Whose side are we on?? :was: Arthur right or not?

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 156099

> >>Katie:
> <snip>
> Someone else in this thread wrote about "Why?" are we on this     
> side? Why?? Because people like Voldemort, who intimidate,        
> threaten, murder, and manipulate in order to increase their own    
> power and prestige are the reason the RW is so effed up.

Betsy Hp:
That was me. <g>  And yeah, I get why we're supposed to stand 
against Voldemort.  JKR has done a good enough job, IMO, 
demonstrating that Voldemort is all about destruction and death.  
Heck, she even torpedoed the old "pity me as I'm a tiny little 
ragged orphan" bit when she showed us in HBP that Tom was the big 
bad at the orphanage, with his own room and an overworked, but 
basically decent, staff.

And I get why the Ministry isn't all that great to stand with 
either.  They're very quick to judge, eager to avoid any sort of 
confrontation, and very willing to do just about anything to 
maintain the status quo.  Including jailing innocents.  I wouldn't 
call the Ministry evil but they're not anyone I'd call on in an 
emergency either.

But once we get into Hogwarts itself I have a harder time of it.  I 
quite like Harry, though he's still got some issues to work out.  
And I think Ron is basically good (though cruel at times).  But 
Hermione *really* worries me.  Ginny seems a massive ball of 
temper.  The twins are bullies.

Sure, compared to Voldemort our good guys are pretty shiny, but 
within Hogwarts hallowed halls they're not all that.  If I were a 
random student there I really doubt I'd *like* the good guys.  There 
are just common rules of basic decency that some of Harry's friends 
don't seem to want to follow.  

I think that can change.  I expect, given the things JKR has set up, 
that much of it will.  (I have a feeling Ginny is pretty much as she 
is, and it's just unfortunate that JKR created a character that is 
too "spirited" to work for me.)  But until those changes occur, I 
just can't rubber stamp Hermione's or Harry's or even Ron's point of 
views.  There's too much that is questionable there, so I question. 
<g>  Honestly, I'm betting that we're supposed to question.  I think 
JKR is being very sneaky and Harry and company are quite wrong in 
some of their assumptions and prejudices.

Betsy Hp