Neville's Boggart / The Marauder's Forays

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 168077

> wynnleaf:
> I've heard this argument many times.  

Mike:
Actually, I considered it more of an explanation than argument. :)

> wynnleaf:
> But that is not the same as intentional, premeditated behavior 
> where the primary risk is in killing another person.
> 
> And remember, Lupin is *very* well aware that his condition makes 
> him deadly.

Mike:
Two thoughts here. One, the Marauders do not think they are risking 
any *other* lifes, you may even say they aren't thinking. The 
possible risk to life they see themselves as conquering is their own, 
running around with a werewolf. Risk to "nameless and faceless" 
others does not enter the equation. <And who used that term allowing 
me to put quotes around it? Dumbledore, in a similar context>

Second, Lupin may be aware that he is deadly in werewolf form, but it 
would only be hypothetical if or until he actually mauled or killed 
someone. Until that time, those near misses he spoke of would only 
fuel the desire to keep going. They would be proof that they had 
taken the necessary precautions and at the same time added a level of 
excitement to their explorations.

> wynnleaf:
> When I try and compare what Lupin was doing to the risks taken by 
> lots of teenage guys, it's hard to come up with a comparison 
> amongst the normal things guys do, because *most* of those risky 
> activities are primarily a risk for the people doing it, rather 
> than primarily or even solely a risk of killing innocent people.

Mike:
This is why I used the term "of a certain caliber". Not only are the 
Marauders out of the ordinary risk takers, they're wizards in a 
wizardly setting. IMO, JKR doesn't want us to think they are just the 
predecessors of Fred & George. They are exceptionally talented (at 
least James and Sirius), Remus has an exceptional condition, and they 
are in an exceptional setting (Hogwarts, and Hogsmeade being the only 
all-wizarding village in Britain). How can JKR show us exceptionally 
talented wizards of a certain caliber? Getting into exceptional 
mischief.

I think it becomes problematic to try to equate the Marauders actions 
to some parallel in the RW. Further, I think JKR just wanted us to 
realize how exceptional these young wizards were. The main point or 
thrust of the story, imo, is that they (specifically Lupin) were 
defying Dumbledore's rules for attendance in Hogwarts. But also that 
they got away with it. :D


> wynnleaf:
> <snip the RW examples> 
> Lupin's behavior -- because of the extreme risk to others --  is not
> typical teenage guy behavior.  Typical teenage boys commonly develop
> plans that risk their own lives and typical teenage boys may make
> decisions while their reasoning ability is impaired through alcohol 
> to engage in behaviors that risk the lives of others.  But it's 
> *not* typical to regularly plan activities that seriously risk the 
> lives of others.

Mike:
Well, I don't think we are suppose to think the Marauders 
are "typical teenage boys". I think we are to understand they are 
exceptional teenage wizards. I think we are also meant to understand 
that while their actions would be deadly serious in the RW, they are 
far removed from the RW in all aspects. They have powers and 
abilities which obviate the normal concerns, if one can consider 
running around town as Animagi with a Werewolf as somehow bringing up 
*normal* concerns.

IMO, the Marauders aren't "typical teenage boys", but they are boys 
of a certain caliber acting within the context of a wizarding world. 
Furthermore, I don't think their actions were as reckless as we may 
assign to some RW equivalent, because there isn't suppose to be a RW 
equivalent.

Mike, who will continue to think the Marauders are *cool* because 
that is what I think JKR wants me to think of them. ;)