[HPforGrownups] Re: Marietta and the DA

[Amanda]

No: HPFGUIDX 121334

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ravenclaw001" <technomad at i...>
> wrote:
> >
> > I've been following these threads about Marietta Edgecombe and the
> > DA, and I think it's time I put my two knuts' worth in.
> >
> > Firstly---having her join at all was an example of Hermione's
> biggest
> > weakness.
>
> Hickengruendler:
>
> I disagree. Hermione took the whole situation very serious. For her,
> it was about learning to defend themselves (and rightfully so). Not
> to allow Marietta to join the DA just because she didn't enjoy the
> meeting could have been a decision between life and death. Imagine
> for example Marietta facing a Death Eater and not being prepared
> enough to fight for her life, because Hermione didn't allow her to
> join the DA. The situation was way to grave for Hermione to exclude
> the DA members who were doubtful from the following meetings. In
> dubio pro reo, especially in this situation. From your point of view,
> the first person to be excluded from the meetings must have been
> Zacharias Smith, and he didn't betray the DA.
>
> I suspected Marietta to become a traitor from the very beginning. But
> only, because Zacharias Smith seemed to be a pretty obvious red-
> herring, just like Snape in book 1 or Draco in book 2. Therefore I
> started to look for other possible candidates and very soon landed at
> Marietta. However, that's nothing Hermione could have known. After
> all, she doesn't read the books. And it's not that she can tell
> Marietta: You aren't allowed to join the group, because I don't like
> your face.
>

Kethryn now  -

I, too, have been following the Marietta conversations (and fighting with
yahoo so that I can receive emails from the group) and I happen to think
that Hermione did the right thing.  I mean, Hermione did warn them...

"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was
here.  But I also think," she took a deep breath, "that we all ought to
agree not to should about what we're doing.  So if you sign, you are
agreeing not to tell Umbridge - or anybody else - what we are up to."  (page
346, 0otP, American version)

If it were me, I would do exactly the same thing as Hermione in this case.
It would be useless to tell people that something bad would happen if they
signed the form and then blabbed; those people that would be inclined to
blab would somehow find a way not to sign the form.  I also happen to
believe that this is a war between the MoM and Hogwarts at this point and I
would fully back Hermione's decision to catch any actual traitors to the
group.  It's like this, if I knew there was a traitor in the US selling
secrets to the fill-in-the-blank of your choice here, I wouldn't hesitate a
second to ensure their capture, legally or otherwise.  And, if I had magic,
that would make catching them that much easier.  After all, no one held a
gun to Marietta's head and made her sign it and, by voluntarily signing a
promise and breaking it, she broke an oath.  Therefore, she deserved what
she got.

Kethryn who has a very low tolerance for oathbreakers.