The Dursleys, the Weasleys, Hagrid, and Snape: Nice people get a pass

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 125064


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "finwitch" <finwitch at y...> 
wrote:
 
> 
> Finwitch:
> 
> I don't think so. As for Norbert & Buckbeak, well- The Trio 
> volunteered - and Hagrid never so much as *suggested* anything. 
Gawp, 
> though - he asked, but only because Umbridge&Fudge had been 
plotting 
> against him, and centaurs didn't want him in the forest for doing 
the 
> right thing... Harry never needed to do anything anyway.

Hickengruendler:

Still I thought he was pretty sneaky in this scene. I know he was 
genuinely concerned for his brother, and I really appreciate that, 
but he didn't even seem to think about the possibility that Grawp is 
a danger for Harry and Hermione, inspite of the fact that he nearly 
killed Hermione and that he gravely wounded Hagrid himself. Sorry, 
but this scene made me dislike Hagrid. I think he went too far, here.


> and well: Hippogriff - well, I'd say it IS a good thing to learn 
how 
> to treat one - (hmm.. God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs; I could eat a 
> Hippogriff; etc. Looks like everyone's talking about Hippogriffs) 
> Draco does a trick and Hagrid, losing confidence about student-
safety 
> so he gets to the Flobberworms (SAFE. You can't get safer than 
them). 

Hickengruendler:

Yes, I agree. You could say that Hagrid shouldn't have started with 
the big animals, and IMO it was to be expected, that in a group of 
teenagers are a few who don't listen. Therefore it was irresponsible 
to teach them the Hippogriffs, however, I'll grant Hagrid that he had 
nearly no teaching experience at this time, and probably wanted them 
to teach something fun. The real blame belongs IMO to Dumbledore for 
hiring Hagrid instead of Grubbly-Plank, just because he obviously 
likes Hagrid and (understandably) feels sorry for him and although 
Hagrid had no teaching experience at all. And Hagrid does have some 
high points as a teacher, the Nifflers for example were really fun, 
and the Thestrals also were very good. But all in all, my sympathy is 
with Parvati and Lavender. I wouldn't want to have Hagrid as a 
teacher, too dangerous.
> 
> The blast-ended Skrewts: well, Harry needed SOME experience, I 
> suppose, since they were in the Maze (only reason they existed, I 
> suppose).  

Hickengruendler:

The problem with the Skrewts is, that it was implied that Hagrid 
breeded them. Therefore if he hadn't done it, there would have been 
no Skrewts at all, and therefore no need to defeat one in the maze. 
I'm not 100% sure, I know that it was said in the books, and I don't 
know where exactly. It might have been in Rita's article, and in this 
case, it surely is not very reliable. However, the fact alone that 
not even Hermione recognised them when she first saw them, strongly 
suggests to me, that it's the truth. Even if not, at this point 
Hagrid couldn't have known that Harry would need to defeat one, since 
he wasn't chosen as a champion yet, and therefore it wouldn't have 
made any sense to teach them Harry and the others.
 
Hickengruendler