Draco and Harry (was:The GoF Train Scene - and beyond...)

[rlai1977]

No: HPFGUIDX 147125

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mjanetd" <mjd at s...> wrote:
>
> Betsy HP wrote:
> >> Picking on inferiors:  Dudley does love to take down the very 
tiny.  
> > (Fourteen beating on eleven is pretty pathetic, IMO.)  Draco 
likes 
> > to take down his rivals, whom he automatically classifies 
> > as "inferior".  >
> 
> Reading your post made me realize that Draco is a female type 
bully.  
> High school girls usually use words to torment their victims 
instead of 
> fists.  Draco is very good with an insult but never physically or 
> magically attacks anyone unless he has his 2 bodyguards to do the 
> dangerous work or his victims back is turned.
> 
> janetd

Now RP:

I see this 'Draco is a female type of bully' argument a lot, and I 
must confess never quite getting it :-)

For my idea of a bully is not only mean-spirited, but is also 
constantly and meaningfully more powerful than/at an advantage to 
the victim in regards to whatever the tool said bully uses against 
the victim. If Dudley mostly go and pick folks larger than him to 
exchange punches with, and mostly end up the loser of the fight- 
would we still see him as a bully? Sure, he intends no good and his 
targets has done nothing to warrant such hostility, but surely the 
world is not divided into either good people or bullies? 

Back to Draco, yeah he says a lot of nasty things to people, and 
initiates most of the fights he got involved in too. But when has he 
verbally abused someone who is unable to either retaliate or ignore 
him? When has he ever verbally abused someone who is speech 
challenged, or not very good at the language Draco speaks? Also, 
Draco is often the less popular among the two parties voicing a less 
popular opinion, so he doesn't even function like a 'mean girl' sort 
in my mind.

Crabbe and Goyle are often said to "do the dirty work" for him. 
While as far as I recall, they've not even ONCE stopped anyone from 
verbally or physically(!) attacking Draco, nor have they gone and 
attack someone on Draco's command. When Draco was slapped by 
Hermione, punched into a bloody pulp by Harry and George, verbally 
retaliated by various people countless times- what were these scary 
big fellows doing? Standing aside, doing nothing but looking 
(unconvincingly, judging by the outcome) threatening :-D So yeah, 
while Draco undoubtedly has the foulest mouth in Hogwarts, is mean 
and ill-spirited, I just can't call him a 'bully' with a straight 
face. Judging from the fact that Draco keeps pestering the three 
people who'd given him hell time and again, I really doubt he goes 
after those who he knows are weaker than him (that's how Dudley 
works), I think he goes after those he really dislikes. Not saying 
that makes him an angel, of course :-D

RP