On Children and the "Other" (was:Re: On the perfection of moral virtues)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 169511

> houyhnhnm:
> What happens after Voldemort is defeated?  This is 
> the problem I have with a standard of morality that 
> defines goodness and badness according to whether or 
> not one is on the "right" side (assuming the "right" 
> side is not open to interpretation, which in the case 
> of Voldemort and his followers I am perfectly willing 
> to concede, but not in every case.)
<snip>
> With this system of morality there must always be 
> a Dark Lord.  Without a Dark Lord, there is no 
> North, South, East or West. 
>  
> I will accept anyone who is one my side?  That is 
> not tolerance.  Tolerance is a commitment to the 
> the belief that *everyone* has a right to be.
>

Jen: I agree with everything you've said here personally, I'm just 
not sure it's within the scope of the books or the trajectory of the 
Trio to make it *all* the way there by the last book?  Starting to 
get there, yes, making movement forward.  I don't see a 180 reversal 
coming for them or the WW when there's been such deep-seated bigotry 
and entrenched ideas about others that *have* spawned at least two 
dark lords.  There needs to be a starting point in all revolutionary 
change when eyes are opened; having a cause to unify so many 
different types of beings in the WW seems like a huge start to me. 

I mean, wouldn't it be a very abrupt character development for Harry 
to suddenly not only see Draco as an ally but a great guy in one 
swoop?  For Draco to view Harry and his friends that way?  I wouldn't 
expect such great resentment as found between the two of them to 
suddenly be swept away but I do expect this generation will do a 
*better* job than the Marauders and Snape seemed to do with their 
hatreds and resentments.

Harry is surrounded by people who have been victims of Voldemort's 
oppression, including his pure-blood Slytherin brothers and sisters, 
and reaching across that divide in some way, even if it's 'just' a 
cause to rally around, is an opportunity previously unheard of to see 
each other with new eyes.  I guess what seems like provisional 
tolerance to you looks like the possibility of bridging a huge chasm 
to me.