[HPforGrownups] House points and Dumbledore (Re: Snape and respect)

[Irene Mikhlin]

No: HPFGUIDX 51186



pippin_999 wrote:

> PoA ch. 9: "Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you 
> fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back 
> and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a 
> rematch. But they won fair and square..."
> 
> GoF ch. 6 [Cedric speaking] "Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he 
> muttered. "I told you...it was an accident..."
> 
> "Yes, but *you* didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, 
> slapping his son on the back."Always modest, our Ced, always 
> the gentleman...but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the 
> same, wouldn't you, eh?..."
> 
> And consider the much-too-long-to-quote Alphonse and Gaston 
> routine in GoF where Cedric and Harry argue over who should 
> take the Cup. The issue for both of them is not who should win 
> according to The Rules, but which of them is "the best man."
> 
> The House Championship is supposed to teach witches and 
> wizards to uphold the "noble history" of their houses. Part of that, 
> it seems, is not using an advantage you didn't earn. The 
> implication is clear that if Cedric had known that Harry had fallen, 
> he wouldn't have and *shouldn't have* caught  the Snitch.
> 
> The Slytherins show bad form by a) not offering to cede the cup 
> and b) gloating over their lead. 

Surely you can't mean that Slytherin should have ceded the cup because
Harry could not play that game?
If I compare it to football (the real one, aka soccer), Harry falling 
during the game is an equivalent of someone injured on pitch. The good 
form in those cases is to take the ball out of the game and wait for 
your opponent to get help, or to be replaced or whatever. Not to rush 
and score goals meanwhile. If Cedric noticed Harry falling, he'd have 
waited for him to get back in the game and then they would compete for 
the snitch as furiously as before.
The situation with Slytherin game is very different - no one would 
expect the team to lose the game on purpose just because your opponents 
star player is injured before the game.

I don't like much what we see of Slytherin  house in the books, but I 
don't understand how this can be held against them.

Irene