Hate crimes (was Re: muggle baiting vs. muggle torture)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 155884


> > > OK next example: What about Dumbledore's behaviour at the
> > > Dursley's.
> > > Forcing entry, forcing them to sit on the couch, having the glasses
> > > of mead float around their heads. Was that teaching them a lesson? Was
> > > that Muggle baiting? Because the Dursleys are Muggles and
> > > Dumbledore has superiour powers. 
> > > 
Magda:
> > Yes, it was muggle-baiting (and one of the reasons I didn't care for
> > that scene since it seemed out of character for Dumbledore).  Yes, he
> > was teaching them a lesson - although a lesson that was almost
> > irrelevant as it came so late in the series.  
> 
> 
> Renee:
> Ah, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this Dumbledore was OOC
> here. 
> 
> The problem is, once JKR decided to have DD teaching the Dursleys a
> lesson, muggle-baiting according to the broadest definition (the one
> that defines the twins' Ton-tongue action as such) became unavoidable.
> Whatever DD could have done, given the fact that he's a wizard, it
> would always be a magical person's action against non-magical people. 

Pippin:
I don't think it was OOC for Dumbledore to be harsh. Dumbledore 
kicks Barty Jr over on his back. Sometimes his feelings do get the 
better of him. But I don't think it's Muggle-baiting either. 

It strikes me that the Muggle-baiting laws are for
situations where the Statute of Secrecy doesn't apply because 
ordinarily the Muggles wouldn't know or would never admit that
they were given a magical object. The Twins' case is ironic, because 
the one time that Arthur has a Muggle witness who could testify that he
was fooled by an enchanted object, it's his own sons that are the culprits. 
Arthur prefers, naturally to let these offenders off with a warning.

But Dumbledore wasn't tricking the Dursleys into accepting objects 
that they didn't know were enchanted. They certainly knew that their 
sofa and the drinks were being magicked. 

What about the Statute of Secrecy?
We know  that  wizards are allowed to use magic  and even force
entry into Muggle homes when arranging for a 
wizard child to attend Hogwarts, at least until the child has been 
retrieved, per Hagrid in PS/SS, and Dumbledore enchanting the 
orphanage director. I'd guess that by shrewdly arranging that 
Harry  would be unprepared for his visit,  Dumbledore was able
to take  advantage of a loophole in the law.

Pippin