Words have consequences / Political positions of the characters

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 150582

> >>Amiable Dorsai:
> OK, I'm going to try to explain myself with a minimum of
> wisecracks, then I'll shut up for a while on the issue (unless I
> think of something really funny to post).  Pippin, Betsy, anyone
> else, here's your chance to get in the last word.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I've been accused of always having to have the last word, so I thank
you for your kind offer. <g>

> >>Amiable Dorsai:
> <snip>
> There's a war on--a trite observation, but a necessary one--and the
> Dark's greatest weapon is fear.
> <snip>
> It's a fantastic weapon, it will paralyze the Ministry for a year,
> it will force the Order underground, and it will hobble their
> every step.
> <snip>
> And Draco is using it.  Whether he's thought his actions through,
> or just absorbed the technique from Lucius, Draco has picked that
> weapon up and fired it straight at the Trio.
> That's why I object to calling Draco a victim--it trivializes his
> actions, it diminishes him.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
This is an excellent post, Amiable Dorsai, and for the most part I
agree with it.  Where I disagree is interesting to me because I do
like Draco, and I get the sense you don't, and yet, I think you're
giving him too much credit here.

Because at this point, especially compared to Harry, Draco *is* a
trivial character as the next book takes pains to show.  He is
diminished in a sense, because to him it's still all about the
school-yard and house points.  The graveyard has forcibly moved
Harry beyond that point, and Ron and Hermione too to an extent.  I'd
say Harry has been moving in that direction since the end of PS/SS,
but GoF really slugs him in the gut with the fact that it ain't
kids' games anymore.  But Draco hasn't been hit with that particular
fact yet.

One thing I noticed while participating in this discussion and
rereading the scene several times is that Harry doesn't brag about
stomping Draco and Crabbe and Goyle.  He just does it and moves on.
In fact, JKR makes an effort to show Harry *not* thinking about it
again.  Not even a small amount of gloating.  I think that's because
he *didn't* just one up his childhood rival; it's really not about
that anymore for Harry.

Compare that to when the DA members who'd had nothing to do with the
DoM battle trounce Draco and friends at the end of OotP.  One of
them speaks rather ghoulishly, IMO, about Narcissa seeing her ruined
boy.  Those children are still in the school-yard phase of things, I
think.

So what your post clarifies for me is how *Harry* is seeing things.
It is a war now, for him.  And he treats Draco as a solider fighting
for the other side.  If Draco *were* such a solider, okay, I guess
he's not such a victim, because he'd have known the risk he was
taking in baiting Harry as he does.

But on Draco's side, I don't think he does realize it's a war.  I
don't think he realizes it until the end of OotP when his father is
put in Azkaban.  That's the point Draco stops making idle, bragging
threats and starts becoming a character that can really contend with
Harry.  But up until then, Draco was just a sheltered child, raised
on his parent's political rhetoric but shielded from the practical
ramifications.  Until, finally, his parents can shield him no longer.

Which leads me to the Marauders and Snape and their political
positions.  (I tried to find a post to jump off from, I did! <g>)

Ooh, wait, here's a good one from Magpie:

> >>Magpie:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/150483
> <snip>
> Actually, now I think about it doesn't he conclude by saying that
> James, "however it may have appeared" to Harry in that scene,
> hated the Dark Arts? That line could have two meanings.  One that
> Sirius is saying that maybe it *looked* like James had no good
> reasons to hate Snape but there were things about him that were
> really bad.  But the line could also be taken to be Sirius
> saying, "however it may have looked" James hated the Dark Arts
> because it may have looked as if James was a Dark Arts fan given
> his behavior.;-)
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
That's an interesting twist, Magpie.  Lupin and Sirius were well
aware of how badly James came off in that scene.

I do *not* think James and Snape hated each other because of their
political leanings.  That relationship struck me as *pure* school-
yard.  For one, I seriously doubt young, eleven year-old Severus
stood on the platfom at Kingscross with an "I love the Dark Arts!"
button.  Nor do I think James was sporting his "Down with Dark
Arts!" button.  And we've word he and James hated each other pretty
much from the word go.

[Frankly, if James was that sort of knee-jerk about his classmate's
political leanings, how'd he ever hook-up with Sirius from the Noble
House of Black, known Dark Wizards?  Whatever he may have thought
about his family I can't see Sirius taking to kindly to some kid
walking up to him and saying "Your family is evil!  Unless you deny
them I shall plague you!"  But that's just me. <g>]

No, I'm  betting Severus's interest in the Dark Arts was just icing
on the cake for James.  Compare the attack on young Severus with all
of the times Harry attacks Draco.  There's a distinct lack of
passion on the Marauders' part.  James and Sirius don't have to
psyche themselves up with a "remember what Death Eaters did to young
Johnny" or anything of the sort.  They just see Severus and it's
on.

But with Draco, who not only comes from a questionable political
family, but openly spouts his support for the Dark Lord almost from
the moment he sets foot on Hogwarts property, Harry is *always* in
the grip of some passion before he smacks Draco down.  As much as
Harry thought that he'd treat Draco as his father and godfather
treated Severus, I don't buy it.  He and Ron never went after Draco
out of boredom, or even political spite.  There was *always* a
reason for their actions.  Always.

For James, it was because Severus existed.  Poor, oddball, emotional
Severus, with the wrong accent and shabby clothes, no sense of humor
(I'm guessing), and a frustratingly stubborn refusal to submit to
his "betters".  Nothing political about that.  War or no war, those
two would have clashed.

Betsy Hp 
[edited to fix a rather silly mistake that turned Sirius into 
Harry's grandfather.]