voldemort and gender

[pauraque_bk]

It's struck me before that the Death Eaters are almost all male. While working on some Snape backstory, I started taking notes of all of their names and what we know about them, and the pattern is pretty clear:


Avery - m
Bartemius Crouch, Jr. - m
Crabbe - ?
Antonin Dolohov - m
Goyle - ?
Bellatrix Black - f
Regulus Black - m
Jugson - ?
Igor Karkaroff - m
Rabastan Lestrange - m
Rodolphus Lestrange - m
Lucius Malfoy - m
Walden Macnair - m
Mulciber - m
Nott - m
Peter Pettigrew - m
Augustus Rookwood - m
Evan Rosier - m
Severus Snape - m
Travers - m
Wilkes - ?


Most writers assume that Crabbe and Goyle are Vincent's and Gregory's fathers, but we don't know that for sure. Jugson is a new one from OotP, and is little more than a name for now. So we have sixteen confirmed male DEs, one female, and four unknowns.

This wouldn't strike me as odd, but for the fact that in other areas, JKR has been careful to demonstrate gender equality in the wizarding world. Boys and girls go to school together. The Founders were two men and two women. So are the current Heads of House. The teaching staff is almost a 50/50 gender split (depending on the year). In Dumbledore's office, there are portraits of both headmasters and headmistresses. Even characters we're supposed to dislike are not portrayed as misogynists (a favorite device of writers wanting to make sure we know that someone is Not Nice). Snape says "Idiot boy!" about as often as he says "Foolish girl!". Lucius Malfoy isn't shown mistreating Narcissa. The theme of the story is racism/classism, not sexism.

Is Voldemort sexist? Bellatrix is not just a female Death Eater -- she's an *important* Death Eater. In GoF, when Voldemort comes to her place in the circle, he pauses and speaks quietly of her -- he almost seems sad, which is remarkable. The impression that she's important to him is confirmed in OotP -- he grabs *her* before he Disapparates, no one else. However, you certainly don't have to be a universal misogynist (or misandrist) in order to be sexist.

Here's the question, though: *Why* is Voldemort sexist? As theatresm suggested in a recent bit of fic, it could be a pureblood thing. This is fully possible, but our only other evidence for it is that European Muggle aristocracy has always been sexist. Salazar wanted Muggle-borns out of the school, not girls. He had a falling-out with Godric, not Rowena or Helga.

Is there a metatextual reason? I don't see one. As OotP clearly showed, JKR has no difficulty writing female characters so scary they make you want to hide under the bed. What is JKR trying to tell us by making Bellatrix the lone woman?

EDIT: I forgot Wilkes, another unknown. Thanks, neotoma.

Comments

[theatresm.livejournal.com]

Good question. Wish I had a cogent answer. It actually surprises me that the m/f ratio is more or less even at Hogwarts in terms of our own history -- females tend to predominate. Could this have something to do with religion or lack thereof? A society in which individuals were never expected to conform to the patriarchal model of a patriarchal religious system might be more egalitarian than our own, whether it ever ascribed to a more matriatchal view or not. (I'm biting my lip trying not to get in to the sacred feminine and the goddess model, etc.)

The Ministry is better than the DEs, but by no means as equitable as the Hogwarts ratio:
Ludo Bagman (m)
Basil (Transportation, m)
Bob (unclear dept? - m)
Bones, Amelia (Head, Dept. of Law Enforcement - f)
B. Crouch, Sr. (decd. - m)
Cornelius Fudge (m)
Amos Diggory (m)
Mafalda Hopkirk - Improper Use of Magic
Bertha Jorkins (decd. - f)
Walden Macnair (m)
Eric Munch (watchwizard - m)
Cuthbert Mockridge (Goblin Liaison - m)
Arnold Peasgood (Obliviator - m)
Perkins (Misuse of Muggle Artifacts - m)
Newt Scamander (ret. - m)
Dolores Umbridge (*spit* - f)
Arthur Weasley (m)
Percy Weasley (m)
Gilbert Whimple (Experimental Charms - m)

"Field agents":
Kingsley Shaklebolt (Auror - m)
Nymphadora Tonks (Auror - m)
Broderick Bode (decd. Unspeakable - m)
Croaker (Unspeakable - ?)

But why we've seen no female DEs but Bellatrix.... Either she is so exceptional that Voldy let her in anyway, or wizarding females just aren't attracted to the movement/hexing/terrorizing, etc. Or perhaps they have their own Ladies' Auxilliary. ; )

[deslea.livejournal.com]

Perhaps Tom/Voldemort blames his mother for diluting his own blood with Muggle blood? And by extension feels that women weaken their racial purity? Because when a wizard makes a Muggle pregnant, it makes more halfbloods, but it doesn't take the family out of the gene pool unless he marries the woman. Whereas if a witch becomes pregnant to a Muggle, she is bringing a half-blood into the pureblood families.

Just brainstorming.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

You forgot Wilkes, gender unknown, who died with Evan Rosier. I've seen at least one fanficcer decide that Wilkes was a) female, b) a love interest of Snape's, or c) both; since the character is essentially just a name, it's a perfect way to slip in an OC.

You know, it's funny, but I've seen arguements that *Snape* is a misogynist for the way he interacts with women, but Snape is uniformly bad with *everyone* regardless of gender, I can't see it. He's a misanthrope -- when he *likes* anyone enough to be civl with them, it's a surprise.

As to *why* Voldemort might be sexist -- he was raised in a Muggle orphanage until he was 11, wasn't he? In the 1930s, it would have been very easy to acquire a sexist attitude, even if his later experiences among Magical society contradict his early education.

Bellatrix might have been such a spectacularly ardent supporter that she was allowed to be a Death Eater, even though she's female. You do find the odd female spokesperson in deeply conservative-and-patriachial group, after all, arguing for women to have a 'place' subservient to men, even when they are highly visible themselves. And the fact that she's *married* to another Death Eater might have given her more validity.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

It actually surprises me that the m/f ratio is more or less even at Hogwarts in terms of our own history -- females tend to predominate.

As teachers, do you mean? I think that there is probably a cultural difference at work there. It could be that teaching at Hogwarts, since it's the *only* magical school in Britain worth mentioning, is a relatively-high status position? Especially since the *entire* magical population of Britain seems to have gone there, with exceptions for Beauxbaxtons and Durmstrang. That's got give the school and teachers a certain cachet.

As to the Ministry, four female employees out of 19 doesn't seem like a very good ratio. About 20% female, even if two of them, Bones and Umbridge, seem to be fairly high ranking.

We don't know enough about the Aurors and Unspeakables yet to make a determination. Especially since Tonks' metamorphmagus abilities might have opened a lot of doors for her.

[theatresm.livejournal.com]

*facepalm*

Nympadora is, of course, female. Duh. Unless she can change THAT too. (Urk. ?Hmmm....?)

All those "male" designations went to my head.

[maidenjedi]

Well, my instinct is to point out the correlation between Voldemort and Hitler. Voldie's obviously rooted in Hitler as a bad guy, with the mixed heritage and deep-rooted racism and desire to drive out a racial element in order to create a pure race. Women under Hitler were not specifically persecuted, but neither were they given equal power to men. Their job was very specifically to procreate for the good of the Reich. Interestingly, the most important woman in Hitler's immediate power circle was Goebbels' wife, Magda. She was the example for women under the Nazi rule. She was as dedicated to the cause as her husband, perhaps more so.

Now, that only works if one assumes JKR has built any of her fictional world from life - and we could go rounds on that all day.

Voldemort wouldn't have to be actively sexist for there to be fewer women in his circle. I'd argue that the pureblood classes are naturally patriarchal (the Malfoys seem to be an example of this - Lucius comes across as ruling the roost, and Narcissa as a silent partner), but that's fallible too, because there's little textual evidence to back it up. But, maybe there is a little reverse sexism going on here - how many *Slytherin* girls are there, that we know by name? Pansy Parkinson, and Millicent Bulstrode. Assuming that Voldemort's pool of followers largely come from Slytherin House, there's a vague impression that girls don't ever dominate that House. Hmm.

Bellatrix isn't just the only woman, she's also the most ruthless, the most cruel, the most cunning of the Death Eaters. She's Voldemort's pet like no other. She's got to be the antithesis of some other female character, but who?

Incidentally - in GoF, the women (Lily's shade, McGonagall, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley in particular) were very matronly and maternal in nature, harkening to Harry's need for motherly love. People have talked about OotP shattering Harry's illusions of James and Sirius and Dumbledore (as his father figures). Maybe OotP was also used to shatter Harry's image of women - Bellatrix and Umbridge are stereotypical villians, each harkening back to archetypes of the whore, the Medusa, etc. McGonagall is seriously injured, and for the first time is not available when Harry might need her. I don't know - it's a flawed argument, I know, but there might be something there.

[pauraque]

The Ministry list puts it into somewhat better perspective. It's not necessarily the wizarding world in general that lacks sexism -- most of my examples refer only to Hogwarts. Rowena and Helga could have been revolutionaries in their time, whose influence is still felt at the school, but may not be as strong elsewhere. I don't have a list of Order of the Phoenix members on hand, but there are/were several women... Tonks, Molly, and Lily, and I'm sure there were some other female members named. That may well be Dumbledore's influence.

I'm biting my lip trying not to get in to the sacred feminine and the goddess model, etc.

I thought of this too, but there's just not enough on the subject in canon to get into it beyond shaky conjecture, unfortunately.

Or perhaps they have their own Ladies' Auxilliary. ; )

Heheheh. That would make Bellatrix something like the Annika Sorenstam of the wizarding world. Only, y'know, evil. ;)

[pauraque]

Mm, that's a good point. I can see Voldemort's logic working that way.

[pauraque]

You forgot Wilkes, gender unknown, who died with Evan Rosier.

That name came to mind, but it wasn't in my notes, and I couldn't think where it came from. When was s/he mentioned?

You know, it's funny, but I've seen arguements that *Snape* is a misogynist for the way he interacts with women, but Snape is uniformly bad with *everyone* regardless of gender, I can't see it.

I feel the same way. I don't think misogyny would even make sense with his character. I've talked about it before somewhere, that Snape's hostility is always *personal* -- we don't see signs of sweeping hatred for an entire group, as we do with Voldemort. He mistreats Hermione not because she's a girl (or a Muggle-born), but simply because she's friends with Harry.

In the 1930s, it would have been very easy to acquire a sexist attitude, even if his later experiences among Magical society contradict his early education.

Yeah. If his negative impressions of women were formed early enough, he might not even realize where they came from. It could be this, combined with deslea's suggestion above.

You do find the odd female spokesperson in deeply conservative-and-patriachial group, after all, arguing for women to have a 'place' subservient to men, even when they are highly visible themselves.

This is a very good point. It feels right for Bellatrix's character.

And the fact that she's *married* to another Death Eater might have given her more validity.

Yes. I can see her kind of pulling Rodolphus's strings in order to maneuver herself into a more powerful position. It's pretty clear that she didn't just come into this thing on her husband's coattails, even if she wanted it to appear so for her own advantage. Her loyalty is definitely to *Voldemort* -- her husband is present in the Dept. of Mysteries sequence, but she pays no attention to him whatsoever.

[pauraque]

Interestingly, the most important woman in Hitler's immediate power circle was Goebbels' wife, Magda. She was the example for women under the Nazi rule. She was as dedicated to the cause as her husband, perhaps more so.

Right. This echoes neotoma's point above.

Assuming that Voldemort's pool of followers largely come from Slytherin House, there's a vague impression that girls don't ever dominate that House.

I get that sense too. Pansy is the Slytherin girl we know the best, and she's mostly just there to hang off Draco's arm. Am I right in thinking that there aren't any female players on the Slytherin Quidditch team?

Of course, Gryffindor is fairly male-dominated too. Ravenclaw is the only house that seems dominated by the girls, which isn't unreasonable -- when I went to school, the girls were always the better students.

She's got to be the antithesis of some other female character, but who?

How about Lily? Lily and Bellatrix are the only two women who seem to have been able to meet Voldemort on something approaching his own level.

Maybe OotP was also used to shatter Harry's image of women - Bellatrix and Umbridge are stereotypical villians, each harkening back to archetypes of the whore, the Medusa, etc. McGonagall is seriously injured, and for the first time is not available when Harry might need her.

I see your point here. The subplot with Cho echoes this. But also, the only character who remains unfallen in Harry's mind is Lily -- the madonna. The first and only time we see her, she's charging in to stop an injustice -- and it's the contrast of her virtue that puts the male characters to shame. Her presence is very keenly felt at the end of OotP, when Dumbledore talks about the one power Voldemort can never have: Love, as represented by Lily's love for Harry. I don't want to draw the point out too far, but you get the idea. :)

[pauraque]

Nympadora is, of course, female. Duh. Unless she can change THAT too.

Beats me. Presumably she can change her facial features to appear male, but beyond that, who knows?

[maidenjedi]

Heh...

Lily's gilding needs some tarnishing. And Harry himself needs to wake up to his mother's sacrifice - he hasn't dwelt on it, as far as we've seen, though that's not entirely unreasonable, since he's just found out that he either has to die or commit murder in accordance with a prophecy.

Oh, my head hurts with all the sudden Christian allegory!! And I try really hard not to think about it.

Okay, that aside, I think you're right about Bellatrix being the antithesis of Lily. So I guess we'll never see Lily fall from grace, as it were, since we're highly unlikely to see Bellatrix's hidden mercy or soft side. Now I've got all sorts of thoughts - Lily was Voldemort's initial undoing, so will Bellatrix return the favor and undo Voldemort? Or is her reciprocal act Sirius' murder, or the Longbottoms' torture? Here's a thought. Since Dumbledore's point is that there are things worse than death, and Lily and Bellatrix are the female epitomes of each side, do they each prove his point? Lily sent Voldemort into limbo, leaving him without a body and virtually no way to get back. Bellatrix sent the Longbottoms into insanity - sent their minds from their bodies with virtually no chance of return. If this follows, we could also use this as a denial theory for Sirius' death - that it's not the Longbottoms' fate that mirrors Voldemort's, but Sirius', and that he will find a way back, be it through some kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi voodoo or something else.

Whoa...okay, even I don't think I was making much sense up there. :-)

Now, here's one more thing - if the Longbottom/Voldemort theory holds, then who or what will be the reciprocal of Sirius? Tit for tat, it seems, in this universe. Who is the DE equivalent of Sirius?

My money's on Wormtail.

Okay, I'm stopping. I swear. :-)

[pauraque]

he hasn't dwelt on it, as far as we've seen, though that's not entirely unreasonable, since he's just found out that he either has to die or commit murder in accordance with a prophecy.

Yet, he's in essentially the same place Lily was before her death. Her destiny was wrapped up in the prophecy too, and finding out about it must have been a frightening shock. She was barely out of adolescence herself. This could be a way for Harry to see his mother as more of a human being, empathizing with her position. And it could be the flip side of the pain and loss of seeing his male role models' human side: seeing Lily as a person just like him could be very encouraging.

Harry rarely identifies with anybody, and when he does, it's usually unrealistic (identifying with James) or just unhelpful (identifying with Snape). Lily could become his first good, realistic role model.

Since Dumbledore's point is that there are things worse than death, and Lily and Bellatrix are the female epitomes of each side, do they each prove his point? Lily sent Voldemort into limbo, leaving him without a body and virtually no way to get back. Bellatrix sent the Longbottoms into insanity - sent their minds from their bodies with virtually no chance of return.

Right on!

Tit for tat, it seems, in this universe. Who is the DE equivalent of Sirius? My money's on Wormtail.

Then, to make it perfectly symmetrical, you'd expect Lily to kill Peter. Or Lily's lingering power -- that is to say, Harry.

My own two bits..

[malfoypatriarch.livejournal.com]

I have always thought of Bellatrix being Sirius Black's equivalent in the Death Eaters. Relations set aside for now, there's the measure of sadism, the time spent in Azkaban, and the loyalty to their friends. Black had the Marauders while Bellatrix has Voldemort. By what we were shown in Book Five during the Ministry raid, Bellatrix was quick to jump the gun and ready to start any sort of warfare/fighting that may have proved necessary. Lucius, on the other hand, attempted to get the Prophecy without much fuss. This makes me think of him as the Lupin equivalent to the Death Eaters. He is calm whereas Bellatrix is loud and brash.

About Voldemort taking her out of the Ministry, you must remember that Bellatrix was currently WITH him in the first place. She was the ONLY Death Eater within that room. The other Death Eaters were within another room, fighting Aurors, and the room had been sealed with anti-apparition wards. Not to mention the fact that both Potter and Dumbledore were blocking Voldemort's way to the other room. In order to save the other Death Eater, Voldemort would have to go through Potter, Dumbledore, and the Aurors, and somehow get out of that room to apparate away.
This is practically an impossible venture in Voldemort's current state. However, Bellatrix was right there and Voldemort did leave once, only to return to gather her since she was the only one he could get to. This has nothing to do with favoritism, it is only a matter of convenience.
That and if Voldemort truly did favour Bellatrix, then his tactics were very sloppy. Why spare the one Death Eater who is known as a fugitive, has no political ties left to her, and whose reputation is now in the mud, while throwing away all of his other high-ranking Death Eaters with their political affiliations and know-how?
Voldemort did not save Bellatrix because he has feelings for her. He saved her out of convenience, that and she was shrieking like a banshee at the end of it all.

While Bellatrix is, more than likely, cruel, ruthless, and cunning, we've yet to determine just where she stands in the ranks. I do not see her as cunning because she did not bother to work behind the scenes. Cunningness implies certain tactics, meaning you do not get caught, you do things quietly, quickly, and make sure that no one will suspect you.
Bellatrix seemed to be more muscle/threat/intimidation than anything else. She was frightening because she was up in people's faces, killing Black, etc., etc. This isn't cunning. This is 'taking what she wants with in whatever way presents itself.'
This is very much like Sirius' way of handling situations. Like Bellatrix, he is loud, impulsive, and quick to act. Lucius tried to collar her in the Ministry, but could not do so.
If Bellatrix is the antithesis to a female character, then it would be Hermione. Hermione thinks before she leaps. She is not impulsive, normally has a plan of her own, and even where Bellatrix stands with Voldemort, Hermione stands with Harry.
A few minor details can fit in here. Bellatrix being one of the people helping to drive the Longbottoms insane while Hermione works to help Neville when he fails in classwork.

Re: My own two bits..

[pauraque]

Black had the Marauders while Bellatrix has Voldemort.

Black has James, not the Marauders in general. He's loyal to neither Peter nor Remus.

Lucius, on the other hand, attempted to get the Prophecy without much fuss. This makes me think of him as the Lupin equivalent to the Death Eaters. He is calm whereas Bellatrix is loud and brash.

Now this is a parallel I certainly never thought of! I like it, it makes sense. Lucius and Remus are both very calculating.

While Bellatrix is, more than likely, cruel, ruthless, and cunning, we've yet to determine just where she stands in the ranks.

You may reconsider this position if you take a look at theatresm's post here. It discusses the DE gathering in GoF and what we can gather about the ranks of the various DEs from how it plays out.

I agree that Bellatrix isn't exactly cunning... She's certainly not *self-serving*. She's principled, loyal, bold (even foolhardily so), willing to take one for the team -- more Gryffindor than Slytherin, in that way.

Re: My own two bits..

[malfoypatriarch.livejournal.com]

Black has James, not the Marauders in general. He's loyal to neither Peter nor Remus.

This is only aiding in the distinct parallels between the Marauders and the four major Death Eaters. James Potter would be a parallel to Voldemort, Sirius is to Bellatrix, Lupin is to Lucius, and Peter could be either to himself or to Rudolphus in a lesser extent.

James Potter may or may not have been the leader of the Marauders, but he was definitely a major player in them. He catered to Sirius' whims and did things to cheer him up. Voldemort could have given the Longbottoms to the Lestranges to satisfy their sadistic whims. James Potter has Lily, Voldemort has Mundi. (and just like at the end of Potter's seventh year, we have to wait to see if Voldemort will get his 'girl')

Bellatrix, like I said before, is reminiscent of Sirius, both in attitude and personality. Brash, impulsive, heavily sadistic, and cruel. Sirius acknowledges the flaws in his friends just as Bellatrix acknowledges the fact that many other Death Eaters did not go to Azkaban. While Sirius has a streak of Slytherin sadism running through him, Bellatrix has her own streak of Gryffindor running through her, as you mentioned above.

Lucius is the character I am most familiar with and can discuss for days on end. His Lupin parallel implies that he is more of the brains of the group, cunning and manipulative when he needs to be. Just as Lupin attempts to hold back his friends from ganging up on Snape, Lucius tries to hold back Bellatrix from hurling a curse at Potter. Both failed in their attempts. There's also Lupin's wolf side, which, if you will allow me a slight stretch here, is also equaled to Lucius' serving of the Dark Lord. Like a wolf, Lucius prowls for prey (Ginny Weasley). Wolves are pack hunters and when Lucius is with the other Death Eaters, he acts as the alpha male, the one that the others defer to. It is during this time when they are, essentially, fearless. However, wolves are also cunning and that's exactly what Lucius demonstrated during CoS. He got away with attempted murder of a young girl, nearly revived the Dark Lord, and got away unscathed at the end, save for the loss of Dobby. But then, if I had an Elf like Dobby, I'd want to lose him as well.
There was also a story (bit random here) that dubbed Lucius as Voldemort's white wolf. I believe it's all in the interpretation.

As for Peter's part, he can either parallel himself, because he is quite the opposite of who he was when he followed the Marauders, or he can be paralleled by Rudolphus Lestrange. Why Rudolphus? Because of the way the man is treated. Peter was kept mainly to the sidelines, worshipping James and being mocked by Sirius. Rudolphus seems to be in much the same position. He is loyal to Voldemort, as evidenced by him going to Azkaban, and he is kept down by Bellatrix (Sirius' parallel), who doesn't seem to hold much interest in him. I do believe that Bellatrix wears the pants in that relationship. Even in GoF during the pensieve scene, she's the one that spoke out the loudest while Rudolphus just kinda cowered.

Another interesting bit is that with the exception of Lupin/Lucius and the Rudolphus theory, each parallel managed to kill off their own. Voldemort killed James, Bellatrix killed Sirius, and Peter, essentially, killed his other self. While he could not kill his worshipping tendencies, he did sever ties with his Gryffindor friends of yesteryear and turn to the Dark Lord. Unless he is acting in a Gryffindor manner and following through on the political aspect (ie: hating Mudbloods and wanting to kill them) then he has killed his Gryffindor side as well.

Re: My own two bits..Cont'd

[malfoypatriarch.livejournal.com]

You may reconsider this position if you take a look at theatresm's post here. It discusses the DE gathering in GoF and what we can gather about the ranks of the various DEs from how it plays out.

I checked out the link and can honestly say that I agreed with it when I first read that passage. As a Lucius-supporter I have tried to go through just about every scene with him in it, including that one. But the information is nothing new. The fact still remains that if Bellatrix was the greatest Death Eater of all time, she would be above Lucius. We see in OotP several reasons why she is not. She may be sadistic, but Lucius is the most cunning. While she is mourned, he is complimented.

I'm sure that Voldemort sees endless loyalty in her, but there is also the manner in how that loyalty is shown. She will 'boldly go where no Death Eater has gone before' but she'll do so impulsively, whereas Lucius takes his time and enjoys the plans in life that will keep him from getting caught. Hence why he tried to calm Bellatrix down at the end of OotP. He wanted to get in, grab the Prophecy, and go without much hassle. So, yes, she may be loyal and bold, but it's all in the delivery. I think Voldemort realizes that and wants his followers to remain loyal to him, but also know how to keep their heads above water.

Re: My own two bits..

[pauraque]

This is absolutely fascinating. Thank you very much for sharing it. The parallels are frighteningly good.

Paralleling James and Voldemort certainly works for me; it's something I've done before, in discussing Peter. You're quite right that, like James, Voldemort sometimes takes an attitude of appeasing the sadism of others, as when he tells Macnair that he'll provide good victims for him.

James Potter has Lily, Voldemort has Mundi. (and just like at the end of Potter's seventh year, we have to wait to see if Voldemort will get his 'girl')

I like this -- we've already got Lily as Love Incarnate in canon, why not Lily as the World? If the parallel holds, we'd expect to see Voldemort get what he wants for a time and then have it violently stripped away (though this has already happened once...).

There's also Lupin's wolf side, which, if you will allow me a slight stretch here, is also equaled to Lucius' serving of the Dark Lord.

Hm... yes, Lucius puts forth a facade of respectability, just as Lupin pretends to be normal, but both are capable of extreme violence beneath that cool, collected exterior. The primary difference, of course, is that Lupin didn't choose violence, whereas Lucius presumably did (unless you're a Lucius apologist).

As for Peter's part, he can either parallel himself, because he is quite the opposite of who he was when he followed the Marauders

Could you elaborate on this? His personality has changed since then; he manages to stand up for himself now, even if he is terrified while he does it. But I wouldn't call it a complete 180 by any means.

Another interesting bit is that with the exception of Lupin/Lucius and the Rudolphus theory, each parallel managed to kill off their own. Voldemort killed James, Bellatrix killed Sirius, and Peter, essentially, killed his other self.

Now this, I like. The idea of Peter "killing" his former self is strengthened by the fact that he did in fact fake his own death. So far it's the Dark counterparts who have done the killing each time -- based on your reading, we might predict that Lupin will kill Lucius rather than the other way around, as a symbol of the tide of the war turning to favor Dumbledore.

Re: My own two bits..Cont'd

[pauraque]

Yes, I agree that Lucius ranks above Bellatrix.

I think Voldemort realizes that and wants his followers to remain loyal to him, but also know how to keep their heads above water.

Well, he seems to be of two minds on this point. He chastises the DEs for being "whole and healthy", for renouncing their loyalty for him. He says he's disappointed in Lucius for his faithlessness, his self-serving nature. Yet he doesn't punish Lucius, probably realizing that keeping someone as "slippery" as he is at his right hand can be a boon to his fight now that he's strong, just as much as it was a liability when he was weak.

[chresimos.livejournal.com]

Hee! It never says the gender of Crabbe, does it? It says "Mr. Goyle"...

Dude. Mrs. Crabbe the Death Eater 4EVAH. Or, it could be Ms. Crabbe - Crabbe Jr's disgruntled maiden aunt? Neville's grandmother is scary and hardcore, so why not?