[HPforGrownups] Being Good and Evil (was:Re: Harry's arrogance (was Evil ...

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 154779

>Magpie
<snip>
>Likewise Marietta is not scarred because her actions passively led  
to disfigurement, she's scarred because Hermione intentionally 
created a  disfigurement hex and placed it on her without her 
knowing, ready to go if  Marietta told anyone about her (Hermione's) 
secret study group/army. It's  not only a case of just the natural 
consequence of Marietta's actions even  if Marietta activated the hex 
by telling about the DA (something I can  easily imagining Hermione 
herself doing under different circumstances with  different people 
leading the DA). (By this line of reasoning had Slughorn  drunk the 
mead he bought for Dumbledore and died of it in HBP, it wouldn't  be 
because Draco intentionally poisoned it and got it inside the 
school,  but because Slughorn was greedy and drank a bottle of mead 
meant for  Dumbledore.) 

There are plenty of times in canon when, imo, characters  wind up 
suffering the bad consequences of their own actions, but I don't  
think that applies to situations when one character decides to hurt  
another for whatever reason. When that happens the choice lies with 
them  for introducing the violence/poison whatever. "This person did 
this bad  thing so I had to punish him!" I think that kind of 
thinking gets into worse  ethical territory than the things they're 
punishing. When the person is  really just suffering the consequences 
of his/her own actions, or feels like  they are, I think it's usually 
cause for more reflection on their part and  the readers.

Nikkalmati:
I cannot agree here.  Marietta is a clear case of someone suffering  the bad 
consequences of her own actions.  HG never intentionally hexed  Marietta and 
did not intend for anyone to be hexed.  I am sure  she would have been 
perfectly happy if no one had set off the  SNEAK  mark.  HG set a trap for anyone who 
violated the contract. Retribution  was automatic and not within HG's control. 
 Maybe she should have made  the consequences explicit, but IMO in the WW 
even teenagers should know  there are consequences for breaking a magical oath.  
Marietta did not happen upon rule breaking like Draco finding out about  
Norbert by spying on the Trio.  She took a magical oath.  I have  never been a fan 
of the idea that "ratting" on your friends is wrong where  there is real harm 
being done, but in this case Marietta had agreed not to  do precisely what 
she did do.  She did have other choices IMO,  including going to Harry and 
asking for an explanation.
As far as the length of time she is marked, I don't think several months is  
an indication that she will be marked "forever."  If she does not know how  
she got the marks, it may not be possible to remove them.  A countercurse  
logically requires knowledge of the curse.  She would not know to go to HG  for 
help and she may be afraid of DD now.  Why can't Cho help her?   She could ask 
Harry to find out what the curse was, if she does not want to talk  to HG.  
Nikkalmati (who thinks the marks will fade eventually or go away when LV is  
gone and the DA is not needed).
 


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