Respecting the Dursleys( was:Re: Hi everyone -- banning the books)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 159622


> Pippin:
>  The bullies in JKR's books all scare and hurt people but
> they  don't all have the same motives for doing it.
> 
> JKR shows Draco lighting up when he thinks someone is going to
> get hurt. That's not something we see in either James or
> Dudley, though we do see it in Pettigrew. I got the impression in
> the pensieve scene that if James had happened to think of another
> way of showing off in front of the girls and keeping Sirius 
entertained, 
> he would have used it. He was perfectly happy messing around with
> the snitch until Sirius told him to lay off. 

Magpie:
But what's the important distinction?  I tend to agree with Elkins' 
view that Draco's "lighting up" moments are the ones where he's 
teetering on the edge--when Voldemort is doing his thing.  He 
looks "hungry" at the idea of Harry being punished in OotP, but 
that's no different than Harry and his friends feel at him being 
punished.  

But what's the significance that James is simply amused at 
humiliating Snape or Dudley just grins or whatever he does when he 
beats on Harry?  It's just that to me it seems like Draco's the 
character being shown to be far more conflicted at the same time as 
reacting to more disturbing things.  His whole character is 
connected to things far darker than James and Dudley.  I just don't 
see how this makes them any less enjoying their bullying that they 
just casually enjoy picking on Snape to pass the time while Draco 
looks bright eyed and flushed at the site of a petrified cat.

-m