Slytherin's Reputation was Re: CHAPDISC: DH, EPILOGUE

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185640

Shelley wrote:
> About Marietta's disfigurement, <snip> I think Marietta's face was
one of those spells that potentially could were wear off as time went
on- that the marks would continue to face, but that the duration of
that time could be a year or more for it to completely fade. <snip> I
also thought that it could be the last option- that if she had gone to
the hospital, they would have recognized it as a curse and could have
reversed the damage. I assumed that Madame Pomfrey did not know the
correct antidote (she was treating it as if it were pimples, or a skin
reaction, or a quick jinx rather than a "curse" spell, because she did
not know it's origin and may have assumed it was just a prank stunt 
rather than a full fledged curse- Hermione was more gifted that the
usual student who would do a quick prank spell at another student). 
So, the fact for me that it was there months later strongly indicated
to me that Madame Pomfrey missed what it was and was treating it
incorrectly. I am sure that Marietta was shy in explaining the full
situation of what she did to activate the curse, obscuring what could
have led to a proper diagnosis and treatment. <snip>

Carol responds:

I don't want to get into the ethics of casting that spell or whether
Marietta deserved it. Suffice it to say that it's one of those points
that Shelley and I don't agree on and I don't want to get into another
ping pong match.

I think, though, that you've forgotten that Kingsley Obliviated
Marietta, so she has no way of telling Madam Pomfrey what happened.
Umbridge could tell Madam Pomfrey that the pustules suddenly appeared
when Marietta informed her about the DA meeting. Whether Umbridge
would do so is another question, but if she did, Madam P. would at
least know that they had been caused by a hex or jinx. My guess is
that Madam P. is unfamiliar with that particular hex or jinx because
Hermione invented it. (I doubt that Hermione herseld knows the
countercurse; she thinks that the "Sneak" deserved it and consequently
never considered reversing it.)

I don't think that the hex will reverse itself. There's no indication
that it has done so in the books. She's hiding behind either a
balaclava or heavy make-up when we see her again. (she doesn't appear
in DH.) Evidently, dittany didn't help since Madam Pomfrey know about
it. (Snape made sure that she gave it to Draco to prevent scarring
from Sectum Sempra.) It must be permanent or at least extremely
difficult to remove if that's the case. Since Marietta's mother was at
this point a Ministry employee (what happened to her when the DEs took
over, we don't know), I suspect that her mother would have sent her to
St. Mungo's or had sufficient influence to get special advice from a
Healer, but, if that's the case, it didn't help much. And Snape, the
Potions master in OoP and DADA teacher in HBP, could perhaps have
helped her if he'd been asked, given his knowledge of Dark magic
(Hermione's hex would be small potatoes compared with the ring and
necklace curses), but either no one thought to ask him or he, too,
thought that Marietta deserved it. Dumbledore, of course, couldn't
request his help since he had left Hogwarts via Fawkes. (They may have
been in communication about other matters, but apparently Marietta's
plight wasn't sufficiently important to DD to merit special attention.)

I think the whole incident is sad, really. A hex that lasted a week
would be one thing; a hex that lasts years--or a lifetime--for an
offense that she committed as a teenager and doesn't even remember is
quite another.

Carol, who doesn't share JKR's love for punishing her minor villains