Who's more out of line? (WAS: Snape and respect)

[GRACE701 <grace701@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51209

Jo Serenadust:

"Not at all. I never meant to say that I thought Crouch's treatment 
of 
Draco praiseworthy, just entertaining. We don't know at this point in 
the story that he is going to kill his father, and wants Harry 
dead.Of course in hindsight, Crouch's actions take on a whole new 
level of meaning.  At that point in the story though I (and I assume 
everyone else) thought that he *was* actually Mad-Eye Moody, auror 
extrordinaire, with rather unconventional, but effective disciplinary 
methods.  At the time the incident took place, of course I assumed 
his motives were to help Harry, AND teach Draco a lesson.  That's 
what's so brilliant about the whole passage.  It makes perfect sense 
as far as what we expect Moody to do, as well as when we find out 
that Moody is really the patricidal death-eater, Crouch, Jr. I'm 
pretty sure I'm reading the right book.

This being the WW with its warrior ethos, I don't perceive physical 
injury the same way I would in a story that takes place in the "real 
world". If the book were "A Separate Peace" or any other school 
setting story, I'd be appalled at a teacher who physically punished a 
student, even one as rotten as Draco Malfoy.  However, at Hogwarts 
broken bones, vanished bones, and transplanted facial features are no 
big deal, and Draco isn't seriously hurt in any way (although I 
expect he did have some bruises). 
 
So what wouldn't be at all funny in a different kind of setting, is 
IMO quite amusing in this one."

I agree with Jo Serenadust, at that point in the book, we were lead 
to believe that Mad Eye Moody was "the" Mad Eye Moody.  We had known 
from the beginning that he was a strange man, so his actions toward 
Draco were just part of his crazy personality.  Draco needed to be 
punished at some point.  He was getting out of hand, consistently 
bothering Harry, Ron, Hermione and who knows who else.  Turning him 
into a ferret and bouncing him up and down was wrong and unethical.  
But come on, weren't SOME OF YOU waiting for the day that Draco would 
receive his just deserves.  I know I was.  I enjoyed what "Mad Eye 
Moody" did and laughed.  I even read that part again and again.  That 
punishment may not be allowed in real life, but this is a book after 
all and it is a wizarding world where anything goes.

Greicy