After reading one stupid comment too many...

[fpb]

I know I have read an essay that made the point that Mrs.Rowling had built up to Ginny-Harry much better than a lot of Philistines like to pretend. Can someone point me to it? Right here and now, I am not really in the mood to go and write one for myself, and I would like to have something to respond if I ever hear that ignorant opinion again.

On the other hand, does anyone doubt that the sudden apparition of Remus-Tonks in HBP is in the nature of a JKR rapsberry at certain fannish obsessions - just as, in my view, her sudden and incomprehensible invention of a black Blaise Zabini?

Lucius Malfoy is the most overrated villain on the planet. He is unintelligent, arrogant and whiny.

Finally, the twits who insist that Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard are the same idiots who are currently pretending that Israel could defend itself from Hezbollah without destroying bridges or killing people. It's called a war, dolts.

Comments

[cheyinka]

I just had a mental image of a bunch of Hogwarts graduates - Parvati and Lavender, perhaps - going out to protest the unjust actions taken by Aurors against the Death Eaters. "No Blood For Textbooks!" "Give Voldemort A Vote!"

And getting avada kedavra'd.

...yes, I am a warped individual, sorry :p

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I think it would probably be the Slytherins - who would know what they were doing. And some of the sillier Hufflepuffs. But yes, if any Griffs are apt to fall for that nonsense, I guess Parvati and Lavender would be high on the list.

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

You know this brings to mind a quesiton, given this stance of justified actions during wars, how did you (either of you) react to the Aurors being allowed to use the unforgivables?

If I recall, the characters in the book implied that this was horrific in some way, but I could never quite agree because the curses still seemed to amount to one on one fighting.

I guess I can see the distaste in "good" people using the Cruciatus curse and perhaps the Imperious Curse, but the Avada Kadavra, well it's war, people die in war, and to me that seemed reasonable to use if one were fighting Death Eaters offensively, given the Death Eaters own actions.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

You also have to bear in mind that punishment under wizarding law goes beyond anything that has been lawful in free Muggle societies for a century or two. Being imprisoned in Azkaban, in so far as it is not a disguised death penalty, could easily be seen as a fate worse than death. So which would be worse for a confirmed villain, being killed in battle, or being thrown to the Dementors for the rest of his or her life?

[ani-bester.livejournal.com]

I would much rather die, though it would be hard as I don't consider suicide a viable option. I don't know what I'd do if I were sentenced to a Dementor's kiss. To me, that is a fate worse then death and cruel beyond anything anyone deserves. But I'm speaking form me own religious beliefs here.

Anyway, so are you saying you think they want to take the DE's alive so they suffer as much as possible?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I am not sure. We know that there is such a thing as coming out of Azkaban, that it is not a life sentence for every crime - and even people like Karkaroff who got long or life sentences can have them reduced by collaborating - and that the Kiss is only administered on exceptional occasions. But it is an appalling punishment. I guess the last word has to be with Sirius, who had thirteen years of experience of it, and who still praised Moody for bringing people in alive for Azkaban rather than killing them on the spot.

[cheyinka]

My first impression is that it's unforgivable to use an Unforgivable. (sorry)

But a well-placed Imperius could have a Death Eater drop (or break) his wand and pick up a portkey (or quietly sit in the corner until he could be teleported away).
Avada Kedavra's mostly a problem because of the damage it does to the caster's soul - otherwise, sometimes an enemy won't stop until it's dead.
I can't figure out a reason for Cruciatus though.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I just had a tremendous plotbunny for the ultimate in Imperius...