Ministry of Higher Education The Higher Institute of Languages Department of English

Graduation Thesis In Evil & Villain in Harry Potter

By: J.K.Rowling

Presented By:
Mina Farouk Naguib

:Under The Supervision of

Prof. Gamal Abdel Maksoud

Cairo 2011

J.K. Rowling was born on 31 July 1965 in Bristol, United Kingdom. As the author of the Harry Potter books, she met profound success. The novels won many awards, sold more than 400 million copies and have been the basis for six very popular movies, with more on the way. Rowling studied French and Classics at the University of Exeter, also spending a year in Paris. Afterwards, she worked in London as a researcher for Amnesty International. In 1990, she started writing Harry Potter. During the course of her writing and until the publication of the first story, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 1997, she faced many misfortunes. Not long after getting married and moving to Porto, around 1992, she gave birth to a child. Joyous events in themselves, her marriage quickly ended in divorce and depression. Returning to London as a single mother and with a myriad of personal and health problems, Rowling nevertheless succeeded in getting her first novel published - the first step of a big career and fame. In 1998 she published the second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and in 1999 and 2000 respectively gave her growing number of fans Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. By 2000, Rowling had sold over a million copies of her books and was awarded the prize of the Best Writer of the Year in British Book Awards. Taking a long break after the initial success, she left her dedicated readers in the waiting room for three years, not releasing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix until 21 June 2003. The passage of these three years, as I have found through my analysis of all of the novels, signified a significant shift in her writings. Rowlings books

became darker and more politically directed. This distinct turn in the novels continued and on 16 July 2005 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price, for which Rowling once more won the British Book Award of the Best Writer of the Year, entered bookstores. The seventh, and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released on 11 January 2007. The last installment of the Harry Potter novels immediately sold 11 million copies just in Great Britain and United States of America. Currently, she is one of the most wildly popular authors and Rowling's Harry Potter brand is estimated to be worth more than $14 billion dollars, and the author is credited as bringing youths back into the world of reading.

Plot Summary:The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers that he is a wizard. Wizard ability is inborn, but children are sent to Wizarding School to learn the magical skills necessary to succeed in the wizarding world. Harry is invited to attend the boarding school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life, and most of the events take place at Hogwarts. As he struggles through adolescence, Harry learns to overcome many magical, social and emotional hurdles, "Each book has a similar plot, structure and style beginning with Harry unhappily living with the Dursleys, fleeing from the Dursleys, eventually ending up at Hogwarts, solving a mystery involving the evil Voldemort and ending with the end of the school year" (ibid., p. 146) The wizarding world:-

Flashbacks throughout the series reveal that when Harry was a baby he witnessed his parents' murder by Lord Voldemort who was a dark wizard obsessed with racial purity. For reasons not immediately revealed, Voldemort's attempt to kill Harry rebounds. Voldemort is seemingly killed and Harry survives with only a lightning-shaped mark on his forehead as a memento of the attack. As its inadvertent saviour from Voldemort's reign of terror, Harry becomes a living legend in the wizard world. At the orders of his patron, the wizard Albus Dumbledore, Harry is placed in the home of his Muggle (non-wizard) relatives, who keep him completely ignorant of his true heritage. The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, begins near Harry's 11th birthday. Half-giant Rubeus Hagrid reveals Harry's history and introduces him to the wizarding world. The world J. K. Rowling created is both completely separate from and yet intimately connected to the real world. While the fantasy World of Narnia is an alternative universe and the Lord of the Rings Middle-earth a mythic past, the Wizarding world of Harry Potter exists alongside that of the real world and contains magical elements similar to things in the non-magical world. Many of its institutions and locations are in places that are recognisable in the real world, such as London. It comprises a fragmented collection of hidden streets, overlooked and ancient pubs, lonely country manors and secluded castles that remain invisible to the non-magical population of Muggles. With Hagrid's help, Harry prepares for and undertakes his first year of study at Hogwarts. As Harry begins to explore the magical world, the reader is introduced to many of the primary locations used throughout the series.

Harry meets most of the main characters and gains his two closest friends: Ron Weasley, a fun-loving member of an ancient wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, an obsessively bookish witch of nonmagical parentage. Harry also encounters the school's potions master, Severus Snape, who appears to have a deep-seated and irrational hatred of him. The plot concludes with Harry's second confrontation with Lord Voldemort, who in his quest for immortality, yearns to gain the power of the Philosopher's Stone. The series continues with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets describing Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He and his friends investigate a 50-year-old mystery that appears tied to recent sinister events at the school. The novel delves into the history of Hogwarts and a legend revolving around the "Chamber of Secrets", the underground lair of an ancient evil. For the first time, Harry realises that racial prejudice exists in the wizarding world, and he learns that Voldemort's reign of terror was often directed at wizards who were descended from Muggles. Harry is also shocked to learn that he can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes; this rare ability is often equated with the dark arts. The novel ends after Harry saves the life of Ron's younger sister, Ginny Weasley, by defeating an attempt by Voldemort to reincarnate himself through the memories he stored within a diary. The third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, follows Harry in his third year of magical education. It is the only book in the series which does not feature Voldemort. Instead, Harry must deal with the knowledge that he has been targeted by Sirius Black, an escaped murderer from "Azkaban prison", who is believed to have assisted in the deaths of Harry's parents.

As Harry struggles with his reaction to the dementorsdark creatures with the power to devour a human soulwhich are ostensibly protecting the school, he reaches out to Remus Lupin, a Defence against the Dark Arts teacher with a dark secret. Lupin teaches Harry defensive measures which are well above the level of magic generally shown by people his age. Harry learns that both Lupin and Black were close friends of his father and that Black was framed by their fourth friend, Peter Pettigrew. Voldemort returns:During Harry's fourth year of school, detailed in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry unwillingly participates in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous magical contest. The plot centers on Harry's attempt to discover who has forced him to compete in the tournament and why. An anxious Harry is guided through the tournament by Professor Alastor Moody, the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. The point at which the mystery is unraveled marking the series' shift from foreboding and uncertainty into open conflict. The novel ends with the resurgence of Voldemort and the death of Cedric Diggory a student who is accidently involved in Voldemort's diabolical acts. In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry must confront the newly resurfaced Voldemort. In response to Voldemort's reappearance, Dumbledore re-activates the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society which works to defeat Voldemort's minions and protect Voldemort's targets, including Harry. The Order includes many of the adults Harry trusts, including Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and members of the Weasley family. Despite Harry's description of

Voldemort's recent activities, the Ministry of Magic and many others in the magical world refuse to believe that Voldemort has returned. In an attempt to enforce their version of curriculum, the Ministry appoints Dolores Umbridge as the new High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She transforms the school into a quasi-dictatorial regime and refuses to allow the students to learn ways to defend themselves against dark magic. Harry forms a secret group called "Dumbledore's Army" and begins to teach his classmates the higher-level skills he has learned. The novel introduces Harry to Luna Lovegood, an airy young witch with a tendency to believe in oddball conspiracy theories. Moreover, it reveals an important prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. Harry also discovers that he and Voldemort have a telepathic connection, allowing Harry to view some of Voldemort's actions. In the novel's climax, Harry and his school friends face off against Voldemort's followers "Death Eaters". The timely arrival of members of the Order of the Phoenix saves the children's lives and allows many of the Death Eaters to be captured. The sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, shows clearly that Voldemort is leading another wizarding war, which has become so violent that even Muggles have noticed some of its effects. Harry is relatively protected from the danger as he completes his sixth year at Hogwarts. At the beginning of the novel, he stumbles upon an old potions textbook filled with annotations and recommendations signed by a mysterious writer, the Half-Blood Prince. While the shortcuts written in the book help Harry to finally excel at potions, he eventually realises that some of the spells have evil results. Harry also participates in private tutoring sessions with Albus Dumbledore, who shows him various memories concerning the early life of Voldemort. These sessions reveal

that Voldemort had splintered his soul into a series of "Horcruxes", evil enchanted objects hidden in various locations. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series, begin directly after the events of the sixth book. Following Dumbledore's death, Voldemort has completed his ascension to power and gains control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione drop out of school so that they can find and destroy Voldemort's remaining horcruxes. To ensure their own safety as well as that of their family and friends, they are forced to isolate themselves. As they search for the horcruxes, the trio learn details about Dumbledore's past, as well as Snape's true motives. The book culminates in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in conjunction with members of the Order of the Phoenix and many of the teachers and students, defend Hogwarts from Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and various magical creatures. Several major characters are killed in the first wave of the battle. In an effort to save the survivors, Harry surrenders himself to Voldemort, who attempts to kill Harry. The battle resumes as the parents of many Hogwarts students and residents of the nearby village Hogsmeade arrive to reinforce the Order of the Phoenix. With the last horcrux destroyed, Harry is able to defeat Voldemort. An epilogue describes the lives of the surviving characters and reveals that peace has returned to Hogowarts and the wizarding world as well.

The Theme of Evil

Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions,

decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong). A moral code is a system of morality (for example, according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc.) and a ''moral'' is any one practice or teaching within a moral code. Immorality is the active opposition to morality just like evil opposes good. (Wikipedia, 2011-05-07) In religion, ethics, and philosophy, the phrase, ''good and evil'' refers to the location on a two-way spectrum of objects, desires, or behaviors, the good direction being morally positive, and the evil direction morally negative. Good is a broad concept but it typically deals with an association with life, charity, continuity, happiness, and prosperity. Evil is the intention or effect of causing harm or destruction, usually specifically from the perception of deliberately violating some moral code or more simply defined as the opposite of good. (Wikipedia, 2011-0507)

David and Catherine Deavel in Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts show their opinion that evil doesn't exist "The first thing we learn from the Potter books is that evil doesn't really exist. Evil does not really exist in itself, but is a privation, a lacking in what something is supposed to be. It is a lacking of what is good" (p. 132). Paula Soares Faria says about the clear division between good and evil in The Journey of the Villain in the Harry Potter series: An Archetypal Study of Fantasy Villains (2008): "In typical fantasy the contact with evil, by the hero or even by the villain-to-be, happens, in many instances, through apparently harmless means. There are usually clear divisions between what is good

or evil as much for people as for objects and powers". One of the scariest aspects of Rowling's view of evil is that people can and do choose it: "In the Harry Potter series, choice is used to deny the fixedness of nature as characters are not good or bad in essence but in their choices" (Lachance, 2005, p. 75). They choose the lie of evil rather than the truth of goodness. David and Catherine Deavel state about this in Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts that "One lie about evil is that people are simply predestined for evil because of their ancestry, the last deceit of evil is that one has no choice whether to succumb to it or not" (p. 142). This theme runs throughout the series. From the very beginning Harry worries that he will be in Slytherin, Voldemort's old house, because it is his "Destiny" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 130). When he discovers in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that he (like Voldemort) speaks parseltongue, the language of snakes, Harry worries that not only he is destined for the dark side, but he is the heir of Slytherin who will unleash doom on all Hogwarts. Harry's fears are understandable by the notion that there is no freedom for the individual. Muggles like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia insinuate that Harry is bad simply because of his magical powers. Aunt Marge, ignorant of Harry's powers, has a more general theory: "If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it" Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (p. 25). All three seem to believe that people are born bad or good and that life is simply a working out of this fundamental nature or fate. Sibyll Trelawney, the flaky Divination teacher, influences students nonetheless with her own view that people have on choice about their lives. Dumbledore, the constant voice of wisdom, spends much of his time

refuting these fatalistic views of the person. His logic depends upon the freedom of the individual and the fact that our choices will have unforeseen consequences, in part because our actions affect the options and motivations of others as they make their own choices. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore reminds a worried Harry that though he shares many characteristics and even talents with Voldemort, he is not like him: "It [the Sorting Hat] only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin" "Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle [Voldemort]? It is our choices, Harry that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." (p. 333) Harry had considered his place in Gryffindor to be a dodge of the Sorting Hat's proper decision, a decision it would presumably have made without Harry's input. He thought his request interfered with the hat's judgment. In direct contrast, Dumbledore asserts that this view treats Harry's choice as external to the course of Harry's life rather than the central determining factor it truly is. Despite their similarities, Harry and Voldemort's choices set them decisively apart. "Our Choices show what we are in here and now. But the choices we make also change us and make us what we are and will be..We are what we choose to make our lives. We are evil only if we choose evil. Here, the Potter books again follow Augustine and Thomas Aquinas: moral evil results from free choice of the will. Our choices involve privation when we choose lesser goods over greater goods" (Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts, p. 144).

Of course, since choosing evil is to choose something less, it's much easier to choose it. Peter Pettigrew illustrates this decision greatly. Peter Pettigrew was the Potter's Secret-Keeper. Voldemort is powerful, but he could never have found the Potters unless Pettigrew chose to betray them. In the end Pettigrew's fear of Voldemort and desire to save his own life outweighed his devotion to the Potters. Pettigrew desperately claims that he had no choice, Voldemort was too powerful, and he himself would have been killed. In response to Pettigrew's protests, however, Sirius Black reminds him that he did have a choice. He had the choice to either save his own life or the lives of the Potters; however, he chose the easier and lesser path because of his fear from Voldemort. We demonstrate our personal values through the choices we make. Other critics see this as a key statement in the series (Cherrett, 2003, p. 29, Bridger, 2001, p. 74, 2001, Houghton, 2001, p.17, Beck, 2001, p. 53, Pharr, 2002, p. 63, et al.) The Choice to resist Voldemort often demanded great sacrifice as the consequence: many wizards died for their defiance of Voldemort. Pettigrew's choice also has far-reaching consequences but of a different sort. In saving his own life, he has radically changed it. His choice loses him his other friends, forces him onto years of hiding, and eventually binds him to Voldemort as a slave. So, an individual's choice for good or evil shapes this person and brings lasting consequences oneself and for others. Evil is represented in any work of art in the villain. Voldemort delivers an excellent portrait of the villain, but before we speak about

Voldemort we should know who is the villain. Paula Soares Faria introduces a brief definition of the villain in The Journey of the Villain in the Harry Potter series: An Archetypal Study of Fantasy Villains (2008), saying "In fantasy literature the hero can be directly associated with his archetypal journey. Similarly, the villain will also be associated with an archetype. However, compared with the heros the villains archetype seems simpler and will be characterized by his deeds or individual characteristics rather than the events of his life or his path. The villain is part of the construction of the hero archetype". An essential part, I would say, for he is the goal of the journey, the center of the maze. How the hero faces his villain is what defines his journey. Without a villain and the obstacles posed by him/her, there would be no need for a journey. The villain archetype, however, is usually not as developed as the heros. In general, it does not unfold into a path or carry multiple symbolisms into it. The idea of the general villain refers to the one the hero encounters as soon as he crosses the threshold. His existence precedes the heros and what is shown about this villain does not give him dimensions as a character, usually resulting in a supernatural, unreal and not believable entity. In this definition the villain is greedy and utterly selfish; therefore, all of his deeds would be ruled by those characteristics. Paula Soares Faria explains in her book: The psychoanalyst MarieLouise Von Franz, a disciple of Jung, studied the representation of evil in fairy tales from many different cultures. Some of her remarks should be

useful here in determining what types of evil fantasy addresses and how it is represented in the figure of a villain. "Lack of harmony is a characteristic that surrounds peoples lives and it is expressed in the stories told by people. An important characteristic of evil is to cause this disharmony and unbalance by being at the same time desirable and undesirable". The Journey of the Villain in the Harry Potter series: An Archetypal Study of Fantasy Villains (p. 48)

In my opinion, the images that appear in the stories are at the same time repulsive and attractive. That duality is part of human nature as well. Terrifying events fascinate us. Villains of fantasy often exercise that alluring power over others characters. Tom Riddle, soon to be Lord Voldemort, knows the consequences of using the Unforgivable Curses (spells that kill, torture and control the minds of people) or of creating horcruxes (tearing the soul apart and transferring a piece to an object); however, he uses the curses and creates the horcruxes anyway, because he is completely fascinated by the power those things bring to him, Well, Harry, said Dumbledore, At the same age as you are now, give or take a few months, Tom Riddle was doing all he could to find out how to make himself immortal Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (p. 328). Initially his goal is to kill Harry, but at one point he sees the advantage of having him as an ally and tries to seduce him. Not only Voldemort, but also the power of magic itself, the same that fascinated Voldemort, is constantly teasing Harry into forgetting about the abominable side of evil. The hero has to have contact with that side so he can better understand the forces around him. The villain is taken by the alluring side of evil without really understanding it. His view of the

world and his behavior becomes unilateral which is an aspect that brings about more evil which results an excess of evil. R. Alexandria Pallas-Weinbrecht wrote about "excess of evil" in her book The Phenomenology of Evil: Excessivity, Intention, and Malignancy in Human Action "We can and do have ordinary and frequent moral lapses that constitute this type of excess or deficiency in our behavior when we go after what we desire. This is not, however, the kind of excess a phenomenological account of evil brings with it" (p. 26). Evil is not overindulgence or deficiency of control that we can measure according to our sense of the median and how far or near we are to it. Evil as an excess goes beyond our ability to accommodate, to create meaning, to put experience into a whole with continuity; evil in fact breaks up continuity. The excess of evil comes to us as a form of transcendence, a permanent wound that can never be assimilated, destroying our ability to create a world, to respond and act. About the representatives of evil or "The Villains" in Harry Potter, evil can be traced, and its climax can be seen in Lord Voldemorts face. The first reference to Voldemort in the books gives us an insight into what is wrong with him. In the wake of Voldemort's defeat at the hands of the infant Harry, Professor McGonagall remarks that Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. Dumbledore replies, "You flatter me Voldemort had powers I will never have" McGonagall answers this question, "Only because you are too well noble to use them" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 11). What appears as weakness on Dumbledore's part is revealed to be strength, the nobility that Voldemort lacks. While Voldemort's power to manipulate things magically is amazing, he seems unaware that this is not

the only kind of power, or even the most important kind. Voldemort has powers Dumbledore will never have, but the opposite is also true. Dumbledore has the power of nobility, a good character and high moral ideals. He can see the world clearly in a way that is completely impossible for Voldemort. Voldemort was unable to see what accounted for his defeat at the hands of Harry. He was a more powerful wizard than Harry's parents, even more so than a mere infant. But though he was able to kill James and Lily Potter, he was not able to defeat them or kill their baby. He was unable to do this because he encountered in them the very thing he lacked, love.Talking to his followers, the "Death Eaters", after his return in Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall? Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseenI could not touch the boy His mother left upon him the traces other sacrificeThis is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it (p. 652). This love, more powerful than the death curses he hurled at the infant Harry, deflected them back at himself, leaving him lacking even more as a person I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the womans foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone we encounter the defeated Voldemort weak and horrifying. He himself explains what

resulted from his attack on baby Harry: See what I have become?the face said. Mere shadow and vapor I have form only when I can share another's body (p. 293). Voldemort is literally a parasite on Professor Quirrell's body. But living by taking another person's life is not enough; Voldemort must gain strength by feeding, via Professor Quirrell, from the blood of the unicorns, those one-horned symbols of purity. Voldemort has no qualms about slaughtering innocent unicorns, just as he had no qualms about attacking the infant Harry or parasitically sapping Quirrell's life. It is one thing to live because of someone else's willing sacrifice, as Harry does because of his parents, and another to live because one sacrifices others for one's own gain. Voldemort does not understand this, but Dumbledore explains that this is why Quirrell feels tremendous pain when he touches Harry "It is agony to touch someone marked by something so good as sacrificial love" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 299). For all of Voldemort's use of others' lives (Quirrell, the unicorns, and the people he killed simply because they were not useful to him) but his life is still a half-life. Voldemort plots to regain his adult body in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by means of an ancient spell that requires three sacrifices; first, bone from his muggle father, whom he hated and murdered; second, the sacrifice of Wormtail's hand [one of Voldemort followers], severed in fear and desperation by this servant himself; and third, blood from Harry, Voldemort's enemy. This terrible restoration shows us again the parasitic character of evil. Voldemort's new bone, flesh, and blood are gained through fear or force at the expense of other people.

This parasitic character of evil is also clear in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Voldemort tries to regain his power through his old Diary, a Horcrux [ an evil object that has part of Voldemort's soul], which takes the life of Ginny Wesley and transferred it into Voldemort If I say it myself, Harry, Ive always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wantedI grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her. The critic John Granger argues that this is an example of the books postmodern aspects and he discusses how Rowling tells us Tom Riddles life: "[Voldemort] is, post-Horcruxes, simply a shattered person, whose soul and humanity have been deposited in physical objects as a means to a mechanical, murderous immortality. He is himself a deconstructed text, that no longer has an independent existence or value. Even though we learn about his painful childhood in an orphanage and about his mothers trials, Ms. Rowling never suggests there is something understandable or pitiable in the evil person Tom Riddle chooses to become in his pursuit of power. He is also not a conceptual evil that can be parsed, broken down and made relative, the product of external forces outside his control. Rowling presents her prime villains and his henchmen as a very real wickedness, the product of human error and choice, that must be resisted at all costs, even death. Rowling never softpedals the reality of Riddles wickedness, his culpability for his

condition, or the necessity of resisting this evil courageously and sacrificially". (2007: 208-9). Voldemort is not pitiable because he made conscious choices on who he wanted to become. He deliberately chooses evil; it is not something that happened to him or was imposed on him, he was not tricked into it. And unlike the redeemed villain he does not regret his choices. The evil he represents cannot be related to the external evil of nature, as is common in fantasy, or any other external force. He represents the evil within and the reality of choice as great, but terrible. Granger also mentions Riddle as being Potters doppelganger; that is because they show intrinsic similarities that can be described as archetypal. Voldemort lives the same journey as Harry. Evil is represented in some other minor villains as in the Death Eaters. Death Eaters is the name given to Voldemorts loyal followers. They include men and women, one of them is Bellatrix Lestrange, from different social positions that share Voldemorts goals. They aspire to power through their connection with the Dark Lord very much like Lucius Malfoy, who is one of them. The Death Eaters represent the typical followers of the arch(e)-villain. They act solely as they are ordered and although a sect of followers is comprised by several people, they all act together and in a similar manner resembling a single entity under the command of the villain. They have no individual identity or personality and sometimes not even individual names, especially when they are in great numbers. In the Harry Potter books these followers appear in a smaller scale, but they are everywhere, there is a villain, Draco has his mates, Crabbe and Goyle, follow him around and do his

bidding, while their parents, including Dracos, do the biddings of Voldemort. The followers are an extension of the villains powers and they represent the seductive side of the villain at work. They are attracted by the alluring side of evil and they are taken by the same influence the villain tries, at some point, to exert over the hero. The Death Eaters are seduced by the promise of power. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Professor Quirrell tells Harry exactly how he was taken by this promise: He is with me wherever I go, said Quirrell quietly. I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. (p. 211). In this instance Harry is not hooked by that promise, good and evil do prove to be relative concepts, but for a different reason than sheer power. Harry has a strong connection with Voldemort and he carries a piece of the Dark Lords soul in him, very much like Quirrell. By Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry starts to take advantage of this connection and even enjoy it. Professor Severus Snape is without a doubt the most ambiguous, complex and challenged character in the series. In response to the questioning of what Snapes example of morality may cause on children, the childrens specialist, Courtney B. Strimel, argues in her essay The Politics of Terror: Rereading Harry Potter that, characters like Snape are actually a good influence on childrens perception of the real world:

"Certainly, most of the characters appear ambiguous at times, but that ambiguity relates to strong Moral themes running throughout the series. People, both good and bad, make mistakes in the series and in the real world. The ambiguity, then, in Harry Potter is more realistic for young readers as they navigate the complexities of morality". (2004: 46) Snapes complexity does prove to be a challenge not only for children, but for adults as well, especially when some critics fail to see the importance of such a character. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Snape is definitely redeemed and may even be said to have gained the status of a good guy, with Harrys son even being named after him. However, that does not change his past behavior and that he is considered a villain for most part of the series. His despite for Harry is undeniable and the injustices he commits in the name of this hatred have instances spread throughout the series. Besides his present actions (at the time the narrative of the novel is happening), Snapes past actions are also condemnable: he was a member of the Death Eaters and still carries the Dark Mark in his arm. Snape antagonizes Harry, who treats Snape as an enemy he cannot fight but, unlike with Draco, one he fails to learn from. Conversely, despite all the evidence against Snape, he is the depositary of Dumbledores unwavering trust. That fact has puzzled Harry until the very last moment when he finally unravels the truth about Snape and the boy finds out that, as much as Snape had been unjust to him, he had returned the gesture by misjudging and distrusting the Professor. Snape fits into this redeemed villain archetype, Even though Harry sees Snapes memories without his consent, what Snape suffered in the past becomes the excuse for his actions in the present. Snape does not

become any nicer to Harry, rather he finds reason to become nastier. Even though he has actually been on the good guys side all along, he displays villainous qualities: he takes advantage of his position over Harry and delights in making the boys life more difficult. He is petty and ambitious, but also loyal. Snape is a complex character because he is the grey area between black and white, and especially in fantasy this is rare. As Strimel argues, This ambiguity teaches children that good people sometimes make poor decisions and perpetrate bad acts just as bad people are capable of positive acts. (2004: 46) In characters that are three-dimensional, emulating real life, we can never be sure of what their real intentions are. Snape contributes to the evolution of the redeemed villain archetype by adding this three -dimensionality to it. The Malfoy family is another portrait of evil. The family name here is the first indication of their nature. Draco Malfoy is the first Hogwarts kid Harry meets in the series: they were both buying school robes at Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions. In this first encounter Draco already exposes the paradigm him and his family live by, that is, their pure blood convictions; the same philosophy followed and spread by Voldemort: Oh sorry, said [Draco], not sounding sorry at all. But they were our kind, werent they? They were a witch and a wizard, if thats what you mean. I really dont think they should let the other sort in, do you? Theyre just not the same, theyve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. Whats your surname, anyway? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 60-61).

From Dracos first scene the reader is led to dislike the character and his whole family. In the next book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, we meet Dracos father and discover how dangerous he really can be. He is the trigger for the whole of the second books plot by placing Tom Riddles old diary into the Weasleys belongings. Without his help the diary may have not ended up with Ginny Weasley. However, although Lucius Malfoy seems to be helping his master, Voldemort, he is in fact looking out for himself. He serves Voldemort only to the point where it serves his personal interests; it grants him power in his midst and also the protection and back up from people more powerful than him, that is, Voldemort himself, members of ministerial departments and even the Ministry for Magic. At the time Voldemort lost his powers in the attack to the Potters home, and his followers were being sent to prison, Lucius pleaded being under the Imperious Curse. He denied any connections with Voldemort and his other followers because, at the time, that would serve his interests best. He is one of Voldemorts followers but he lacks the essential qualities for it; he is not loyal or submissive. His predominant trait is selfishness. Draco is taught from an early age the values of his family. He learns from his father his selfish behavior and also to lie, cheat and con while avoiding being caught when it serves his interests. Draco, however, has a closer relationship to Harry, seeing that both attend Hogwarts. They became rivals from their first day at the school and engaged in disputes and fights as often as they could. However, their fights are never definitive, for as big as their despise for each other may be, the rules of the school and their confinement to it demand that they learn to live and share the same space.

Although Draco is an opponent his age and one which, most probably, Harry could defeat, Harry cannot just finish him in battle. The circumstances in which they live in demand Harry to develop other strategies to deal with those enemies that are closer to him. Potter has to exercise will-power to control his temper and not fall for Dracos provocations. He has to develop combat strategies not to attack, but to defend. In fact the disarming spell, Expelliarmus, becomes Harrys combat signature and it is with it that he ultimately defeats Voldemort. Both boys have to play by the rules Hogwarts imposes or else both should be punished, as it happens in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when Draco tries to catch Harry breaking the rules. It turns out that in the attempt Draco broke the rules himself (p. 167-176). After that lesson they were both more careful. Also with Draco, Harry has to learn to forgive by getting over their petty disputes and growing out of them. By the end of the series Harry saves Draco and eventually Draco learns to co-exist with Harry in their adult lives. By having an enemy he cannot actively fight, Harry actually learns how to face the other villains in his life. The first time we see Dracos mother, Narcisa, she displays a different side of the family, one we have not seen up to that point. She appears in the initial chapters of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, worried about her son and the task that was assigned to him by Voldemort. She asks Snape to take care of him and protect him no matter what happens. By the end of the series the Malfoy family redeem themselves as all of the members show a high level of concern for each other following Narcisas example. They love one another and this love

proves to be stronger than their selfish interests. Although all of them are villains during the series and play an important part in Harrys life, they eventually give expression to the good in them through this love and their family ties. If evil is a privation, then it will always have a weakness. Its power flows not from true strength but from the manipulation and distortion of what is good. Truth and goodness will always be stronger in and of themselves. In their completeness, they expose evil's lack [ lack of love, lack of health in mind and body, lack of hope, and lack of clearsightedness].

The Destructive effects of evil

If one takes a closer look at Voldemort's life after he murders the Potter, however, it becomes clear that he receives something other than the benefit of having two less wizards to oppose him. A physical transformation occurs in Voldemort that is both deforming and frightening, which seems to be the result of his evil actions. While Voldemort's deformities cannot ease Harry's suffering, they can provide some assurance that Voldemort is negatively affected by his misdeeds. Jennifer Hart Weed says about the destructive effects of evil in Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts: "Boethius concludes that just as evil diminishes a human being by causing him to lose his natural goal, happiness, so evil dehumanizes the evildoer. In other words, evil actions transforms an evildoer from a human being into an animal" (p. 151). For example, it is

revealed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that Peter Pettigrew told Voldemort the location of James and Lily Potter, enabling their murder. Peter subsequently disguises himself as a rat in order to hide from the Potters' friends. We can interpret the physical transformation of Peter into a rat as indicating the moral state of his character. "Peter 'rats out' the Potters to Voldemort, and then Peter physically becomes a rat. Rowling seems to treat Peter's act of betrayal symbolically, diminishing him from a human being to an animal" Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (p.152) Evildoer abandons his own proper nature in committing evil actions. The evil doer destroys himself by rejecting part of himself and by failing to live up to his potential. So, truly, the evildoer undergoes a "dehumanizing" and self-destructive transformation when he commits evil acts. With every evil act the self-destruction becomes greater as the evildoer consistently rejects his own nature. Voldemort experiences this kind of spiraling self-destruction after he attempts to murder the whole Potter family. Voldemort denies the very existence of good and evil Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 291), He either refuses to distinguish between good and evil or he lacks the ability to make such a distinction, just like an animal. Indeed, Voldemort deems all things permissible in his quest for power, including killing children. Harry's schoolmates are understandably terrified of Voldemort and they refuse to pronounce his name, choosing rather to call him "You-Know-Who" Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( p. 106).

Through Lily's love for her baby, the curse that Voldemort had used with the intention of murdering Harry was turned back on Voldemort himself. He was reduced to "something barely alive", a creature not quite human and yet not quite a ghost, either Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (p. 20). In this transformation we see a dramatic, literal portrayal of the self-destructive effects of evil. There is no evidence, however, that Voldemort re-thinks his activities and his choices or even reconsiders the possibility of blaming himself for his sorry state or learns any kind of moral lesson from his ordeal. Voldemort lack of introspection on this matter is another self-destructive effect of evil. As we have seen through this research that Voldemort attaches himself as a parasite on Professor Quirrell's body and also manipulating him into killing a beautiful unicorn for its life-giving blood, only compounding his self-destruction. As the centaur Firenze explains: That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (p. 258). Once again, Voldemort does not distinguish between his enemies and innocent "non-combatants" such as unicorn. Voldemort's cursed life is manifested both in his actions, which grow progressively more barbaric, and in his physical appearance. Voldemort's appearance worsens and becomes more grotesque throughout the stories. In a disturbing scene near the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,

Voldemort murders an innocent Muggle named Frank who just happens to enter the house in which he is hiding (p. 15). Just prior to his murder, Frank catches a glimpse of Voldemort. This glimpse is so frightening, Frank screams uncontrollably until Voldemort kills him. Voldemort's appearance also frightens Wormtail, his disgusting little minion, as Voldemort says, "I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look al me, feel you shudder when you touch me" (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 9). The destruction that Voldemort experiences at each stage of his life is linked with his own choice of actions. First, he attacks the Potters and consequently loses his body. Next, he becomes a parasite and manipulates his host into killing a beautiful unicorn for its blood. Consequently his life is forever cursed. After leaving Quirrell to die, Voldemort disappears in search of another source of life (Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone, p. 298). His condition and his disposition are so

frightening at this point, however, that most of his followers abandon him. Voldemort's dependence on his followers indicates the extent of his own self-destruction. Once again, his helplessness could have been an opportunity for reflection or for redemption. Voldemort, however, seems oblivious to the fact that he is the cause of his own destruction and, further, that he is capable of correcting it. He ignores any possibility of reforming himself, becoming more and more violent and more and more intent on revenge. Jennifer Hart Weed summarizes her idea by saying: "The effects of evil extend far beyond one's victims or one's community; the effects of evil are also received in the person of the evildoer. Voldemort's

progressive worsening throughout the stories should serve to teach readers about the self-destructive effects of evil and the ugliness of a wicked character. This self-destruction can be explicitly connected with Voldemort's choice of actions, for example his murderous attempts, his manipulation of the weak, or his killing of animals. This self-destruction stands in contrast to the virtues manifested by Harry, Dumbledore, Ron, Hagrid, and Hermione, virtues such as courage, friendship, and love." Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (p.156-157) It is clear from the stories that both Voldemort and Harry are responsible for their own moral characters. Their actions and their choices determine the kinds of people that they become. Voldemort's choices lead to his own ruin and suffering as well as the suffering of others, while Harry's choices lead to his development into a courageous young man who is fiercely loyal to his friends. Finally, I conclude my research with David and Catherine Deavel's summarizing quote about the nature of evil: "Throughout the series, Harry is learning how to recognize good and evil and how best to act on this Knowledge episode by episode, in bits and spurts, as Voldemort's power increases and the stakes grow What makes the plot so dynamic is that it follows the complicated pattern of real life. Neither Harry nor any of the other characters, including Dumbledore and Voldemort, is either all good or all evil." Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (p. 146). As Sirius Black (Harry Potter's Godfather) tells Harry, "The World isn't split into good people and Death Eaters." Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (p. 302).

Part of growing up is taking seriously the importance of seeing clearly, of recognizing good and evil for what they are, and trying to act for the good against the evil. Just like humans in real life, Harry and his friends do not always judge properly or act properly in every situation. They sometimes jump to conclusions or act impulsively or emotionally before they have made a proper judgment. Again, just like real humans, these mistakes can harm others; for example, Harry's admirable desire to help Sirius in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix inadvertently puts Sirius and others in danger. This was because Harry didn't learn to guard his mind from the influence of Voldemort. The stakes are real for them and for us. But the key is to keep trying to clear one's vision and set one's heart in the right direction. "When the mask of evil is ripped off, it is death that we find, not life. When the Choice of evil seems 'easy', suffering happens" Harry Potter and Philosophy : If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (p. 147).

Bibliography:
Primary Source: Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Scholastic Press, New York; 1997. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Scholastic Press, New York; 1998. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Scholastic Press, New York; 1999. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Scholastic Press, New York; 2000. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Scholastic Press, New York; 2003. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Scholastic Press, New York; 2005. Levine, Arthur A. (ed.), Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic Press, New York; 2007. Secondary Sources: Baggett, David & Klein, Shawn E. (Eds.), Catherine Deavel, & David Deavel, (2004), A skewed reflection: The nature of evil. In Harry Potter and philosophy: If Aristotle ran Hogwarts (p. 132-147).

Hart W., Jennifer, (2004), Voldemort, Boethius, and the Destructive Effects of Evil. In Harry Potter and philosophy: If Aristotle ran Hogwarts (p. 151-157). Soares F., Paula, The Journey of the Villain in the Harry Potter series: An Archetypal Study of Fantasy Villains, (2008). Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Pallas-Weinbrecht, R. Alexandria, The Phenomenology of Evil: Excessivity, Intention, and Malignancy in Human Action. Unpublished masters thesis, The Faculty of Princeton University, (2007).

Strimel, Courtney B., The Politics of Terror: Rereading Harry Potter, (2004: 46) Lachance, H., Are you there, God? Its me, Philip Pullman: Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials: Hope and Humanist faith in Godless worlds, (2005). Unpublished masters thesis, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Online Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil.html