Re: Rowling’s Debunking of the Marauders

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 173004

Leslie:
> Through Harry, Rowling vindicates Snape, and by the end of DH, we see 
> as well that Harry's grown up enough to understand what sort of 
> behavior should be truly valued: that which selflessly provides the 
> most good for all. There is no "Sirius Remus Potter." In one way or 
> another, all of the Marauders turn out to be grave disappointments.  
> Say what you like about the idea that Snape only does what he does 
> for Lily—goodness, he might say that himself!  However, unlike Remus 
> Lupin (who much of the time utters words that belie his actions), 
> Snape's actions belie his words, and the most arresting of those 
> actions is that (at great risk) he chooses to save not only Lupin, 
> but spends much of DH (and also HBP) attempting to keep people that 
> have never even met Lily away from harm.  

Jen: None of the Maruaders or Snape came out on top of any goodness 
race by the end of DH for me (nor did Dumbledore for that matter).  I 
read all these characters as both brave and flawed, good and bad; all 
struggled with personal weaknesses and made positive and negative 
choices along the way that affected Harry's life greatly.  In a way 
that trip through the forest with his mother, father, Sirius and Remus 
was Harry saying a final goodbye to childhood and as such, putting away 
childish notions like the idea that those we worship as children will 
remain god-like as we grow up.  Yet Harry loved them *anyway*; they 
were the ones he must have had on his mind when the resurrection stone 
appeared.  He'd made peace with them despite their flaws.

And nineteen years later Harry's accepted all the information revealed 
to him about two more important men in his life, Dumbledore and Snape.  
His ability to do so already existed because he'd made such a leap with 
his father and friends.  I don't think he named his child Albus Severus 
because he believed those men to be better than the Marauders but 
because he came to view both as incredibly brave, the quality he 
himself seems to value the most.  

Jen