Responses to Marietta (was: Misc. responses, some quite old)

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 169361

bboyminn: 
> I'm not trying to vilify anyone nor am I trying to 
> forgive the other. What I am trying to do is establish
> some fair and reasonable perspective to a polarized
> discussion. Those who are /for/ Hermione are depicting
> Marietta as a horribly evil person. Those who are 
> /against/ Hermione are depicting her as a horribly evil
> person, but both positions are wrong, and that is part of 
> my point.

Montavilla47:
I agree with you, Steve.  I don't think either girl is evil or
horrible.  I think they both did things that have had bad
consequences for themselves and others.

As I said earlier, I didn't really have a problem with
Marietta's face having the word "Sneak" spelled out
in pustules--until it HBP when we realize that:

a) The spots still haven't gone away and might never
go away; and 

b) Neither Harry nor Hermione appear to feel any 
regret about that--or any impulse to reverse the curse.

That bugs me and it's done deliberately by the author.  She
didn't have to show us Marietta wearing heavy make-up or 
mention Harry's smug reaction.  

I can only see two plausible ways of taking that passage in 
HBP.  Either JKR thought Marietta was so wrong to tell on 
the DA that she just couldn't resist reminding us about the
clever hex Hermione came up with--or she put that detail
into the story to give us readers pause.  To encourage us
to think about the downside of Harry and his friend.  To 
make us ask ourselves what the limit of vengeance should
be.

So, I don't really think this is about Marietta or Hermione.
I think it's about us and how we look at punishment, loyalty,
and vengeance.

Montavilla47