Marietta yet again (was: Dark Magic)

[zeldaricdeau]

No: HPFGUIDX 176715

>  "zeldaricdeau" <zeldaricdeau@> wrote:
> 
> > Should we assume it's ok because she
> > [Marietta] deserved it? 

> Eggplant:

> YES!

zeldaricdeau again:

How do we objectively determine who deserves what? Voldemort thought 
Charity Burbage deserved it. Was he right? If not, how do we know? 
For the record *I* most certainly don't think Burbage deserved it! 

> > zeldaricdeau:
 
> > Where do we draw the line? 
 
> Eggplant:

> My friend in the real world a line is never drawn between good and
> evil, rather a gray blob is drawn. As for Marietta, she is lucky, 
> very lucky indeed to still have her skin for pimples to form on. In 
> a real war a traitor like that would have one hell of a lot more to 
> fear from her companions than pimples!

zeldaricdeau again:

I don't think I was talking about the real world but the Harry Potter 
universe. We could argue about whether or not a fictional universe 
should have a grey area or not between it's definitions of "good" 
and "evil" (incidentally, I think it should) but that wasn't really 
the point of bringing up Marietta. Rather, it was to test the 
definition of "Dark Magic" being defined by causing lasting physical 
harm. Incidentally, I don't think JKR has provided us with a good 
definition. If she had I don't think the subject would be so hotly 
debated right now.

Also, I don't believe that, at the time, Marietta was involved in an 
actual war, and I certainly don't think she saw herself as being 
involved in one. 

> I'm curious, when members of this and other Potter groups try to 
> paint Harry or Hermione's (but for some reason never Ron or 
> Snape's) actions in a sinister light are they just trying to be 
> provocative or do they sincerely believe that JKR should embrace 
> Saturday morning cartoon ethics? I'd really like to know.

zeldaricdeau again:

I was unaware that I was "trying to paint Hermione in a sinister 
light." As I said in my follow up post, I don't perceive Hermione as 
sinister in the least. The issue with Marietta was, again, to test 
the lasting physical harm definition. Since Marietta did technically 
receive lasting physical harm, but most people--me included--wouldn't 
count Hermione a Dark Witch then what does that say about the 
definition (or guideline as I think it was really intended in this 
case) or how JKR characterizes Dark Magic in the series?

Incidentally, I hope that as a Death Eater Snape did more than gave 
someone pimples because if he didn't then I'm going to feel very 
silly for actually finding the whole Death Eater thing extremely 
disturbing.

As for wanting to turn JKR's moral universe into that of a Saturday 
morning cartoon, I think that would take far more work than any 
single human being could muster, and I honestly wouldn't even see the 
point.

-ZR