muggle baiting vs. muggle torture

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 155754

> Alla:
> First reason is what Twins say why they gave the candy to Dudley - 
> they say **not** because he was a muggle, but because he was a 
great 
> bullying git. I choose to believe them, since I have no canon 
> supported reason to think of Twins as liars, so to me the 
**intent** 
> of causing harm to Muggles is absent.

a_svirn:
For one thing, they lie to their parents pretty often when it comes 
to covering for their pranks and their inventions. For another, of 
course they did intend harm – they brought their toffees to the 
muggle household specifically for that reason.


> Alla:
> One can argue of course that the crime of muggle-baiting does not 
> require intent, but since as far as I remember we don't know one 
way 
> or another, to me it is quite logical to assume that such crime 
does 
> require intent by definition.

a_svirn:
I don't understand this logic at all. By definition muggle-baiting 
means baiting muggles. To bait according to my dictionary means 
among other thing:

"To persecute or harass with persistent attacks (*a person more or 
less unable to escape*  [emphasis mine – a_svirn]); to worry or 
torment in an exasperating manner, esp. from a wanton or malicious 
desire to inflict pain." 

That's exactly what the twins did – harassed, worried and torment a 
person from wanton and malicious desire to inflict if not pain, at 
least panic. A person that was unable to escape because he was a 
Muggle and they were wizards. In other words, they baited a Muggle.