People would rather a cruel killer who lies sweetly - over a nasty prick who cares enough to save lives.
Barty Crouch Jr. creeps me out more than any other character.
He does some of the most terrifying, despicable, cruel things of the whole series.
He kidnaps a disabled old man, takes away his prosthetics, keeps him in a small damp room - for ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR.
Pitch black solitary confinement. His captor wearing his face to trick people. Nobody is looking for him. Could be killed at any moment.
Day after day, no sense of time, not fed enough, drugged…
Not to mention the kids - the physical harm, delight in scaring them, using the Imperius curse he hates so much on them…
The fake-trust fostered with Neville as he wears the face of his parent's friend while the real man is hidden in the same room euuughh
It's so fucking creepy it makes me want to throw up
Some of that intense cruelty is attributed to him 'pretending to be Moody'... but I don't think Alastor Moody would be like that?
One of the first interactions we see of him is showing Harry a picture of the old Order and meticulously naming every single person in it.
Because Harry seemed sad.
“You all right, Potter?” grunted Moody.
“Yeah, fine,” lied Harry.
Moody took a swig from his hip flask, his electric blue eye staring sideways at Harry.
“Come here, I’ve got something that might interest you,” he said.
From an inner pocket of his robes Moody pulled a very tattered old Wizarding photograph.
“Original Order of the Phoenix,” growled Moody. “Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore hasn’t had the manners to return my best one. … Thought people might like to see it.”
Harry took the photograph. A small crowd of people, some waving at him, others lifting their glasses, looked back up at him.
“There’s me,” said Moody unnecessarily, pointing at himself. The Moody in the picture was unmistakable, though his hair was slightly less gray and his nose was intact. “And there’s Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side …
[[…etc for like a whole page…]]
… That’s Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke … That’s Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally … Sirius, when he still had short hair … and … there you go, thought that would interest you!”
Harry’s heart turned over. His mother and father were beaming up at him, sitting on either side of a small, watery-eyed man Harry recognized at once as Wormtail: He was the one who had betrayed their whereabouts to Voldemort and so helped bring about their deaths.
“Eh?” said Moody.
Harry looked up into Moody’s heavily scarred and pitted face. Evidently Moody was under the impression he had just given Harry a bit of a treat.
“Yeah,” said Harry, attempting to grin again.
Super cute. Seriously super cute. Found a photo, thought of Harry.
Later - he is one of the first to confront the Dursleys on their treatment of Harry, despite knowing him the least.
Who else takes such an effort to share things with Harry about his parents' life? Hagrid putting together that photo album…??
Is this a man that takes joy in busting a kids' knees on a table?
…
What is the worst thing Severus does, in comparison?
Be a bit mean? Some nasty words? Some petty points taken?
Whoop-dee fucking doo.
Every criticism of him pales in comparison to Barty Jr.
He isn't trying to resurrect the Dark Lord.
He isn't controlling people under illegal, inhumane curses.
He isn't kidnapping people and hiding them away in horrible places.
He isn't enjoying causing pain and fear.
He isn't plotting the death of kids.
…But Barty Jr. was 'nice' to Neville one time.
Encouraged him after intentionally scaring the piss out of him.
Severus never encouraged him - only tried to pressure him to do better.
Obviously Barty Jr. loves kids and nothing about how he treated Neville is manipulative or creepy or weird at all.
I think most people would agree that Severus doesn't seem to like kids much. Yet he isn't ever 'creepy' to them.
