Dumbledore's Army - Blog Posts

What is reality? An illusion? Something solid? Is it like Time?

For my gryffindor peers ❤️✨

Dolores Umbridge

I was wondering what I could write about what we learned from Umbridge, did I really need to write about all the characters, did I learn from them? How people in power can be corrupt and self-indulging, how people can use their greatest insecurities or fears and inner hate as a foundation against others, these are things we know already from life and can see from other characters so why write about her. Well, there are two things—one is just a quandary. It is interesting that as she became more and more in power, more absolute in her hatred of others that she also became more ‘polite’ (a false-politeness as most is) and more ‘girly’ focusing on a love of kittens, the color pink and attempts in being fragile. Why? She didn’t want to come across as fragile or dainty.

Secondly, there are many characters that are hated for the level of pain or evil they caused: the Dursleys, the Malfoys, Pettigrew, while Voldemort, Bellatrix and Umbridge are usually at the top and considered the worst, Voldemort has never been considered high above Umbridge in this aspect, and for many falls beneath her.  Here is the man who split his soul into seven pieces (then accidentally eight), had Cedric murdered just because he wasn’t useful (seriously, just knock him out), tried to kill a baby who might one day kill him (good job on that one), murdered his entire family (both sides), he’s just an evil guy. So how is he not automatically the big villain Umbridge is? Why is she even able to compete? It’s a personal opinion, and choice, and one that fluctuates for most. Umbridge is so hated I believe, because of how much power she was allowed to have, and how she was able to slip in, remain and grow within the Ministry and be seen as someone with intellect, someone who should be compassionate, engaging and encouraging was narrow-minded and without individuality. In comparison, Voldemort had to fight for his power and to promote his beliefs, and people fought against him and disrespected him for it. Being forced to respect either Umbridge or Voldemort will make them hated, but as Umbridge was considered by many adults as one of the ‘good guys’ or that her crimes and hatred against others weren’t important enough to be obliterated and that she was supported makes us hate her and the system more.

The respect, power and approval by the ‘good guys’ she was given is similar to my earlier point in how her affection for kittens and delicate things was in opposition, and a falsehood, of who she really was. I cannot speak for others, but I do feel that giving someone with the same hatred and cruelty in her as Voldemort, giving her the power and respect he wanted is what makes her so hated—what she does is approved and while teachers under Voldemort’s rule would torture students, they did it as it went against their beliefs and because that’s who they were. They didn’t pretend it was for the benefit of the other students or under the guise of someone else. With all her arrogance and self-importance, she really had no confidence or true pride.

Ginny Molly Weasley

I don’t care for Ginny, I just don’t. I’ve tried to figure out why and in rereading the series I’ve tried to give her another short but she just comes across to me as blah and her relationship with Harry comes out of nowhere to me. Obviously, he couldn’t have fallen in love with her from first glance when they were children, but while Harry will say that he slowly became friends with her and then fell in love, I just don’t see it. Even in my re-read, I found that Harry found her annoying, she was Ron’s sister and then, bam, he was “thinking back to their years of friendship” when I just didn’t see any friendship. Yes, they all hung out, but in a group and it never seemed close. Ginny hanging out with her friend Hermione and her friends then them all hanging out together.

Regardless of my feelings, Ginny Weasley was revolutionary and a badass. She is repeatedly shown to be intelligent and creative, funny, extremely loyal and moral, and athletic. Following the possession of her by Tom Riddle Jr. she is still extremely brave, fighting against Voldemort whenever she can, fighting against those who try to oppress or harm others and standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. In addition, she showed how girls should be confident with boys. She didn’t submit to them and it was written that boys didn’t want to date her because she was pretty but because of her personality—even thou they sometimes tried to one-up her.

Along with her equality to the boys at school and her bravery, Ginny should be looked at as a role model in how she encourages and sticks by her friends. While Harry, Ron and Hermione are seen as the golden trio and had a lot to deal with, there seemed to be a silver trio between Ginny, Luna and Neville and Ginny, who was more popular then both of them, still hung out with them and encouraged Hermione to open her mind to how Luna was and thought and her individual brilliance and was always helping Neville to get him to see himself as they saw him. She didn’t care what others found interesting or popular, she knew they were good and interesting people and that was enough.

Tonks!

Nymphadora Tonks (can definitely understand why we went with the later name). While Hermione and Luna are polar opposites each taught us how to accept ourselves for who we are, Tonks was just, different. Maybe it was because she was older and more established, maybe it was just because she was the epitome of cool, but she was always, from the moment we knew of her, knew she was cool and who she was. She didn’t care about her flaws because they were just part of who she was and she was awesome and continues to be the only person who wears their flaws with pride and confidence as how they are

While re-reading and knowing about her live and difficulties with Lupin, I get pissed of at him of course, but just want to tell her that I know she’s right and to just told on because it seemed for once she was afraid of not knowing, of not being that confident person and not because she might be wrong or lost or confused but because of living without love. And how horrible a life that would be

“Don’t pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love”

Oh, and what a true werewolf at HEART