Sportsmanship -Triwizard Tournament

[puduhepa98 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 152068

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at ...>  wrote:
>
> a_svirn:
Magical contracts in effect make hostages out  of champions, 
completely at the mercy of the hosts and the jury and pretty  much 
everyone else. The question is therefore WHY did Dumbledore feel it  
necessary to introduce them?
> To include one rule that renders all  the other rules defunct?

>Tonks:
<snip>

>I am not  aware that it is DD who sets the rules for the Tri-wizard 
>Tournament. I  thought they were very old rules that can not be 
>changed.  Rules  that perhaps only a few totally understand. I wonder 
>if part of the game  isn't to figure out the rules as one goes. The 
>Tri-wizard Tournament is  like the Olympics. It is a very old game 
>and has its own rules written  long ago. Unlike the Olympics the 
.rules are magical rules and enforcing on  all that come after. They 
>can not be changed or updated. 

a_svirn:
The Tournament is above all a very dangerous game. There have  been 
deaths in the past, champions and spectators having been slain  
during the proceedings. If Dumbledore consented to host such an 
event  without even perfectly understanding its rules he was either 
the world's  most irresponsible person or senile. 
As for being one who sets the rules –  he did set the age limit rule. 
Could have abolished magical contracts if he  wanted to. 

<snip>
Nikkalmati:
The WW is a dark and dangerous place full of powers no one can control and  
mysteries no one understands.  DD is a wise and powerful wizard but  even he 
cannot change the ancient magic.  The age rule was made for safety  of the 
participants by the heads of the schools and the Ministry.  The  only one who 
cheated in the choosing of Harry was Crouch Jr.and no one was able  to discern who 
did it, how he did it or how to counteract it.  DD for sure  did not want 
Harry to participate and everyone could see a plot to kill Harry  was the most 
likely explanation.  I could argue that there were no more  attempts at cheating 
than one would see in a World Cup or the Olympics or  the Darby or the World 
Series etc. - it is human nature.  Harry  rejects Bagman's blatant attempts to 
help him and Hermione is shocked "He  shouldn't be doing that!" said Hermione, 
looking very shocked. . . . . Well, I  don't think Dumbledore would like it 
if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade  you to cheat!" GOF 448 (US paperback 
ed.).  Maybe this reaction by HP and  HG is because they were raised in the 
Muggle world?
Harry was not given full marks for his task and it did not make him  win.  It 
was one task and he accomplished it.  He was late but so was  Cedric.  We are 
trying to make a judgment based on very little knowledge of  the scoring 
system. Canon tells us that "most" of the judges agreed on  the awarding of these 
points to Harry. Id at 507.  IMO you cannot  point to the awarding of these 
points as a clear cut example of cheating (by the  judges no less) or say that 
because there is some discretion that there are no  rules.  It has already been 
pointed out that Krum lost points by the way he  retrieved his egg, causing 
the dragon to crush her other eggs.  Is that a  moral judgment or skill?  I 
assume DD planned out and set up the  tasks.  Perhaps he considered that the 
underwater task was not well drawn  up.  BTW Harry, based on his experience in the 
WW, was not foolish in  supposing that the hostages were in real danger; 
Fleur certainly feared for  her sister and Fleur was in real danger in the  maze.  
   
Nikkalmati

>Betsy Hp:
>We  do see this time and time again.  The WW is the epitome of unfair,  
>where the rules apply differently depending on who you are.   Sometimes 
>the unfairness works in Harry's favor, sometimes it  doesn't.  The good 
>thing about Harry, is that he (for the most  part) does recognize when 
>he's been given an unfair advantage.  Not  all the time.  But he has 
>still managed to maintain a basic sense  of fairplay.
 
Nikkalmati:
I have to agree with this comment.  We cannot judge the JKR WW by our  
standards. It is a reflection of our world with one foot in the Middle Ages  and all 
the dark elements turned out for display.  
 
>Betsy Hp:

<snip>
>But it does bother me that Harry has to win any  competition he 
>enters.  If he'd lost the water event, if his team  had lost the 
>quidditch championship, it would have been more  interesting.  It 
>wouldn't have effected the over-arching plot at  all, but it would 
>have given Harry a bit more character depth to play  with, IMO.

Nikkalmati:
 Harry does tend to win all the time, but it sure doesn't feel like  it!  It 
is never easy for him and he doesn't assume he will come out  ahead.  He 
usually suffers a great deal physically and mentally for every  "win".  I can't say 
that the books would be better if Harry didn't always  win.  Its tough enough 
on Harry right now.! BTW he didn't win the water  event, Cedric did.
Nikkalmati



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