Harry as Kreacher

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 100674


> > Pippin:
>From their own perspective,  the  characters can only know 
whether  they are fighting for the  right as they see  it. <<
 
> Annemehr:
> Well, yes, that's pretty much all anyone can do. I'm not 
forgetting that Molly and Sirius argued furiously about how much 
to tell Harry, and they both believed they knew what was best for 
him. And Fighting For Good doesn't have to mean anything grand 
and great; just trying to live a decent life and fulfill your 
obligations responsibly will do. It has nothing to do with 
arrogance.<

Pippin:
Hmmm...what I think would be arrogant would be deciding that 
your motives for risking your life to oppose Voldemort are more 
noble than someone else's. We can make that decision as 
readers, with our godlike view of events. But I don't think the 
characters are in that position. Even Dumbledore is not.

> Annemehr:
> Are you saying the Malfoys sat down and considered which 
was the right way to go, and acted according to their best idea of 
"good?" Because I was always sure their pureblood ideology 
was simply a reactionary one, which they rationalise after the 
fact.<

Pippin:
 I doubt the Malfoys are sincere about anything. But the Blacks 
may well have been. The point I was trying to make is that racial 
equality is a debatable issue in the wizarding world, not a settled 
question. In the WW even  idealistic thoughtful people who strive 
to be enlightened assume that wizards are superior and the 
other races ought to look up to them. That was the lie of the 
fountain. Some of the pureblood wizards have the same idea 
about themselves.
 

But I was trying to make a point about the Blacks. It's true they're 
allies of the Malfoys. But the Malfoys didn't *publicly* support 
Voldemort either. Lucius claimed to have been under the 
Imperius curse. I suppose that Mrs. Black believed that, or she'd 
have burnt Lucius off the tapestry for being party to the murder of 
Regulus. What I'm saying is, regardless of her ideology, Mrs. 
Black was an enemy of Voldemort and that *could* have formed 
common ground between Kreacher and Sirius. But Sirius 
couldn't get past the fact that Kreacher  was devoted to the 
memory of Mrs. Black, any more than Snape can get past the fact 
that Harry   is devoted to the memory of James. 

It was argued that Sirius had no obligation to show kindness 
toward Kreacher because  Kreacher's loyalty was doubtful. But  
Sirius owed something to Kreacher as his master. As Tolkien 
put it, the servant has a claim on the master for service, even 
service in fear.  Kreacher, however, owed Sirius no loyalty except 
that forced on him by the House Elf enchantments. He did owe 
loyalty to Mrs. Black, based on affection alone, since she was 
dead.  And Sirius trampled on it.

Imagine how Harry would feel if he had to watch Snape 
destroying photographs of his family. You think Harry wouldn't 
want to get even for that? At least if Snape did it, I think he would 
know how much he was hurting Harry. But it didn't even occur to 
Sirius that Kreacher might have feelings that were hurt.

Pippin