troels Forchhammer 
<t.forch at m...> wrote:

> As far as I am concerned there is no way of formulating an
> ethical principle that allows Harry to do something and
> doesn't allow Draco to do the exact same thing. The only
> way to distinguish is to point out that Harry (usually) do
> things we agree with, while Draco normally do things we
> don't agree with, but if we raise that to an ethical
> principle, we automatically raise ourselves (as
> individuals) to be the final arbiters of right and wrong -
> something I would feel very uncomfortable with, and
> something I cannot see any moral justification for.>

I will address the above post in a moment but first I want to point 
out an example of rule/law breaking that I'm not sure has been 
mentioned.  In PoA, Fudge excused Harry for his performance of 
underage magic at the Dursley home.  Fudge was, of course, looking out 
for his own interests but was also protecting Harry.  Should Harry 
have been expelled and arrested for what happened to Aunt Marge which 
was as much out of Harry's hands as Dobby's actions in CoS?

As far as Harry and Draco similarly breaking the rules, I think motive 
has to be taken into account as well, which is certainly something the 
laws take into consideration here in the US.  What were Draco's 
motives when he and his cronies dressed as Dementors during a 
Quidditch Game?  Draco knew the Dementors scared the hell out of Harry 
and made him sick to boot.  Draco is also aware (as we all are) of the 
fact that Quidditch can be dangerous.  Maybe Draco thought he was 
being funny here, but he also knew he could have seriously injured 
Harry. 

I can't think of too many times when Harry's goal was to hurt someone 
else.  Sneaking around in his invisibility cloak at night or to 
Hogsmeade is not the brightest thing to do, but the only damage Harry 
could do is to himself.  He certainly deserved to hear what Lupin had 
to say to him, but I just don't think his actions here are malicious 
or dangerous.

There are times when Draco does get away with doing what is wrong.  In 
GoF in the famous "I see no difference" scene, Hermione suffers and 
both Ron and Harry are given detentions, but I don't recall any 
discipline for Draco, who raised his wand right when Harry was doing 
the same. 

In the end, if people never broke the law or spoke out against 
unfair/immoral rules, some terrible things would still exist.  I'd 
like to think that is one of JKR's messages.  

--jenny from ravenclaw ********************