Marietta yet again (was: Dark Magic)

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 176737

zeldaricdeau wrote:

<snip> 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. <snip>

Carol responds:

Or if she did see herself as involved in a war, it was between
Dumbledore and the Ministry, for which her mother worked and which her
parents had told her not to oppose. As a reluctant member of
*Dumbledore's Army,* she would have seen herself as fighting for the
wrong side, especially when Harry started to teach the Patronus Charm,
specifically intended for use against Dementors, which at that time
had not yet sided with Voldemort. (Even the Dementors sent to Little
Whinging, which Marietta had no way of knowing about, were sent by
Umbridge.) To fight Dementors was to fight the Ministry.

For Harry and his friends, the DA was a way of fighting both Umbridge
and Voldemort, but for the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, it was mostly a
way of preparing for their DADA OWLs. (Marietta, a sixth year like
Cho, would already have passed hers.) Harry refused to explain what
had happened in the graveyard. He presented no evidence that Voldemort
was really back until he gave his Quibbler interview in February (and
who's going to believe the Quibbler?). So, for Marietta, Voldemort's
return was a lie; opposing Umbridge was opposing the Ministry; and
Dumbledore's Army was formed for exactly the reason Umbridge thought
it was, to oppose the Ministry and Cornelius Fudge.

I'm not defending Marietta, exactly. She should have stood up to Cho
and refused to attend the first meeting. Since signing her name meant
that she was agreeing not to tell *anybody*, including her mother and
her HoH, Flitwick, not just Umbridge, she shouldn't have signed.
(Nevertheless, I think it was underhanded of Hermione not to tell
anyone about the jinx on the parchment.)

But my point is that the "war" Marietta thought was going on was
between Dumbledore and the Ministry. She didn't believe that Voldemort
was back, so she was in no way siding with Voldemort, as Eggplant
seems to imply.

Carol, who otherwise agrees with zeldaricdeau's post