Traitors etc.

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 155174

 
 
 
 

> Nikkalmati:
> Lanval touched on the central question regarding  Marietta and Hermione. 
Two 
> virtues appear to be paramount in  Potterverse: courage and loyalty. The 
> Marietta incident is just one  example of betrayal found throughout the 
books and 
> I think it has to be  seen in conjunction with all the other incidents.
> The books begin with a  huge act of betrayal by Pettigrew for the base 
motive 
> of saving his own  skin, thus, an act against both courage and loyalty. 
> Sirius is the  opposite character in this scenario, displaying both courage 
and 
>  loyalty ( he advised Pettigrew he would have died rather than betray the  
> Potters and he broke out of Azkaban when he realized Harry was in  danger, 
for 
> example).

>Pippin:
>Loyalty is important,  yes, but loyalty to what? To a person or a group? Or
to a set of values? I  think it's the values, people. JKR makes that clear
when Neville is rewarded  for turning against the Trio. 
Nikkalmati: 
Neville was displaying courage; as an example of loyalty he was displaying  
loyalty to Griffendor; he was concerned that they Trio would lose points.   I 
don't see any loyalty to values. 
Nikkalmati 

>Pippin
>It is difficult for me to judge  Marietta's actions, because I don't know 
what 
values she was choosing when  she went to Umbridge. Was she choosing to 
enrich herself as Alla seems to  think, or was she choosing between her 
mother and an unstable, erratic boy  who leaves her best friend in tears half
the time? 
Nikkalmati: 
In any case, she was a traitor.  I don't think her reasons are  particularly 
relevant. 
Nikkalmati

>Pippin 
>But I know what Hermione's values are supposed to be, and that  bothers
me, because the parchment hex does not exemplify choice. First and  
foremost, it doesn't allow for the choice of mercy. 
Regardless of  whether mercy would have been appropriate in this
case, the parchment leaves  no option for it. Some have said that
Hermione would show mercy if she was  asked to, but Hermione's 
friends have received mercy unasked. The Flying Car  incident 
was in its way a betrayal of the whole WW, but Hermione would
be  very lonely at school if Harry and Ron had been expelled. 
Nikkalmati: 
The WW does not recognize mercy IMHO.  (With the exception of DD). I do  not 
believe this case is appropriate for mercy.  If Marietta recognizes her  error 
in some way, forgiveness will be automatic, IMHO.  It is not in  Hermione's 
hands.  Her friends were granted a big huge exception, because  Harry is too 
important to expell. 
Nikkalmati 


Secondly, although everyone else's future was just as much at stake  as 
Hermione's, she didn't give any one else a choice about how that future  
was going to be protected. That's elitist, IMO. I know Hermione doesn't  want
to be elitist, so I think this was a case where she, as was often  the
case with Sirius, didn't live up to her personal philosophy. She  took
it for granted that her choices would reflect what she believes  in,
but her judgement was whipsawed by her "faults and fears."

Nikkalmati: 
I guess Hermione's thinking she knows best is a bit elitist,  but why would 
Hermione not want to be elitist?  After all, she is the  cleverest witch of her 
age.  I do agree that she could have done a better  job of protecting the DA 
and I bet she will do a better job next  time.<g>. 
Nikkalmati 

   


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