Special treatment - yes or no

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 146005

Magpie:
No, I emphasized that they had officially won the contest (which is
why the banners are hanging), and that the winning was fair because
they won.

Valky:
:) The banners show that their win was anticipated to be announced and
made official, or else why was DD entitled to give points prior to the
announcement. And by the same token as you said, Gryffindors win was
fair because *they* won, was it not? 

Magpie:
There's no subplot about a fixed house contest suddenly being made fair.  

Valky: 
I am not sure how to answer that. I don't understand what authority
you have that on, Magpie. There *is* a subplot of Slytherins playing
unfairly in the House cup challenge. 

The Potions Master - 'Double Potions with the Slytherins.' said Ron.
'Snape's Head of Slytherin House, they say he always favours them -
we'll be able to see if it true.'

As they climbed the steps out of the Dungeon an hour later, Harry's
mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for
Gryffindor in his very first week - *why* did Snape hate him so much?

The Midnight Duel -  'Malfoy tricked you' Hermione said to Harry. 'You
realise that don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew
someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped
him off.'

Hallowe'en - Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it. 'That's
a broomstick' he said ... 'you'll be for it this time, Potter, first
years aren't allowed them.' 
**Then soon after to Flitwick.**
'Potter's been sent a Broomstick.' said Malfoy quickly.

Quidditch - Lee Jordan: 'So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of
cheating-'
'Jordan!' growled Professor MacGonagall
'I mean, after that open and revolting foul-'
'*Jordan I'm warning you-'
'All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which
could happen to anyone, I'm sure..."

Nicholas Flamel - Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff
a penalty because George Weasley had hit a bludger at him. 
'You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor Team' said
Malfoy a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another
penalty for no reason at all.


Magpie:
I said "for whatever reason" meaning that we were not told how every
single point was given out during the year, not to suggest that they
bought their points on the black market or some other cheating way.

Valky:
Of course not. *I* said they cheated, and they did. I also said that
it probably accounts for most of their lead, but I wasn't trying to
say they achieved their entire points tally by cheating.

Magpie
The Slytherins don't seem at all aware that they've earned their lead
unfairly that I remember, especially throught he actions of Draco
Malfoy. Draco loses them 20 points for being out of bed at night.
Later the Trio are caught by Filch. Part of their sacrifice, I would
think, is taking the regular consequences of that, which they knew
about when they left.

Valky:
All said, Draco did set out that night with the full intention to earn
Slytherin a lead in the House cup by being a rotten little snitch,
right? And he managed it. He could have chosen to do something great
instead, and if he had done then I'd be with you that Slytherin should
have retained their win.

Magpie:
I don't remember canon that their lead is ill-gotten. All I'm seeing
is vague references to Slytherins of course being untrustworthy and
assuming stuff we know they do into cheating even though it goes on in
public and can easily be punished through points being taken--and
sometimes is. There are lots of teachers at school and they can all
take points or not give them.

Valky:
There are enough references to the difference between MacGonagall and
Snape. MacGonagall is going to give fair ones to anyone that impresses
her and take fair points from thos who do wrong, end of story. Snape
OTOH is going to give points as he sees fit and take points only from
rivals. Thats how the story goes. It's pretty obvious that there is
ill-gotten points in Slytherins Hourglass and undeserved points taken
from Gryffindors.

Magpie:
I don't see that he did. If he wanted to make a point to the
Slytherins the way to do that would be to talk to them, not be fine
with what they do for seven years and then suddenly pull a
passive-aggressive stunt that seems to be about Harry Potter and his
house and expect them to get that this is some veiled criticism of
Marcus Flint playing too rough at Quidditch.

Valky:
If you see it as a passive aggressive stunt then that's your opinion,
I don't see it that way, obviously. However, I disagree that it can be
called a veiled criticism at all, it was more like holding up a mirror
to them, allowing them, if they so will, to question heir own methods. 
It was a simple comparison 
A you can win the way we all know Slytherin won.
(change decoration) 
or B You can do something outstanding and beat even those who never lose.

Dumbledore says well done Slytherin because all of what they did was
well done, it achieved the goal of getting the most House Points. But
the great actions of Harry Ron Hermione and Neville beat that hands down.

JMHO
Valky