Hagrid the animal abuser/The uses of beasts in fables

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 166201

> >>Magpie:
> > Actually Hagrid's instructions weren't very specific on the 
> > subject of insults. He just started, iirc, by saying "don't      
> > insult 'em or it's the last thing you'll do" when Draco possibly 
> > wasn't listening.
> > <snip>
  
> >>Alla:
> Yes, more experienced teacher would have repeated, probably. But 
> even with what Hagrid said, all kids understood clear enough, no?

Betsy Hp:
Well, no, actually.  The attack on Draco occurs pretty quickly into 
the lesson so we've no idea if another student might have run the 
same risk.

> >>Alla:
> And I am really not sure how more specific Hagrid could have been.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
"Hippogriffs can actually understand English, or at least, insults 
given in English.  If you direct any towards them they will attack.  
Please note their claws here, etc. etc."  Then maybe follow up with 
a "Would someone like to list the best ways to aggravate a 
Hippogriff?"  And (and frankly this is the no-brainer portion of the 
lesson for me) bring only *one* hippogriff for the class to interact 
with. 

> >>Alla:
> <snip>
> Draco to me does not **want** to follow the instructions and        
> Neville wants, but cannot, so to me Draco's not following is much   
> more deliberate than Neville. You big ugly brute to me sounds like 
> wanting to insult Buckbeak.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
And yet, I insult my cat all the time and she eats it up.  Like a 
character in a Jack London book, I tend to cuss my beasties while I 
love on them.  So yeah, I'd have not gotten along with a hippogriff. 
<g> 

Honestly, Draco's words never really struck me as all that 
insulting.  My sister regularly refers to her bulldog as a drooling 
mutt, and he loves it.  It's kind of what you do with animals.  That 
hippogriffs won't stand for it is a little weird to me.  It's not 
something I'd just nod my head in a "ah yes, no insults" sort of 
way.  I'd need to know exactly what was meant.  (I'm probably being 
far too Muggle here. <eg>)

And I *would* link Draco and Neville together, honestly.  Draco is 
distracted (outdoor class, friends to chat too, teacher he's got no 
respect for, etc.) and doesn't pay close attention to instructions.  
Neville is stressed (he's no good at magic, a failure to his name, a 
teacher he's scared of, etc.) and doesn't pay close attention to 
instructions.  Draco gets mauled by a massive predator;  Neville gets 
close, personal attention from Prof. Snape.  I know which class *I'd* 
prefer. <eg>

But the main point is, teachers aren't graced with perfect little 
students who love them and their subject matter to bits.  It's part 
of the challenge.  Hagrid failed it.  Draco was the result, not the 
cause, as later classes and Hagrid's extreme unpopularity (one of the 
*most* unpopular teacher at Hogwarts) show.
 
> >>Alla;
> LOLOLOL. That happens yes, but indeed it happened only to Draco, 
> everybody else listened and managed okay, no?

Betsy Hp:
No.  Neville was already in trouble, and who knows what else may have 
gone wrong?  Students walked away from Hagrid's lessons injured and 
resentful all the time.  (See the blast-ended screwts lessons.)

> >>Magpie:
> > I based my idea on being told, iirc, that Malfoy was talking to 
> > someone else when Hagrid said the thing about insulting. Many    
> > people take it as a fact that Malfoy did not hear him because of 
> > that. I can take it as ambiguous, though, that maybe it was as    
> > you describe here.
> > <snip>

> >>Alla:
> Ambiguous? Malfoy was talking to someone else, so he did not hear. 
> How can it be ambiguous description? You mean he was listening to 
> Hagrid and talking at the same time? I guess that can be, but from 
> my experiences personally if I am talking to someone else, I am    
> very unlikely to hear teacher's instructions. IMO of course.

Betsy Hp:
I think what Magpie was saying is that while she reads the text as 
Draco chatting with friends and therefore missing the essential 
instructions, other prefer to read it that Draco *did* hear the 
instructions but deliberately chose to not follow them.

I agree with Magpie and Alla, that Draco just didn't hear the 
instructions, so it wasn't a malicious attempt at sabotage that led 
to Draco insulting Buckbeak.
 
> >>Alla:
> Good for Malfoy that he learns that. :) Would be nice if he came to 
> class with the mindset to learn something and not sabotage the 
> teacher.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
But students don't always like their teachers, or the subject matter 
for that matter.  Hagrid is unable to handle anyone without his level 
of enthusiasm, and he's unable to *give* his students reason to 
become enthusiastic.  It's unrealistic to think *all* of his students 
would become enthralled with CoMC, but it's sad that instead *all* of 
his students are turned off of that particular subject.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > I *am* taking a hard line, I agree.

> >>Phoenixgod2000
> Death to Hagrid but all the breaks in the world for Draco :)
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I don't want Hagrid *dead*, but he's not my favorite character, true. 
<g>  (Not my least favorite either, for that matter.)  But honestly, 
I do tend to give more breaks to children than I do to adults.  
Children are easier to correct.  And Draco's flaws are so wonderfully 
straightforward and understandable.  He's seems quite open to being 
corrected.  Whereas Hagrid is who he is, and seems completely unable 
to change a thing.  (Draco changes his approach to CoMC for example, 
while Hagrid doesn't.)

But in the end, I don't think it's so much Hagrid vs. Draco for me.  
It's more Hagrid vs. his animals.  I don't think Hagrid does them any 
favors.  

Betsy Hp