The Evil that is Rita -and how about Crouch Senior?

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 57807

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Becky Walkden 
<runningbecky2002 at y...> wrote:

>Oh I'm sure revenge did play a big role although if a good nasty 
story about Hermoine presented herself Rita would have wrote it 
anyways.  Personally though I thought Crouch Senior is very evil but 
as for Lord Voldemort, he doesn't even bare mentioning as he is the 
absolute of evil.  And I think he's beyond just torture.  Torturing 
somebody means their life has a certain value to you at least in a 
preverse way so that you wish to torment them. Their feelings, even 
pain and suffering has some meaning. Other people's life has no 
meaning at all to Lord Voldemort.  He tortured Potter not for pleasure 
but just as a demonstration to the DE's of his superiority.   But 
there is a big difference between a nasty lying reporter who writes 
fallacious gossip to the totally evil Voldemort or even the cruel and 
hard Crouch.  I'm not sure I'm saying this right or not, actually and 
no Crouch isn't in nearly the same catagory as Volemort.  But I don't 
think I'd lump Rita with either of them.>

First, I'm not sure what you mean when you say that someone who 
tortures has some value for the lives of the people they're torturing.  
When you think about all of the times in history where people have 
been tortured, I really cannot think of too many examples of their 
lives being valued in any way.  I agree that Voldemort was showing his 
superiority in front of the DEs when he tortured Harry, but I also 
believe he enjoyed it.  He certainly has been angry enough at Harry to 
seek revenge after all of those years without a body and we know he's 
a cruel wizard as it is (the murders of Frank Bryce, Cedric, the 
Potters and the Riddles are ample evidence).  I see no evidence of 
Voldemort valuing any life.

Back to Rita again - she may not physically torture people, but she 
sure as hell makes them suffer.  I guess I feel as strongly about her 
as Darrin does about the Slytherins - Rita Skeeter has no respect for 
anyone she encounters, from Dumbledore to Harry.  In fact, for reasons 
I don't know, she seems to have contempt for everyone.  I cannot in 
any way excuse her behavior because the consequences were quite 
serious and as Barb pointed out, could have been very dangerous as 
well.  The only reason I can think of to excuse Rita from the ranks of 
the DEs is that she couldn't be bothered to join the group.  Rita 
likes to take all the credit herself.

Of course, my personal loathing of the paparazzi clouds my objectivity 
when it comes to Rita Skeeter, but she is baaaaaad.  Mean.  Vicious.  
Heinous.  I guess I'd have to say she's evil.

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