What's good about the good guys?

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 179573

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> We've heard a lot of complaints lately about the good guys,
> particularly Dumbledore. I'd like to turn that around and ask those
> who admire those characters and even those who are disappointed in
> them to consider what's good about the good guys, particularly HRH 
and
> Dumbledore but also anybody who qualifies as "good" by virtue of
> ending up on the right side of the battle.
<SNIP>

Alla:

Oh, oh I want to play I so want to play. What is good about good 
guys?

I think friendship is one of the most admiring traits I can find in 
them. This is something I can particularly relate to, since if I 
call a person my friend, I can and I did go extra mile for that 
person.

Therefore when I read about Trio and Ron offering to die for Harry, 
I can actually feel it as something very real and something - well, 
I obviously did not experience the necessity of dying for a friend, 
but I certainly made certain sacrifices, more everyday life, but 
still sacrifices.

I certainly admire that in Ron. Of course I admire that very same 
thing in Harry and Hermione. 

The next thing is of course arises from the fact that they are 
friends with Harry, but I do admire that they are brave enough to 
not let Harry stand alone against Voldemort and are committed to do 
anything to help him, to sacrifice their personal comfort, their 
desires, etc, etc.

I would count my blessings if I had friends like Ron and Hermione, 
honestly.

Hmmm, hardest thing is what good about Dumbledore, but I will try. I 
mean, again it is a given for me that his goals are good, the 
problem comes when I try to see how he viewed the individuals he was 
leading, whether he saw the **person** in people under his 
leadership, whether he loved **them**, not just the abstract 
principles, etc.

So do I think he tried to love those people? Hmmm, yes, tried, I 
think. Everything else is for another thread.

Okay, again I consider the fact that he was able to realise that 
Gridenlwald's goals are bad to be quite to his credit.

I consider the fact that he was able to recognise that power is not 
something that he should be trusted with to be a good thing and him 
deciding to teach is quite admirable, BUT I have some reservations 
about that, but this is indeed for another thread.

What else? Oh, right the fact that he felt (IMO) genuine affection 
for Harry, I think is good too, the fact that he felt remorse about 
how he treated Harry I like as well.


Harry, well, I can talk a lot about many good things I see in his 
character, so maybe I come back to that later on.

Carol:
> For example, I lost most of my respect and all of my affection for
> McGonagall in DH. Can someone help me to get them back? I couldn't
> even enjoy the moment when she herede all those desks onto the
> battlefield because I was too upset by her dealings with Snape and 
the
> Slytherins and by her use of the Imperius Curse when surely a
> Confundus Charm or Expelliarmus would have done the trick.

Alla:

I am sorry I cannot :) I mean I cannot in a sense that I do not 
consider her actions in any way shape or form bad - I mean, her 
dealings with Snape and Slytherins.

I do not consider her Imperius to be admirable though, but did not 
lose any affection for her, since consider it to be perfectly 
understandable - she spent a year seeing Carrows torture students 
after all.

 
>> Carol, noting that the "good guys" don't have to be alive in DH or
> acting through portraits (Sirius Black counts, too)
>


Alla:

Loyalty, brotherhood, friendship, love again. The fact that such a 
damaged person was able to feel affection for **anybody** after 
twelve years of hell will never cease to amase me.

I am going to do a post on Sirius soon so I am not going to talk 
much about him for now, even though am always tempted :)

Thanks very much for the topic Carol.