help with JKR quote/ Children's reactions

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 176526

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barbara Key <graynavarre at ...> wrote:
>
> > From JKR's website:
> snip
> > 
> > Hexes:
> > Has a connotation of dark magic, as do jinxes, but
> > of a minor sort. 
> > I see 'hex' as slightly worse. I usually use 'jinx'
> > for spells whose 
> > effects are irritating but amusing.
> 
> 
> 
> Amusing to whom. While I am sure the casters (James
> and Sirius) are rolling around laughing, I doubt very
> much if the child that found his head swollen to twice
> its size (HBP) got a good chuckle out of it.
> 
> Barbara
>

lizzyben:

I've always had a suspicion that the Maruaders were pretty into "Dark
Magic" themselves. First of all, they created the Marauders Map, which
was a very sophisticated magical item. The Map seems to even think for
itself to a certain degree, just like Riddle's Diary - both respond to
questions w/written answers. The Map comes up w/insults for Professor
Snape, seemingly of it's own accord. Snape, the Dark Arts/DADA expert,
says that the Map is "full of Dark Magic," and he would know. 

Second, the Marauders all became Animagi, which is apparently also
very complicated magic that isn't taught at Hogwarts. How would they
learn how to do this? I'm thinking some visits to the "Restricted
Section" of the Hogwarts library - where Dark Arts volumes are stored.
Third, Lupin is a werewolf, which is a Dark creature. He's a nice guy,
a Gryfindor, and also a "Dark Magic" creature. Fourth, James & Sirius
use hexes, jinxes & curses w/abandon. They used an *illegal* hex to
swell another student's head to twice its normal size. Where'd they
learn all those "amusing" hexes? Some dusty old "Dark Arts" volume
that Sirius found in the library, or among his family's books, perhaps? 

All this combined, I'd say that the Marauders were pretty well-versed
in the "Dark Arts" while at Hogwarts. But of course James just *hated*
the Dark Arts, even though he used Dark Magic himself. So... this
really just means that he hated Slytherins, & Snape especially. When
Harry confronts Sirius about SWM, Sirius doesn't say anything to
defend James' actions in that memory. Instead Sirius rapidly switches
subjects to talk about how, whatever his faults, James just hated the
Dark Arts. It's interesting to me that Sirius would bring Dark Magic
up at that moment, apropos of nothing - almost like a twinge of guilt?
And what better way to get rid of that guilt than to assign it to
their favorite scapegoat? 

The Marauders hated the "Dark Arts", yet used Dark Magic themselves.
This caused them some moments of cognitive dissonance & guilt, but
they figured that they can handle this magic, because they're
Gryffindors & on the "good side". They're not like, like... that
creepy "Dark Arts" Snape kid! They project their own misuse of magic
onto Snape, & scapegoat him for their own actions. Then they beat up
Snape on a regular basis to get rid of their own guilt over using Dark
Magic. It perfectly fits the pattern - Snape as scapegoat for the
Gryfindors' sins. The text insists that Snape was becoming a dangerous
"Dark Wizard", but it doesn't actually show Snape using magic to bully
or hurt people. Instead, it actually *shows* the Marauders using
illegal hexes, curses, jinxes, advanced restricted magic, and Dark
magical items. So who's the real "Dark Wizard" here?  


lizzyben