Mark Evans

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 84963

Astrofiammante wrote:

But I would hope that the experience of being set upon by a number of 
large 15-year-olds and beaten up would be an unusual one, an extreme 
situation.

[JKR] tells us that Mark was "asking for it", and that he
> is "cheeky"!> I take this rather as a mirror of Dudley's 
personality than any reflection on Mark Evans - he reads the response 
he wants in the boy's reaction, the one that allows him to initiate 
violence. I'm afraid I think you might be extrapolating a bit too 
much from just three words.

Me:

I'll have to disagree a little :-) It's clear from the HP books that 
all the kids in the neighbourhood of Little Whinging were constantly 
being harassed by Dudley and his gang. Mark would certainly have 
bumped into Dudley more than once, so I doubt Dudley and his gang 
beating him up was an unusual, "extreme situation".

And I agree with you that Dudley probably "reads" more into poor 
Mark's "behaviour" in order to justify whatever he is doing to him. 
But, that said, I still believe there is some truth in Dudley's words 
about Mark. Of course I don't believe Mark egged Dudley on on purpose 
(that only happened in Dudley's head), but I think the ten-year-old 
is "cheeky" the way Harry always has been with Dudley; not taking the 
bullying lying down! It's all about "attitude", and I have a feeling 
Mark Evans has got it, especially if he's related to cheeky Harry :-) 
I know it's risky to extract so much from just two sentences, but 
we'll wait and see if there's something to it...

Berit