Dark Book

[nitalynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 177013

Jen Reese wrote: 

> The difference is I put the emphasis on 'if it hadn't been for 
> Pansy's remark.'  Pansy declared her intention to sabotage and no 
> other Slytherins stood up to side with the rest of the students over 
> Pansy - they all remained seated.  They had the same chance that the 
> rest of the students did and none of them took the opportunity.  The 
> right choice was taking the risk to openly declare allegiance.  

Nita:

So, the scene went something like this:

<loose retelling with two quotes>

McG: So, there's going to be a battle...
Voldie: Not necessarily. Give me Potter and I'll leave you alone and
give you stuff!
Everyone: *stares at Harry*
Pansy (apparently a bit slow on the uptake): "But he's there! Potter's
_there_! Someone grab him!"
Harry (even slower than Pansy): *(evidently) expects people to do as
she says, or something*
Gryffs, Puffs and Claws: *rise and draw wands on Pansy*
Harry: *is "awestruck and overwhelmed"*

</loose retelling with two quotes>

I mean, honestly, did anyone perceive Pansy as an effective threat?
She wasn't even trying to *do* anything! As the scene goes, you can
sort of read it as the Good houses taking a defensive stance just in
case the Slyths decide to Accio Harry carry him out of the castle.
Understandable. However, if the Slyths joined them, it would be *a few
hundred people* drawing wands on *one* girl for something she said.

And would that really make the Slyths good? Or would people argue that
they sided with the likely winner (3 houses vs Pansy - not hard to
decide) to save their own skins? I think making a scapegoat out of
their classmate to impress McG and others would have been awful of
them. I'm glad they stuck by her, despite her bad social awareness,
selfish thinking and big mouth.

You call it "declaring allegiance", in the Good Guys vs Voldemort
sense, I suppose. And if the three other houses were drawing their
wands on Voldie, I would agree with you wholeheartedly. But they
weren't. It was just one girl, calling for an action they wouldn't
take anyway.


> Jen: As long as no Slytherins opposed Pansy then yes, they are 
> considered supportive of her agenda.  

Nita:

How so? Pansy didn't suggest joining Voldemort. She suggested
accepting his ultimatum. There's no way to tell why she did that, but
I think the chances that she believed his threats and promises, and
then chose the obviously (for her) lesser of two evils, are pretty good.


> Jen:  It's more that the Slytherin students themselves silently 
> declared they can't be trusted in battle by remaining seated.  
> It's a replay of the scene in the Great Hall in GOF when many 
> Slytherins remained seated instead of toasting Harry, only this time 
> the stakes are much higher.  It's no longer doubting LV is back or 
> disliking Harry personally; they *know* LV is taking over and have 
> just spent a year under his appointed regime watching the atrocities 
> that took place.  

Nita:

Not only the stakes are higher, but the others aren't toasting, or
verbally declaring their support of Harry, or even just standing
around him. They are *drawing wands* on the Slyths' classmate.

I think it was you who asked what else McG was supposed to say/do in
that situation (sorry if I'm wrong). Well, my reaction would be to
ask/tell Pansy and *everyone who agreed with her* (instead of "her
house") to leave. Even if the result was exactly the same (all Slyths
leaving), it would have been a better thing to do, IMO.


Nita, feeling very uneasy after imagining the scene with "better"
Slyths drawing wands behind Pansy's back...