First potions lesson/Harry getting special treatment

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 145937




> > Betsy HP wrote: <SNIP>
> > "Dumbledore didn't just reward Gryffindor, he punished Slytherin.
> > It was an odd choice, and it never sat well with me. (Personally,
> > I think he's trying to make up for the Norbert incident, and it
> > does win Harry back into Gryffindor's good graces, but at what
> > cost?)"

> KJ writes:
>
> I particularly like the first line of this post. To me, it was in
> very poor taste to allow the Slytherin colours to be displayed as
> the winners prior to the giving of the extra points. Yes, the Trio
> and Neville deserved the points. I don't think anyone has an
> argument with that. I do not understand why it was necessary for
> Dumbledore to make the point that he did, by literally stripping
> away Slytherin's win and giving it to the Gryffs in that manner. In
> point of fact, I don't know what point he was making.


Valky:
I do believe there is a simple answer to this question, and that it
was answered within PS/SS. Our problem seems to be that as the series
and the trio matured the significance of that has, naturally, faded.

IIRC it is first established that Slytherin had won the House Cup for
8 years running (or a similarly large number), and throughout the
PS/SS story it is hinted (sledgehammer fashion) that a lot (read most)
of Slytherin's success in the House Cup over that time had been gained
as a result of cheating (Quidditch), scheming (Draco), abuses of power
(Snape) and all other manner of unscrupulous behaviour.



KJ:
> I don't think that Dumbledore did things
> thoughtlessly, or without reasons of his own. I also don't think
> that it was meant to be a foolish preference for Gryffindor House.


Valky:
Exactly! It looked as though Dumbledore was punishing Slytherin House,
because he *was*, in a sense. And some may say why didn't he do this
before if Slytherin had always been cheating but there was one large
difference in this year compared to the ones coming before - a group
of kids from Gryffindor house other had done something remarkable. DD
then was able to fairly give a gigantic points boost big enough to
overcome Slytherin's usual ridiculous lead.

Basically I think the point is that Harry and Co had done them all (DD
and Hogwarts including Slytherin) a favour because his actions had
enabled Dumbledore the means to demonstrate the true meaning of House
virtue to the school.

JMHO

Valky
Hoping the Listelves will please excuse the previous attempt at this
post which was poorly edited.