Good and Bad (again) (was:Re: This shall be Salman Rushdie´s words (Spoiler?)

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 156634


> > >>Neri:
> > <snip>
> > However, it was also straightforward that Snape refused to listen 
> > to any proof that they weren't guilty, and was rather enjoying    
> > himself threatening them with sucking their souls. That's         
> > something a good man wouldn't do even if he believes they are     
> > guilty. 
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Really?  In the Potterverse?  The same world where a good guy is 
> perfectly able to throw a magical curse at a non-magical child 
> because he's upset at something that child's father said?

Neri:
Turning people into animals is a common practical joke in the WW. Fred
and George sell Canary Cream to school children. Had the Dursleys
apologized and asked Hagrid to return Dudley to his previous condition
I'm sure he would have done it (he would have tried to, anyway. No
guarantee about the results <g>).

It's a completely different matter when you are talking about people
walking to their death, or worse than death. Especially if the person
taunting them about it is also the person who is turning them in.
Especially if they are actually innocent and he refuses to hear them.
Especially if he speaks silkily with a mad glint in his eyes and talks
about sweet vengeance in a breathing voice. Especially if that person
already has a track record of enjoying other people's discomfort,
especially discomfort that he was personally responsible to. This
isn't the behavior of a good person. Good people might find themselves
in situations where they must kill other people, but they don't taunt
their victims and they don't act as if they enjoy it. 


> Betsy Hp:
> The same 
> world where the *hero* expresses a certain amount of glee over the 
> fact that a hated teacher may have tripped a jinx, and even goes so 
> far as to hope the jinx ends up killing him?
> 

Neri:
I agree that Harry came pretty close there and JKR was making a point.
However, Harry was only talking, and talking is cheap. Harry didn't
threaten to turn Snape in to his death personally, taunting him to his
face and enjoying himself at the time. And I'll bet you anything that
Harry won't do it, even to Snape, even after the tower. He won't even
do it to Voldemort. Because if he will, he won't be the good hero. 


> Betsy Hp:
> Honestly, I think JKR makes it pretty darn clear that the line 
> between being a good man and being a bad man is not quite so clearly 
> drawn. Taking a moment to taunt someone you hate isn't enough to 
> shoot you over either side of the line, IMO.  (Not that taunting is 
> a *good* thing.  It's just not enough to paint someone as "not 
> good".)
> 

Neri:
It may not be enough by itself, but in certain circumstances it sure
helps.


Neri