Whose side are we on??

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 156128

> Magpie:
> I don't think we have to feel sympathy for him, exactly.  I mean, 
beyond the 
> basic empathy of another person feeling something negative.  But 
one should 
> be able--as I think you've done in the thread--to say, "I don't 
like Dudley. 
> The fact that he's been such a bully to Harry and others makes it 
satisfying 
> to me to see him have this prank played on him.  Still, what the 
Twins are 
> doing there isn't right and they need to be more responsible with 
their 
> power..." or something like that, whatever you think.

Alla:

Absolutely, OR one should be able to say "I have no sympathy for 
Dudley and that is why the question whether Twins are responsible 
with their power or not in **this** particular instance bears no 
significance to me whatsoever"


Magpie:
  The toffee prank 
> isn't particularly funny to me, but that's my taste.  There are 
things in 
> the books that I do find funny, even if they're also cruel.  For 
example:
> 
> Alla:
> > And what do we see of Draco? Making fun of Hagrid status in 
school,
> > person whom he **never** met before. I found it quite disgusting,
> > personally.
> 
> Magpie:
> I thought that was a funny scene and didn't find it disgusting.  He 
was 
> sharing gossip about a servant at the school as it was reported to 
him--and 
> the truth in it made it painful.  It was also even worse because 
Harry 
> happened to consider Hagrid his only friend in the world.  There's 
nothing 
> particularly good in what Draco says there, but I find it funny.   
characterization.
<SNIP>


Alla:

This is a great example. I cannot find what Draco says funny, no 
matter how many times I would reread this scene. Little shmack 
considers it possible to degrate the person he never met. Oh, and I 
am not sure that Hagrid is exactly servant in Hogwarts. Isn't he an 
employee just as any Hogwarts teacher?

And that is why we evaluate those scenes so differently, heeeee.
Just as you don't find the Toffee prank funny and I find it 
hysterical and the fact that they pranked the character I utterly 
despise, makes it just so much more satisfying to me.

I find what Draco says much much worse and it is not like I am a big 
fan of Hagrid's character. I mean, I sure like and respect him more 
than Draco, hehe, but if I were to rank my favorite adult characters, 
Hagrid would not be on the top of my list.



> 
> > Alla:
> >
> > Well, there is certainly a question of the degree. I don't want 
bad
> > guys to be caricatures, but I sure prefer them to **not** get away
> > from their punishment. There are books in which it is inevitable 
and
> > maybe people want to see it in Potterverse too. I don't.
> 
> Magpie:
> I don't think they will get away from their punishment--I think JKR 
will 
> love punishing them.  But hopefully it will be more rehabilitating 
than just 
> continuing vengeance--I'm speaking about the younger characters 
there, as I 
> don't think rehabilitating the baddie adults (or the Dursleys) is 
in the 
> cards. 

Alla:

Oh, yes, yes, true. I don't think that Draco's redemption is an 
absolute guarantee, but I totally think that he is the most likely 
candidate for it, since younger characters are taking central scene.

Not that I wish to see it, but I am pretty sure JKR can write it well 
and hopefully make Draco suffer some more for the haos he wreaked 
upon Hogwarts before she redeems him.



Magpie:
But I think the good guys will also have to go through some learning 
> experiences where they question their own behavior, maybe just 
because that 
> seems to obviously be the most dramatic thing.  Often fandom's 
ideas for 
> what should happen completely sheild Harry et al. from that sort of 
thing, 
> but I feel like JKR would instinctively go more for the jugular 
there, and 
> try to heal the split.


Alla:

I guess this is again the question of degree for me and that depends 
again on how big JKR considers good guys trasngressions are.

I do **not** think that they will go through major questionings, 
frankly, but we shall see.

I think the only learning experience for Harry left would be Snape.

I want to think that it would not be the "Oh how wrong I was, dear 
Snape, please forgive me", but just Harry learning to forgive the 
man, who indeed wronged him greatly.

But of course we shall see when book 7 comes :)

JMO,

Alla.