Evil Hermione

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 154905

Alla:
I already mentioned that I totally see the parallel, but I want  to 
add - Peter was at MOST two or three years older than Marietta IMO,  
so adult/child does not really work for me here.



Julie:
No he wasn't. Marietta is most likely 16 like Cho, perhaps just turned  17,
though there's no reason to assume that. James and Lily were 22 when
they died, so that was also Peter's age. Thus he was 5 or 6 years older 
than Marietta.
 
Additionally, Marietta ratted on students who could to her  knowledge
get expelled at most. (She had no knowledge of Umbridge's attempted
murder with the Dementors or her torturing of Harry.) Peter betrayed
his best friends to Voldemort, knowing doing so meant their certain
deaths. Huge difference, and substantially so. Marietta was getting
kids in trouble at school, Peter was getting his friends murdered. 
 
Alla:
**That** is the relevance to me - that Marietta's actions could  have
led
to horrible consequences and did not do so **not** thanks to  anything
Marietta did, quite the contrary, IMO.
 
Julie:
What horrible consequences? As Hermione said, they might  have
been expelled. I don't see that as "horrible."
 
 Magpie:
> The adult/child was probably the least of my problems  with the
parallel. In
> fact, I think Peter could have been more of an  anti-Marietta at
his age in
> significant ways. The Potters might have  ultimately been a lot
safer if
> Marietta had been the fourth  Marauder.


Alla:
Do you mind clarifying how Potters could have been  safer?

Is your meaning that Marietta would not have betrayed  them?


Julie:
I can't say for sure that's what Magpie meant, but I think  they would
have had a much better chance at living. Again, Marietta betrayed
students to an official authority figure who might have had them 
expelled. Peter betrayed his closest friends to a known murderer who
made his intent murder those friends clear. While I can't say for  sure
Marietta wouldn't also betray a close friend to be brutally murdered
to save herself, I can say *Peter* certainly would and did. Hence,  I'd
take Marietta as my secret keeper any day over Peter. 
 
Julie 
 
 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]