Special treatment - yes or no

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 146016


>Irene
>Again - I know that saving the world is more important
>than following the rules. But first of all other
>characters are not privy to "saving the world"
>context, and some of the cases above have nothing to
>do with it.

>Hickengruendler:

>And that probably means, that there were Quidditch players as young 
>as Harry before, and that it therefore was not an exception 
>specifically done for him, but rather something that happens very, 
>very seldom.


Orna:
Combining both of you – I think that's the point-  Harry as unique 
abilities, (flying , loving and I think also evoking love in others) 
and a unique destiny (save the WW). 

I think the point about special treatment is that it there is some 
tension between attuned treatment for specific pupils, and fair 
treatment for everybody.
 IMO it's obvious Harry does get special treatment – but I'm not 
sure it is plain favorism. It may look like this, and his fellow 
students look like they think it is – even Ron feels envious about 
Harry – here and there. But the point is, that DD and other teachers 
have to apply the best method of teaching Harry – with his special 
abilities, and his special destiny. Adopting a Snape-like policy – 
of no favoritism, ignoring Harry's special ness – isn't a very sound 
way of acting, IMO.  
If you have an especially talented student, and relate to him, as if 
it doesn't exist, it isn't much better than ignoring a students p
[problem  - because "everybody deserves the same treatment". And I 
think Harry's special treatment is usually because of his abilities 
(Quidditch),  or his destiny (dealing with Voldemort). Well, 
sometimes because McGonagall wants desperately to win the house-cup –
 nothing personal there. 

Having said that, I do agree that it distorts sometimes the way of 
relating towards him – DD admits it in OotP. By the way, I think it 
is quite clear, that it is a common distortion – working both ways 
sometimes – in OotP, his "special treatment" included having 
degrading remarks published in the "prophet", as well as having a 
minister applied teacher fighting cruelly against him. I would think 
it would be very inappropriate and unfair to have him deal with 
those "special treatments" without balancing them here and them with 
helpful training and
a couple of biscuits.
Now I come to think,  that perhaps it has to do with Harry having a 
special ability to evoke love in some people (Nick, Hagrid, DD, 
Molly, Neville – the list is long). I don't see them favor him 
because of him being Famous, but basically because they grow to love 
him (let's admit, how many of us would give up Halloween dinner  and 
go for a death-party instead?). 


Orna