Ginny/possession

[festuco]

No: HPFGUIDX 152217

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at ...> wrote:
>

> That *was* signing up for murder--she knew
> that the attacks were no joke.  Like Draco, she was only fortunate 
> that no one was killed. I think Dumbledore's mercy helped her to 
> understand that she made a bad choice, just as it helped Draco to 
> understand that his choices were wrong.
> 
> Pippin
>
First: Ginny was eleven, maybe twelve at the time. Draco was sixteen,
and almost certainly had become seventeen, a legal adult during HBP.
There is a big difference between an sixteen year old and an twelve
year old in judging situations, seeing consequences, in short in
maturity level. Ginny was a child, Draco a young adult. That alone
makes Draco far more responsible than Ginny could ever be. 

Second: Tom Riddle's memory admits that when she was writing in the
diary she poured her soul into it, and he took that soul and grew
strong on it, stronger than Ginny. That was what he was doing with her
in the chamber of secrets, getting the rest of her soul so she would
die and he would live. Well, somebody who enchanted, who's soul is
gradually being tapped, is not likely to be in a sound mind even if it
is not a child. 

Sure, Ginny notices something fishy, she is an intelligent child and
figured something was wrong. But I can easily see her keeping her
mouth shut in the hope everything will go away, that there must be
something else going on. 

Compare this to Draco, who has emotionally upset by his daddy being in
prison and outed as a DE. Sure, that must have hurt a lot. Sure he
must have been in an environment that was pro DE. Yet he is also a
part of the larger wizarding world where lots of people are so very,
very afraif of LV and his minions that it must have occured to him
that these people think differently. His daddy is in prison because he
did something illegal. His aunt was in prison because she tortured
some people into insanity. Even if he completely condoned all that, he
is old enough to comprehend that in the eyes of society it was
criminal and that what he is charged to do is a terrible crime. Yet is
is proud of it. Yes, he is under a lot of pressure, yet he is crying.
But not because he is supposed to do something horrible, something
against his conscience. But because he is not succeeding. And then he
finds out there is a price to failure. Sure that changes his view and
takes his mind of dreams of power and glory. 

But long before that he knew what he ought to have done: Gone to DD,
confessed and asked for help. Yet he did not because he was honoured
with his task. 

It is easier to understand that when he knows what is at stake for him
he is afraid to get help. But he should have gone long before. Besides
what is excusable in a child is far less excusable in an adult. Draco
willingly took the criminal route. He embraced it. Ginny was a victim
who was simply afraid. 

Gerry, baffled by the whole discussion