muggle baiting vs. muggle torture

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 155668

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>

> 
> Alla:
> 
> Yes, they did not like Dudley. They did not like him because he is 
> a "great bullying git". I am still not sure why this motive should 
> not matter.
> 
,
> 
> Alla.


Leah, putting her oar in;

Dudley is a great bullying git; what's more he's still a great 
bullying git when the twins have finished with him.  He's still 
having a go at Harry in OOTP, ("Who's Cedric, your boyfriend?"), and 
beating up ten year olds.  He didn't learn anything because the 
twins' action was not done in response to any such behaviour on 
Dudley's part at the time; it wasn't explained to him that his 
bullying was the indirect cause of his tongue almost choking him.  
It was a bit of revenge from the twins. 

Compare Ginny and Luna in HBP, when Luna quietly informs Harry that 
Ginny had stopped two boys from the Transfiguration class from 
calling Luna 'loony'.  We don't hear that there was anything 
spectacular about this; as it seems to have been in a class, I doubt 
the dreaded bat bogey hex was employed, just an effective response 
from Ginny to name-calling at the time. 

I like the twins- I think they thought their motives were good- it a 
bit like Hermione and the sneak jinx. She may have wanted to protect 
the DA 
but the 'that'll teach 'em element' got in the way.  I also know 
that the twins aren't Voldemort or Malfoy or Greyback, I know who I 
would want on my side.  But this isn't a story where everyone is 
either very very good or horrid.  Most, if not all of the horrid 
characters once had the choice and potential to be otherwise. 
Likewise the good characters have within them the potential for hate 
and destruction.  Giving people a let because they're basically ok 
chaps is not ultimately helping them fulfill their potential- Arthur 
said what needed to be said.  

Leah