Although the Hogwarts Legacy game was recently postponed until 2023, new footage from Back To Hogwarts 2022 brought fans back into the world of magic. Harry Potter is set in the kind of fantasy world where magic is wonderful and exciting, and the main conflicts only disrupt that joy on rare occasions. However, any world where magic exists creates the possibility for it to be misused.
Even the most heroic characters in Harry Potter have made some pretty dark choices, and the villains are even worse. While the broad conflict of the story cannot be justified, as the Death Eaters wanted to wipe out the Muggles, some individual characters can be understood. Whether they made villainous choices out of fear, duty, or vengeance, fans can understand where they were coming from and are able to enjoy the characters despite their worst decisions.
Marietta Edgecombe Telling Umbridge About Dumbledore's Army
In the movies, Cho Chang was forced to reveal the secret of Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge with Veritaserum. However, that entire encounter is far more complicated in the books. Cho's best friend Marietta was dragged to Dumbledore's Army meetings despite her hesitations, and she was the one who eventually told Umbridge about them—willingly.
Marietta's mother worked at the Ministry, and she was forbidden by her parents to do anything that would be seen as a rebellion against the government. She never wanted to be there and told Umbridge the truth when she thought her mother's job might be in danger. She didn't deserve to be permanently disfigured for that choice, and if anything, Cho should be to blame for forcing Marietta to take part in an organization she clearly did not want anything to do with.
Kreacher Betrays Sirius
Voldemort was able to create the vision that brought Harry to the Department of Mysteries because Kreacher revealed information about Harry's relationship with Sirius to Narcissa Malfoy. Then, when Harry came to the manor, Kreacher misled him about Sirius's whereabouts. While he never should have helped Voldemort, Kreacher betraying Sirius is no worse than Dobby betraying the Malfoys.
Regulus Black literally died for Kreacher by turning on Voldemort because of how he saw his house-elf being treated. To go from that to Sirius, who treated Kreacher like garbage and insulted the family constantly, was bound to lead to resentment. The others may have mocked Hermione, but she was the only one who thought Kreacher deserved to be treated better, and they paid for that behavior.
Hermione Leaves Umbridge In The Forest
When Harry needs Umbridge out of the way, Hermione gets the job done, but it's kind of terrifying how she does it. Umbridge is convinced that Dumbledore has a secret weapon, so Hermione brings her into the Forbidden Forest to find it. Umbridge gets attacked by a fleet of centaurs, which could easily have killed her. This is the culmination of Hermione's villain phase, having also cursed Marietta Edgecombe for betraying Dumbledore's Army and held Rita Skeeter hostage all year.
While this was certainly a harsh move, Hermione had valid reasons. Harry needed to check on Sirius, and after they got caught, Umbridge threatened him first with Veritaserum and then with the Cruciatus Curse. By that point, she needed to be stopped. On top of that, the centaurs didn't attack until Umbridge threw slurs at them, so Hermione isn't to blame for their response. Umbridge herself is.
Draco Trying To Kill Dumbledore
Voldemort ordered Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore, and while Draco had demonstrated his willingness to go along with Voldemort's regime in theory, his assassination attempts were not entirely willing choices.
Lucius had been imprisoned in Azkaban, and Voldemort threatened Narcissa's life if Draco were to fail. When Dumbledore offered him another way, he was on the verge of taking it. Draco didn't get a proper redemption arc, but he should not be considered evil for doing what he had to in order to save his mother from a monster.
Hermione Gets The Firebolt Confiscated
Harry and Ron are delighted when Harry receives an anonymous Firebolt in the post, but Hermione questions if it's safe. She reports it to McGonagall, who confiscates the broom and has it thoroughly tested for jinxes and curses. Because she reported it, Harry and Ron turn on Hermione for a considerable chunk of their third year.
However, this is a completely unfair thing for them to get upset with. Harry has nearly died at least once a year playing Quidditch at this point, and the broom could have come from anyone. Hermione rightly guesses that it was sent by Sirius Black, who was believed to be a very real threat. She may not have made the choice that would make the boys happy, but she did make a completely reasonable one, which she did not deserve to be villainized for.
Sirius Trying To Kill Peter Pettigrew
When Sirius discovered what happened to the Potters, his first impulse was to go kill Peter Pettigrew, which he was seemingly satisfied with going to Azkaban for. When he saw that Peter had survived, he immediately broke out with two goals: check on Harry and kill Peter.
Sirius broke into the Gryffindor Common Room, befriended Crookshanks, and broke Ron's leg in his attempts to catch and kill Peter. Given all that Pettigrew had already done, and the chaos he would cause in the future, fans can hardly judge Sirius for the attempted murder. Without Pettigrew, the war would have gone completely differently.
Xenophilius Betrays The Trio
Harry, Ron, and Hermione learned a lot of crucial information about the Deathly Hallows from Xenophilius Lovegood, but that doesn't mean he was completely on their side. He betrayed the trio to Death Eaters and attempted to stun them before they could escape. This level of betrayal is shocking when Draco Malfoy himself protected Harry's identity later on.
However, the Death Eaters had taken Luna hostage, which made Xenophilius desperate and willing to do anything to get her back. This motivation is completely understandable, and his later torture and stay in Azkaban more than made up for his crimes.
Ministry Gets Involved At Hogwarts
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry installs Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. While Umbridge used this position of power maliciously, showing an utter disregard for laws and morality, it's hard to judge the Ministry for having sent someone.
As far as the Ministry was concerned, a Death Eater infiltrated the school in Harry's first, third, and fourth years, and Voldemort himself opened the Chamber of Secrets in his second. On top of that, a student just died. Hogwarts was completely out of control, and it's hard to argue that Dumbledore was successfully keeping the students safe, much less well-instructed.
Harry Uses The Cruciatus Curse
After learning about the Cruciatus Curse and how horrific its effects can be, Harry is surprisingly eager to use it. He attempts to use the curse against Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix but fails because, in order to be successful, he has to truly mean it. However, Harry does successfully use the curse against Amycus Carrow, who had just spat at Professor McGonagall.
It was a powerful moment that showed his fierce devotion to his Head of House but was also a moment that showed Harry in a very sadistic light. Despite that, neither fans nor the government seemed to care too much about Harry's actions, because Carrow had spent all year harming the students of Hogwarts. As far as most were concerned, he deserved it.
Snape Kills Dumbledore
The biggest spoiler of 2005, Snape killing Dumbledore is seen as the ultimate betrayal to Harry and the Order of the Phoenix. However, the reveal that Snape was working for Dumbledore all along makes it hard to blame him for many of his crimes.
While there is some implication that other members of the Order of the Phoenix were using lethal force against the Death Eaters in Deathly Hallows, there is a clear line between the good guys and the bad guys when it comes to the Killing Curse. And yet, Snape was acting on Dumbledore's orders, and his actions kept Draco from becoming a murderer. Many of Snape's actions may be unforgivable, but Dumbledore's death isn't one of them.