Marietta

[Bess Chilver]

No: HPFGUIDX 169522

I have been following this thread quite closely.

 

Julie wrote:

..

>What Marietta did was betray her schoolmates to possible detention and
expulsion from school, not to torture nor execution. (We have NOT

>a shred of evidence that anyone besides the Trio knew about Umbridge's form
of punishment on Harry's hand, and even those three don't 

>know she sent the Dementors to Harry's house..

(emphasis above is my own).

 

I would just like to respectfully point out that there is at least one other
besides the Trio who has experienced Umbridge's methods of punishment:

 

Order of the Phoenix (British Edition) - Chapter 25 - The Beetle at Bay.
Page 486-487.

(Quote:)

".'Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is
not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach. 

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-six. 

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor'

 

This latest Decree had been the subject of a great number of jokes among the
students. Lee Jordan had pointed out to Umbridge that by the terms of the
new rule she was not allowed to tell Fred and George off for playing
Exploding Snap in the back of the class.

'Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts,
Professor! That's not information relating to your subject!'

 

When Harry next saw Lee, the back of his hand was bleeding rather badly.
Harry recommended the essence of Murtlap." (Endquote)

 

This episode is sometime before Marietta betrays the DA. It looks to me as
though Umbridge uses this particular form of punishment for any student and
did not simply use it just for Harry. Therefore, I think it safe to assume
that besides Harry and Lee there are probably other students who have
experienced this "detention" - its just that Harry has not seen their hands
so we the readers don't see them either.

 

In any case, it does show clear evidence that betraying/sneaking/snitching
on schoolmates to Umbridge could very well result in torture as a
punishment. 

 

It seems to me that Marietta's "acne" is very much akin to the punishment
Umbridge inflicts. There has been a lot of comment as to how unfair it would
be if Marietta's acne does not clear up. Well, Harry's "I must not tell
lies" are very much a permanent part of him now. Its clear that the words
have been seared into the back of his hand for all time. I doubt very much
if anyone will be able to remove those!

 

 

I'm going back to lurking now  - and patiently (or not) waiting for the days
to go by to the final book - except I have one extra week to wait because I
will be in Chicago when the book comes out.

 

Best wishes all,

 

Bess Chilver

(www.myladyswardrobe.com <http://www.myladyswardrobe.com/> )

 



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