Case for Marauders (was Re: Marauders, Voldemort and the Map)

[romulusmmcdougal]

No: HPFGUIDX 109631

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Nora Renka" <nrenka at y...> 
wrote:
Nora:
> 
> Okay, I'll admit I'm up front about not being a fan of speculation--
> that's one area where Kneasy has me pegged correctly.  But just how 
> do you get around the multiple statements, by multiple characters, 
> that James always hated the Dark Arts and had nothing to do with 
> it?  That's a lot of canon to say "Oh, well, they were all 1) 
> confused 2) lying 3) didn't know what they were talking about 4) 
too 
> ashamed to admit it".

RMM:
Okay, I am at a loss here.  Could you enlighten this poor soul with 
some citations so that I am dissuaded from my speculation that James 
Potter was attracted by the Dark Arts?

Nora:
> 
> I grant you that the original aims of Voldemort were popular--my 
own 
> fascism analysis needs that point. :)  But keep in mind WHO they 
> were popular with.  Regulus Black joined up, and Mommy thought he 
> was a right little hero for doing it.  Mommy is also a firm 
believer 
> in blood criteria, and flings the word 'Mudblood' around like a wet 
> dishrag.
> 
> While for all James' many, many, well-discussed faults, isn't it 
> meaningful that he insists he would never call Lily a Mudblood?

RMM:
I have never stated that because he was a Pureblood that he was into 
the Purebloodism.  He was in it for self promotion and for the 
challenge.  He outdid everyone at Hogwarts at everything -- except 
one thing -- outdoing Snape at something.  And what was Snape good at?
It was certainly not gaining the affection of Lily Evans!

Nora:
> 
> THAT'S the part of the DEs that was popular--getting rid of those 
> uppity Mudbloods.

RMM:
I disagree.  Not all the Death Eaters were into the purebloodism 
philosophy, but many were.  Being a member of a popular organization 
has its benefits -- Socially and Economically, besides the pure 
enjoyment of being high up in an organization feeding one's ego.  And 
we know James had an ego.
He joined, I speculate, for the sheer challenge and enjoyment of it.

Nora:
  That was most likely a lot of their public face, 
> too.  We have strong canon that James didn't think that way.  How, 
> then, could we ever postulate him going up to Voldemort and 
> saying "Well, hey, I'd like to join up too"?  

RMM:
To learn from Brightest Wizard of his day.  Secondly, Voldemort would 
love to have a POPULAR student like James Potter on his team to show 
that this movement is POPULAR and praiseworthy.  See young Regulus?  
We have JAMES POTTER, Head Boy, on our team!  Want to join up?
Voldemort probably spent a lot of time recruiting James Potter.
And none of the recruitment would have had to involved any dark arts.
It was great PR to have people like James Potter on your side.

Nora:
> 
> I submit that to join up the DEs, you'd either have to believe in 
> the pureblood crusade, or be a pure opportunist out to get power or 
> CYA.  Peter is the example of the latter, while we have multiple 
> mentions of James being someone who defied Voldemort.

RMM:
Yes, after a time, it came to the point of PROVING one's worth to 
Voldemort.  There was a point at which the candidate was tested.
James Potter probably made a life altering decision at this point, 
probably helped by his new love Lily Evans, and decided to step down 
from his enviable position inside the Death Eaters.
He sacrificed popularity for integrity.

Nora:
> 
> This is the problem with attempted subversive readings--they may 
> make one thing that 'seemed' problematic work better, but you 
> usually mess up at least five other things in the process.

RMM:
Okay Nora, give me FIVE OTHER THINGS I have messed up.

RMM
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