Ginny/possession

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 152226

<snip>
Pippin 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.
> 
Alla responded:
> 
> IMO, Pippin she was a zomby most of the time and when she was not 
full zomby, she was still carrying Tommy in her head, so if somebody 
WAS killed, I would not think that this was her fault at all.
> 
> 
> Pippin:
> <SNIP>
>  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.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Well, here we disagree. I don't think she NEEDED mercy. I think she
 needed help. But sure Dumbledore showed mercy to Draco. Let's just 
hope it was not in vain.

Carol responds:
Isn't it possible that you're both right: Pippin in saying that she
wasn't possessed when she stole back the diary, that doing so was a
mistake, and that Ginny (like Draco) was lucky that no one was killed,
and Alla in saying that Ginny wasn't "signing up for murder" by
stealing back the diary and that she deserves mercy (at least as much
as Draco)?

IMO, Ginny isn't responsible for anything she did when she was
actually possessed, but she *is* responsible for taking back the
diary. But Alla is right that her age, twelve at most (I've forgotten
when her birthday is) or possibly still eleven, must be considered in
any judgment we pass on her. She was, above all, a frightened little
girl who knew that she was involved in something terrible and was
afraid of being punished or being thought wicked or bringing disgrace
on her family or all of these things.

IMO, when she stole back the diary, it wasn't to write in it again, in
which case she *would* be "signing up for murder," but to keep Harry
from finding out what she had done. Of course it was wrong to steal
back the diary, to invade Harry's privacy by rummaging through his
trunk and possibly damaging his property, and, above all, to cover up
what she had done. But she was a little girl, not a near-adult like
Draco (who knew from the beginning that he was "signing up for
murder"), and she was both ashamed of what she had done and afraid of
what people would think. How many people, especially children of that
age, would have behaved differently? Of course it was wrong to do what
she did, but it was a mistake, not a crime, a mistake for which she
doesn't need the excuse of still being partly possessed. Part of
growing up is acknowledging and learning from our mistakes, not
finding excuses for them. And all of the characters in the book make
mistakes, sometimes very big ones.

Judge not that ye be not judged. We all make mistakes because we're
all human, and our mistakes should not be held against us. Or that's
what I think Dumbledore, the great believer in second chances, would
think in this situation. And I think that's what JKR believes as well.

JMO, as Alla says.

Carol, with apologies for answering a question addressed to Pippin but
hoping to present a middle ground