Sportsmanship in Harry Potter

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 151873

 Joe: But cheating wasn't incorporated in the rules. It can still be 
done.
>    
>   Let me see if I can clear this up. You think that the judges 
giving points is cheating even if it is in the rules(right?). By 
definition though if it is in the rules it isn't cheating. Since we 
have no idea what may or may not have been in the rules we can't 
just say that those points we cheating.
>    
>   <snip>    
>   Most major sports have traditions of trying to get around the 
rules. In many cases these are some of the most "colorful" stories 
in them. Still if you are caught you will be punished. 

a_svirn:
And that's exactly what I meant when I said that cheating was 
incorporated into the rules. Because you are *not* punished if you 
are caught cheating in the tournament. You don't even get 
reprimanded. You get a pat on your shoulder and an assurance that no 
harm done – cheating is "traditional".  And indeed so it is – 
everyone cheats. 

Joe:
We pretty much know that all of the contestants got help so there is 
no "fair" player to compare to the "foul" players.

a_svirn:
Exactly. "Fair is foul and foul is fair" should have been a motto of 
the TWT.  But this means that there were no rules. When rules are in 
evidence you are not likely to confuse the two. 

>   Joe:  
>   I still think the extra points were within the rules because no 
one really protested. 

a_svirn:
And how would you formulate this rule? "Judges are allowed to be 
guided by their partiality in awarding points?" "Judges are allowed 
to give extra points to those whom they deem "unfairly 
handicapped"?" And what kind of rules is this if it's known only to 
the jury? 

Besides, what would it has availed them, had they protested? 
Champions were magically compelled to go on, no matter what. Maxime 
and Karkaroff did try to protest about extra champion, only to get a 
sever scold from Dumbledore for their pains. There was only one 
thing against any unfair judgment – to be unfair in return.