Karkaroff as Headmaster (WAS: Snape&Lucius)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 164749

Alla wrote:
<snip>
>
> Karkarof, hmmm. Yes, Dumbledore totally treats him courteously, but
despite all the talk about magical cooperation,etc, I did not get an
impression that Durmstrang as school is being treated very
courteously. IMO of course, but I think Krum is portrayed as
exception, nice guy and all that. I can be wrong, but Durmstrang is a
school that teaches Dark Arts, the school where Lucius wanted to send
his kid, etc.
>
> Nope, I think that former DE as Headmaster does not reflect this
school in good light. Does not mean that all kids there are bad of
course, but again in my opinion.

Carol responds:

We don't really see much of the other Durmstrang students (I only
remember Karkaroff rebuking Polyakoff (sp?), who wants some "vine,"
for dribbling his food down his robes. (Durmstrang's finest, a
would-be TWT competitor, with the table manners of a three-year-old?
But he seems innocuous enough, otherwise.) The Durmstrang students
choose to sit with the Slytherins, probably because that's where they
feel most comfortable. (Surely, they've heard of Salazar Slytherin and
know his symbol?) Or maybe Karkaroff directs them to that table
because he was himself a Sytherin at one time (he's older than Lucius
Malfoy, but he knows him, and a Russian-sounding name is no guarantee
that he was educated at Durmstrang. The various Lestranges, whose name
sounds French, were educated at Hogwarts, the oldest being Tom
Riddle's contemporary. Maybe Karkaroff was, too?)

Dumbledore, of course, is courteous to Karkaroff because he believes
in manners (as we see even on the tower in HBP) and because he
believes in second chances, and, of course, the whole point of the TWT
is International Magical Cooperation: "The Tri-Wizard Tournament's
aim," says DD at the black-draped end-of-the-year banquet, "was to
further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has
happened--of Lord Voldemort's return--such ties are more important
than ever before" (GoF Am. ed. 723). Dumbledore, IMO, is recruiting
future allies, and unifying the three schools, Durmstrang,
Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts, is as much a part of his hopes and plans as
unifying the four Hogwarts Houses. When he asks them to raise their
glasses in tribute to the memory of Cedric Diggory, who exemplified
the Hufflepuff traits of friendship, loyalty, hard work, and fair play
(721-22), everyone present, Slytherins and Durmstrang students
included (the cowardly Karkaroff has already fled) stands in tribute
to Voldemort's innocent victim, an admirable person whom everyone,
including Viktor Krum, liked:

"They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as *everyone in the
Hall* stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed in one loud, low,
rumbling voice, 'Cedric Diggory'" (721)

(Everyone except Draco and a few Slytherin cronies also stands in
tribute to Harry.) Poor Viktor Krum, who was Imperioed into Crucioing
Cedric, looks uncomfortable as Dumbledore talks about the purpose of
the TWT, but Dumbledore is specifically addressing the Durmstrang
students (and probably Viktor in particular) when he says, "Every
guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they
wish to come. I say to you all once again--in the light of Lord
voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, only as
weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading
discord and enmity is very great. We can only fight it by showing an
equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and
language are nothing at all if our aims are united and our hearts are
open" (723).

This message, or plea, is, of course, reiterated by the Sorting Hat's
new song in OoP, and I think the upcoming marriage between Fleur and
Bill, as well as the romantic link between Hagrid and Madame Maxime,
exemplifies that unity and perhaps foreshadows other bonds to come
(the continuing friendship between Hermione and Viktor?). Karkaroff is
dead, no loss to the WW, but the Durmstrang students know how to sail
their ship through the underground passage to the Hogwarts Lake.
(Whether that's a security breach or a way to receive unexpected aid
form unlikely allies remains to be seen.)

I'm focusing on the aftermath of Voldemort's return and Cedric's
murder, but that's because I don't remember much mention of the
Durmstrang students (other than Viktor) in the rest of the book.
However, we do have the Yule Ball, where no one except the jealous Ron
(and maybe some envious girls) objected to Viktor's date being
Hermione, and we have the hordes of fangirls trailing Viktor
throughout the year. Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff, escorts the
Ravenclaw Cho Chang to the Yule Ball, and Fleur's date is another
Ravenclaw, Roger Davies, rather than a boy from her own school.
Parvati, a Gryffindor, is finally asked to dance by a Beauxbatons boy
(not a Durmstrang student, as in the film) and her Ravenclaw twin
Padma is quickly paired off with one of his friends. International
magical cooperation on a personal level. Of course, we don't see much
of the Durmstrang students other than Viktor thanks to Harry's pov,
but there's no indication of hostility among the various schools, and
I see no reason to assume that the students confined their dance
partners and dates to members of their own schools or Houses. What
evidence we have suggests the contrary.

At any rate, Karkaroff is certainly a former DE whose apparent
reformation is as self-serving and cowardly as Wormtail's return to
Voldemort, if less dangerous to other citizens of the WW. But I don't
think we can judge his students by their headmaster, especially if
Viktor Krum is representative of the Durmstrang student body.

It's only Draco, after all, who tells us that the Dark Arts are
actually taught at Durmstrang, and Krum Crucios Cedric under the
influence of a very powerful Imperius Curse (which may give him powers
he wouldn't ordinarily have, as well as controlling his will). I don't
think we can conclude that Krum, a self-effacing person who seems
genuinely to care about Hermione and to regret what happened to
Cedric, had mastered the Cruciatus Curse as part of the Hogwarts
curriculum. If Durmstrang were a DE training ground, we'd have a lot
more Antonin Dolohovs and fewer Averys and CrabbenGoyles to worry
about (or not).

Carol, who thinks that Durmstrang should not be judged by appearances
and that it, or at least Krum, will prove a valuable ally in the fight
against Voldemort in DH, thanks to Dumbledore's efforts to promote
international magical cooperation (and his forgiveness of Viktor Krum
as illustrated in the speech at the banquet)