The Message of DH - Moral Superiority

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 174670

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:

> The /other/ Gryffindors were being the nice obedient 
> moral kids that mothers can be proud of. They weren't
> breaking the rules, they weren't causing trouble, they
> weren't putting themselves at risk. Oh yes indeed, 
> very nice obedient boys and girls...indeed. I'm sure
> Pastor Dave would be very proud. I'm sure their mothers
> would be proud. But when the castle was overrun by
> Death Eaters, do you think parents and Pastor Dave
> were more proud of the ones who fled, or the ones
> who stayed to fight? ...the ones toasty warm in their
> beds or the ones bleeding on the battlefield? 

va32h:

Really? Neville was following the rules and not causing trouble and 
not putting himself at risk?

Seamus got all those wounds from being nice and obedient? All those 
students hiding out in the Room of Requirement came for the toasty, 
warm hammocks?

There was an effective resistance at Hogwarts before Harry arrived; a 
resistance that focused on protecting the innocent and keeping hope 
alive - not engaging in tit for tat violence. Neville got his wounds 
by verbally standing up for the abused, not engaging in duels with 
their abusers. 

And seriously - if we are going to argue that the characters are 
entitled to "an eye for an eye" style justice - there is no character 
in the series more deserving of the chance to perform Crucio than 
Neville Longbottom. 

But Neville *doesn't* stoop to that level. He gets his revenge on the 
Death Eaters not by seeking out Bella to torture her, but by 
defending the castle during the first battle, and after 
Harry's "death", by rallying the crowd, by refusing to give up, and 
by following Harry's last directive -  kill the snake. 


Nobody has argued that all the characters should have sat back and 
let themselves be slaughtered by the Death Eaters. The issue has 
never been whether or not is okay to fight back when someone is 
trying to kill you. Come on. It's ludicrous to compare Harry using 
Crucio on someone who wasn't threatening him or even *facing* him 
with soldiers bleeding on a battlefied. 

va32h