Last minute points / JKR's view of it (was:Re: Special treatment - yes or no)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 146067

> >>Potioncat:
> <snip>
> If on the other hand, Harry is coming in late (as he is) and 
> incorrectly assumes that the colors reflect the new winner of the 
> House Cup, we have a different event. We have the hall decorated  
> in the colors of last year's winner, Slytherin. Slytherin also    
> happens to be the leader at the moment.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Again, a lovely explanation, but again, it goes against canon.  In 
two different books, four years apart, we are told that the hall is 
decorated in the colors of the winning house for the Leaving Feast.

"[The Great Hall] was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green
and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning of the house cup for the
seventh year in a row." (SS scholastic paperback ed. p.304)

"The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's
colors for the Leaving Feast." (GoF scholastic hardback ed p.720)

By his fourth year I'd expect Harry to have a pretty good handle on 
Hogwart's traditions.  And yes, I agree with those who point out 
that an actual *law* wasn't broken, and yes, the points were 
deserved.  But Dumbledore broke a tradition in such a way that he 
humiliated Slytherin. (For example: It's traditional but not legally 
required for the groom to say "I do" at the wedding ceremony, 
not, "actually, I'm madly in love with your sister". )  I doubt he 
did it deliberately or maliciously, but none the less, he did it.

Personally, the only way I can explain it is that Dumbledore was so 
thrilled that Harry had done so well, and felt so guilty about his 
little Norbert test....

[Oh, an aside is needed here:  I theorize that Dumbledore used the 
Norbert incident to test Harry's mettle (his loyalty, etc.) rather 
than the Stone gauntlet.  It makes more sense to me that Dumbledore 
use a test that threatened House points rather than children's 
lives.]

The outcome of the Norbert incident was so bad for Harry (despised 
by his House, quidditch becomes an agony) and I think that probably 
bothered Dumbledore quite a bit.  So he gave Harry, who was a boy 
beyond his wildest hopes I'm sure, a really, really special surprise 
that included a lot of cheering and ceremony, etc.

> >>Potioncat:
> <snip>
> The fact that Snape was smiling or at least faking a smile makes   
> me think we've made a bigger deal of this than anyone else has.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
For me it's a part of a pattern.  In and of itself it's a horribly 
rude moment, but as Steve pointed out, crap happens.  You have to 
roll with the punches.  Snape rolls.  And while I think it confirmed 
the "Slytherin as outsiders" for the members of that house, I doubt 
any of them became suicidal or anything.  It was a slap in the face, 
yes, but not the end of the world.  

However, it does set up Slytherins not being all that fond of 
Dumbledore.  And it does give us a hint that Slytherin may not be 
too upset if an outsider came in and gave Dumbledore a hard time.  
That they may in fact, have welcomed a new sheriff in town.

Was this Dumbledore's intended outcome?  I really, really doubt it.  
As I said before, Dumbledore is incredibly weak at recognizing and 
dealing with rivalry.  He fails at it again and again.  So I'm quite 
sure he was concentrating on his pride and love for Harry and giving 
little to no thought on the dignity of Slytherin.  Which is why the 
Sorting Hat tells us that there's been little to no process in the 
uniting of the Houses, even under the leadership of Dumbledore.

Was this JKR's intended outcome?  That's the trickier question, 
isn't it.  I mean, yes the moment was high drama and a wonderful 
prize for Harry and friends.  It also helped them escape their roles 
as House pariahs.  But it does give Slytherin a hit, as shown by 
Draco's reaction (and Snape's for that matter).  

At the moment, and especially in PS/SS, Slytherin *is* the 
scapegoat.  They are the source of all that is wrong in the WW.  So 
hits are deserved.  But did JKR mean for them to remain in that 
state?  Does she believe Slytherin *deserves* to be the scapegoat?  
When she wrote Hagrid saying that not a wizard went bad that wasn't 
in Slytherin, she *knew* that Peter Pettigrew proved that statement 
a lie.  When she has Harry assume that Draco was another Dudley, she 
knew that wasn't a completely correct assumption.

So when she wrote the Leaving Feast in PS/SS did she feel a bit of 
sympathy for Slytherin?  Sympathy Harry was unable to share at that 
moment, but sympathy he'd eventually come to feel?  

I doubt we can come to any satisfactory conclusions on JKR's views 
on these things until the final book is written.  But it is fun 
theorize.

Betsy Hp