[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chamber of Secrets Chapter 18: Dobby's reward

[Sheila Douglas]

No: HPFGUIDX 189353

<another big snip>
Nikkalmati:
We know that courage is one of the greatest virtues in the 
books and that SS hates to be called "coward".
I was wondering have we ever listed all the cowards in the 
books?
I propose Pettigrew as number one. Lockhart as number two. 
Dudley was also a coward, like all bullies tend to be. Anyone 
who attacks a Muggle with magic, because they are weaker and 
magic is unexpected for them. I guess that includes the twins, 
Hagrid and Bella (not to the same degree, of course).
Was Quirrell a coward? Merope? Karakoff? Marietta? Fudge?


sile_dubhghlase (on my soapbox):
Severus Snape, as it turns out, was not a coward after all, but
Voldemort/Tom Riddle certainly was. Riddle never did his own dirty work
unless there was an absolute certainly that he would win. He took entirely
too much pleasure in other people's pain, especially the pain he inflicted.
It didn't matter ot him whether his victim was a Muggle, a minion, a witch
or wizard of any calibre, or a Flobberworm. If the victim was weaker or
less-talented than himself, he or she was fair game.

All of the Dursleys were cowards, including Marge, as they terrorized anyone
smaller or weaker than themselves, especially Harry. But let someone
stronger or armed with a wand confront them, Petunia would freeze, Vernon
would shake like a newborn calf, and Dudley would go scurrying away with his
hands across his bum, crying for his mummy. Marge used her stupid little
dogs and her cruel jawjacking  to hurt Harry...or anyone else who disagreed
with her.

Quirinius Quirrell was possessed, so it's hard to say whether or not he was
a coward per se, but since he was too lily-livered to ask for help, I guess
we could classify him as a coward.

Merope Gaunt was damaged. She was the product of generations of inbreeding
and really couldn't be held responsible for her actions. She was abused by
her father and brother and really just wanted out. She fell in love--or so
she thought--with Tom Riddle, Sr and made a bold move to claim him by
brewing and illegally administering a love potion. After a time, she couldn
t bear to live the lie anymore, so she stopped giving it to him. He left her
pregnant and alone and she died in childbrith. I wouldn't classify that as
cowardice, rather than poor judgment.

Igor Karkaroff was a coward from the ground up. He sang like a canary during
his trial so he could get off, and then fled when Voldemort returned. He
died for it, whimpering and begging for mercy.

Marietta Edgecomb could be classified as a coward. She snitched on the DA,
but paid the price for it.

All the little DE wanna-bes like Draco, Pansy, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle were
cowards, but they were rather stupid as well. They picked on and actually
hurt younger students, joined Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad so they could
pick some more and even meaner and get away with it, but were too stupid to
catch on to the fact that you don't mess with Potter or his people. It's not
healthy.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the Weasley Twins were cowards--they were
just pranksters who might have gone a bit far with the Ton-tongue Toffees,
but they never meant to hurt anyone. They always tried their products out on
themselves first before they ever slipped any of them to someone else. They
told their father that they didn't leave those toffees for Dudley because he
was a Muggle, but because he was mean to Harry. But Percy was another story
until HE got a clue in DH.

Hagrid was a gentle man who wouldn't hurt anyone or anything unless he
thought one of the students or another teacher might be in danger, although
his idea of danger was a bit convoluted. Was he a coward? No. Was he
immature? In many cases, yes.

Filch was a coward because he terrorized the students a tried to get the
headmaster to let him torture them with thumbscrews and manacles hanging
from walls and ceilings. He was a happy slimeball when Umbridge authorized
it.

Dolores Umbridge was a coward because she persecuted people she perceived as
weaker than herself or those who have less power than she did...or thought
she did.

Peter Pettigrew was a coward. He aligned himself with the biggest, baddest
bully on the playground. First it was the Marauders, then it was Voldemort.
Any and all Death Eaters fit this category for whatever reason.

James Potter was a coward until he got a clue. He went around hexing people
just because he could and picked on those he thought weaker than himself.
Harry saw that in Snape's Pensieve. Once he got a clue (thanks to Lily,
probably), he became a champion for the weak and downtrodden, as did Sirius
and Remus.

Remus was a (self-proclaimed) coward because as a Prefect, he didn't step in
and rein James and Sirius in when he should have. He was afraid of losing
their friendship.

McGonagall had cowardly moments in that she didn't stand up to Albus about
Harry's placement when she should have. Standing around disapproving didn't
do the boy any good, did it?

I'll leave space for someone else and close with the Uber-coward himself, Cornelius Fudge. Here was a man who didn't have the stones to do the right thing. Instead, he did what his puppeteers wanted him to do or anything that he thought might earn him good press. He wouldn't admit that Voldemort was back because he was too afraid to face the public. When he finally had to, he was ousted and replaced with a paranoid in the form of Rufus Scrimgeour.

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