McG / DD / Re: Why should Harry be expected to listen to anyone at H...

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 123008




Dungrollin:

And, out of interest, if Gerry's suggestion that a fictional 
detention may have been a good thing is immoral, is JKR not more 
immoral for having written that fictional detention in the first 
place?

Alla:

Nowhere in the text and if you can please point me to the opposite, 
could I find that JKR actually approves of Umbridge's actions - 
namely torturing one of her students.
 


Lupinlore:

But actually, the way Gerry spoke *does* defend Umbridge and her 
detentions, e.g.  the detentions were a "good thing."  It makes no 
sense to say something is a "good thing" and then turn around and 
say, "but of course it is horrible and I condemn it."
 
What DOES make sense is to say, "this is a horrible thing but at 
least Harry learned something from it, and in that sense some good 
came out of an evil thing."  Fine.  I have absolutely no objection to 
that and agree with it wholeheartedly.  But that is far from making 
the astounding statement that the detentions "were a good thing."

Alla:

That is exactly how I understood the previous statement that 
detentions within itself were a good thing. I was VERY puzzled by it.


JMO,

Alla