The Sneak Mark (was "Slytherin" Hermione?)

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 112391

Marcela wrote :
" I strongly believe that Madam Pomfrey just didn't want to fix 
Marietta's face, same as Flitwick and McGonagall didn't want to fix 
the swamp, or put out the twins fire crackers... they were sort of
'boycotting' the new regime and its supporters, LOL.  Do you think
that McGonagall would not have asked Harry (or Hermione) what was that
jinx about if she had 'wanted' to get Marietta better?"

Del replies :
I can understand the Trio not wanting to lift the jinx, but I'd be
completely *disgusted* by adults acting that way. Letting students
create mayhem is one thing, letting a particular student be disfigured
for months is another.

Marcela wrote :
"Don't forget about them being wizards and witches, jinxes happen all
 the time and they can be solved -not like curses and/or powerful 
spells, which could probably not be fixable."

Del replies :
And how do we know which type is the jinx Hermione used ? Hermione is
a powerful witch and she's researched quite a bit. I don't put
anything past a girl who brewed a Polyjuice Potion at the age of 12.
Moreover, I would think that Madam Pomfrey would have lifted the jinx
before Marrietta went home for the summer, at least to avoid incensing
the girl's parents, and also because it's a very unprofessional thing
to do to let a student go back home injured in any way. But we know
that Marrietta was still wearing her balaclava on the Hogwarts Express
on the way home.

I, Del, wrote :
"Sure ! And why not reinstate the Red Letter for adulterous women
while we're at it ?! Marrietta, a 15-year-old girl, has had to keep 
those monstruous pustules for more than 2 full months !!"
 
Marcela wrote :
" Honestly!  That comparison is just waaayyy out there...  While what
 was done back then to adulterous women was an injustice, the jinx 
that Marietta got is not, in War times everybody needs to know whom 
are the traitors,"

Del replies :
First, the Red Letter was not an injustice according to a majority of
the society at the time, or it wouldn't have existed to start with.
People at the time thought it acceptable to mark adulterous women, but
we don't anymore. Similarly, 15-year-old kids might think it's
acceptable to disfigure a schoolmate who crossed them, but I, at the
age of 30, disagree strongly.

Second, the Jinx is very much an injustice, for multiple reasons : 

1. Nobody was warned about it. They agreed not to tell, but there was
never any mention of what would happen if they did, and especially
there was no mention of something so dreadful. Marrietta was not given
a choice to avoid the Sneak Mark, because she didn't know she was at
risk of getting it. If Hermione had told them what could happen, and
yet Marrietta had told Umbridge, then I wouldn't find it unfair. But
Hermione didn't warn them.

2. But, you will tell me, Marrietta did agree not to tell. All right.
But who gave Hermione the right to decide of the type and the length
of the punishment ? Hermione wasn't commissioned to do that, she
wasn't even the DA's leader. She took the matter in her own hands
without any authorisation. In-justice.

3. You say it was a war situation. I agree. A war against Umbridge
(not LV). Only problem is : Hermione *forcefully* enrolled the DA
*before* making sure which side they were on to start with. Had she
checked, she would have realised that she'd better keep Marrietta out
of it, because Marrietta was almost naturally on Umbridge's side, not
the DAs. Hermione forced Marrietta to betray Umbridge long before
Marrietta betrayed the DA. The situation Hermione *unnecessarily* put
Marrietta in was unfair.

And even if Marrietta had truly deserved her punishment, the Trio
still showed an incredible lack of compassion by letting her go around
disfigured. Hermione lost it all when Snape ignored her rabbit teeth,
she *knows* what it's like to be disfigured, she also knows how hard
it is for Harry to have people gaping at his scar, and yet she lets
Marrietta walk around with a balaclava on her head. I'm disappointed.

Del