Values of Potterverse WAS: Re: muggle baiting vs/Being good and evil

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 155277

Alla:

> Nope, not Snape, for whom I still have to be convinced 
> of "selfless purposes".
[snip]
> As to what was noble purpose of Marauders (poorly executed 
> of course) - that is very easy - to relieve the sufferings 
> their friend was going through on the monthly basis.

houyhnhnm:

I have yet to be convinced of James' and Sirius' "selfless 
purposes" in joining Lupin for his monthly transformations.

Lupin is grateful to them, but he would be grateful for 
companionship regardless of the others' motivations and
probably wouldn't question those motivations too deeply.  

We don't know anything about the nature of the friendship 
before the discovery of Lupin's werewolf status.  Neither 
James nor Sirius seems to require much beyond fawning 
sycophancy in order to regard someone as a friend as 
witnessed by the inclusion of Peter in their clique. 
I can see (in the absence of any evidence to the contrary) 
Lupin as a mere tag-along whose presence was tolerated as 
long as he made himself agreeable and was properly worshipful.

Then came the discovery that Lupin was a werewolf. Cool! 
All of sudden "highly exciting possibilities were open to"
them.  If we had evidence that either James or Sirius 
were generally timid or had a particular fear of werewolves 
or a deep aversion to breaking school rules, and and overcame 
it to keep their friend company, then I would concede that 
their motives were altruistic.  But there is no such evidence.  
On the contrary, they seem to have been on a general lookout 
for excuses to break the rules and "The risk would've been 
what made it fun for James." 

BTW, the really selfless thing that Snape did, IMO, 
was not muttering a countercurse or going to the 
Shrieking Shack, or even going into the Forbidden 
Forest at night, it was getting on a *broom* in 
front of the whole school. :-)

Alla:

> In my book - helping your friend - is the good thing to do.

houyhnhnm:

Wouldn't most people help their *friends*?  Loyalty to 
one's group, keeping their secrets, avenging their 
wrongs--wouldn't these fall into any gangster's code of ethics?

Helping people who are *not* your friends, from whom 
you don't stand to gain anything--that's my idea of 
"selfless", "noble", and "good".  I don't see much 
of it in the Potterverse.