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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 155904

> Renee:
> Which to me raises the question: is it Muggle baiting when the Muggles
> both 1) know they're dealing with wizards and magic;
> and 2) have the chance to avoid the object and remain unaffected?

Pippin:
Of course it is, just as it would still be mugging even if you know the
people approaching you are potential muggers and you could have
gone down another street. 

The toffees are a common object, just like the keys in our iconic
example, which a Muggle would have no reason to think would
be mischievous, so arranging for them to fall into Muggle hands is,
I believe, Muggle-baiting. 

Dudley would never have eaten the candy if he had known it was 
enchanted. He is not aware of the twins' reputation as pranksters.
He doesn't even know that wizard candy is usually enchanted in some 
way. He has no reason to suspect that the candy he picked up,
which Fred pretended to drop by accident (he even scoops them up 
anxiously before he leaves) is going to do something nasty to him. 

Of course he should have known that it is unwise to take candy
from strangers, wizard or no. But risky behavior is not the same 
as consent.

Pippin