[HPforGrownups] Scene with likable James WAS: Re: Eileen Pince

[Kemper]

No: HPFGUIDX 156311

> > Magpie wrote:   You've left out another "major difference" in the scene, which is
> > that Moody is actually a psychotic Death Eater punishing the son of
> > a Death Eater who went free. Draco "deserving it" for throwing a
> > hex is only one level of the scene. Had it been another kid Harry
> > and his friends might have been more suspicious of Moody.
>
>
> Brothergib - My point here is that Draco is being abused/bullied in a
> similar manner to Snape. It is irrelevant who is doing the bullying.
> Because we have seen how Draco behaves prior to this point, we do not
> feel much sympathy. We have not seen how Snape behaved prior to the
> Pensieve scene, and therefore we do not have a reason to believe that
> Snape deserved this treatment at the hands of James...
>
>
> ...  I am not stating in any way that Harry's instinctive
> reaction is wrong. I am trying to make the point that we seem to
> think badly of James because of how he treats Snape, but we do not
> think badly of Moody for how he treats Draco. I would even suggest
> that we still don't think that badly of Mad Eye Crouch in this
> particular scene even now we know exactly what he is! We are getting
> into theological waters here - Eye for an Eye etc.
> We know how Draco has treated Harry prior to this scene.
> We do not know how Snape treated James prior to the pensieve scene.
> If we had seen Snape treating James badly prior to this scene - would
> we still feel sympathy for Snape?
>
> 

Kemper now:
The two sets of bullies (Moody!CrouchJr and James/Sirius) are
comparable only if the two bullying situations are similar.  And they
are not.

Moody!CJ bullys Draco because Draco was going to hex Harry from
behind.  Sure, that is just an excuse to bully, but the excuse is
obvious.  If we knew nothing of the characters involved, this scene
would still be funny because we (The Reader) see that Draco rightfully
or righteously deserves what he gets.  We have an action followed
immediately by a consequence, so it makes sense to us.  (And... it's a
valuable lesson for Draco regardless if it's from a DE, but that's
another topic)

James and Sirius bully Snape for no obvious reason that The Reader
sees.  Snape is not bullying anyone at the time: physically, verbally
or nvbl-y.

What if at the end of Harry's written DADA O.W.L's, he and Ron
rolled-up on and started provoking Draco while Hermione pretended she
didn't know what was going on?  We already know what an arrogant prick
Draco is, but would we think this scene of righteous bullying funny?

I don't think so.  But that's just me.

Kemper