[HPforGrownups] Re: Neville's Boggart / The Marauder's Forays

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 168082

 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.

Magpie:
Maybe I'm not understanding, because it seems like you're wanting it both 
ways. You're explaining their behavior through RW ideas (they're a certain 
calibre of guy), but drawing the line at assuming that the consequences of 
their behavior are the same as in the RW. But as far as I can see, 
werewolves are taken very seriously in the RW. They may be removed from the 
RW, but not from the deadly seriousness of the situation. One bite ruins 
your life or kills you. Everyone takes werewolves very seriously, and 
they've only gotten more serious as the books progress. Snape may, in his 
typical Snape way, expect his own brush with a werewolf to be taken even 
more seriously and make it all about him him him, but then, that also links 
back to how the nameless faces and enemies who deserve it rarely see 
themselves that way.

It's true that the Marauders perhaps just weren't thinking--they're not 
risking anything themselves since they're animagi. (If they were taking a 
risk themselves they would have to try to run with Remus as humans, not 
become animagi so they can go along for the ride under protection--their 
monthly jaunts seem more about freedom than risking their own lives. The 
only danger they seem to be knowingly risking is that they'll get caught or 
hurt other people.) But I believe Remus when he says that he understood the 
danger, since he's lived with the consequences of being a werewolf most of 
his life. I think MWPP's behavior is perfectly understandable given who they 
are, but that in this case it's reflecting things that are genuinely bad 
about them. In this regard, unexceptional Neville easily outstrips them and 
they kind of suck.:-) Because their actions *are* deadly in their world.

However, this may be getting away from what we're all trying to say about 
this anyway. I believe this started out just being about Lupin, and Lupin 
*does* seem to be perfectly aware that he's doing wrong in those early days. 
He's also shown not acting on what he thinks is right because he doesn't 
want to interrupt his friend's fun, so as far as Lupin is concerned, I think 
wynnleaf's point stands the same as ever and is backed up by canon. JKR has 
shown us Lupin doing the wrong thing, even in Harry's eyes, and Neville's 
been praised for doing the opposite. This reading fits in with Lupin's 
character as we've had it presented to us. (Where as, if we were talking 
about Sirius I think it fits in with what we know of his character to say 
that he was just reckless and didn't think.)

-m