Would Harry forgiving Snape be character growth for him? Re: CHAPDISC: HBP 29,

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 164147

> 
> Alla:
> 
> Are we talking about different definitions of forgiveness, maybe? 
> Because semantics so often seemed to be the reason of 
> misunderstandings I run into.
> 
> I mean, I see what Dumbledore did to Draco is complete and absolute 
> forgiveness. Otherwise, I would have seen Dumbledore talking that 
> Draco deserves to be punished, not come to hiding with his family.
> 
> No talking about Draco almost killing two students or planning 
> Dumbledore's assasination as something that needs to be punished. 
> What is this if not forgiveness?

Pippin:
Mercy. At least that is what I would call it and that is what Dumbledore
speaks of.  Dumbledore is not as severe as he could be. But forgiveness 
for me is synonymous with pardon, and Draco is not being offered that. 

Draco is not told he's going to be able to continue with his life as if 
nothing had happened. If he's supposed to be dead, then his former
life as the Malfoy heir and a seventh year Slytherin is gone. I don't 
know what sort of life in hiding Dumbledore could offer, but I 
doubt it includes the best of everything. And I don't think Draco
would be able to take his NEWTS any time soon, so his career plans,
if he had any besides being a favorite of Voldemort's, are toast.

Alla:
> And Tom Riddle? Dumbledore may have certainly hold LV 
responsible for  his actions, but he seems to me to very 
actively **not** hold Tom  responsible for what he did before 
he came to Hogwarts, clean plate  and all that. You do not 
see it as forgiveness?

Pippin:
Tom is held responsible for the stolen items. Some children 
who seem to lack responsibility learn it as they get older. 
Dumbledore is not ready to give up on Tom 
just because Mrs. Cole suspects him of various crimes 
which she can't prove. Tom is warned that he must agree to
obey wizarding laws. That he's a sociopath who feels no
moral obligations and is clever enough to get around
the rules is not Dumbledore's fault. IIRC,  only one in
a hundred or so people is a true sociopath -- so treating
every child who seems to show no sense of responsibility
as a sociopath would be wildly unfair  to most of them.

> Alla:

> What foreshadows such thing? For example Dumbledore 
offering to take  Lucius in hiding as well. Lucius Malfoy 
somehow deserves to go to  hiding instead of Azkaban? 
What is it if not blank forgiveness?

Pippin:
Lucius is already in Azkaban at that point.
Dumbledore offers to protect Lucius from Voldemort "when
the time comes."   Once again that does not equate
to forgiveness. Lucius is not being set  free to return to his
DE ways.

Pippin