Being Good and Evil (was:Re: Harry's arrogance (was Evil Snape)

[Peggy Richter]

No: HPFGUIDX 154568

Pippin wrote: In the Potterverse, facial disfigurement is associated 
with  Harry's scar,  Mad-eye Moody's injuries, and Bill's mauling by 
Fenrir, all inflicted by Death Eaters. Hermione is in bad company here.

PAR: I think that somewhere in all this the issue of free will, which 
JKR said was important to her has been lost.
Dudly CHOSE to greedily eat HARRY's Birthday cake before Hagrid gave 
him a pig's tail. (he chose to be a pig).

Dudly chose again to disregard his diet and eat the ton toffee. The 
twins put the tempation in front of him but they didn't MAKE him eat 
it.

Marietta CHOSE to betray the DA group. She could have told HHP that 
she didn't feel they were doing the right thing and should quit, she 
could have decided not to continue going.  She agreed to abide by the 
groups' rules and then didn't.  Nor has she ever approached Hermione 
to ask for help (theoretically she "forgot" based on an obliviate at 
DD's office but I'm not sure it wasn't actually an imperious)-- and in 
that she again CHOSE to continue helping Umbrige.  

 Compare to the child Imperio'd into attempting to kill his parents.  
Or the DE's toying with the muggles.  Or Cedric. or those hit by 
the "giant" hurricane, the bridge falling, even those killed by 
the "gas explosion" of PP's escape.  These people did nothing to incur 
the suffering or death they went thru. There is a difference.  Draco 
has CHOSEN to support the DEs.  

And yes, the same action taken for different motivations DOES make a 
difference.  Unless of course one is truly arguing that a policeman 
who kills a criminal in the line of duty is a murderer the same as a 
person who kills another in a bank robbery would be. I don't think JKR 
is going with a "reverse Machiavell" -- that the ends NEVER justify 
the means.  The world is not that black and white and neither is the 
world JKR has created.
PAR.