Buckbeack and Draco WASRe: Hagrid the animal abuser/The uses of beasts in fables

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 166209

> Sherry:
> I've always thought it was the same with Draco and Buckbeak.  
Buckbeak 
> probably wouldn't have attacked if the tone was whatever he 
understood to be 
> respectful.  yeah, I realize he's a fictitious animal, so I don't 
understand 
> how he understands respect and attitude, but I've always assumed 
that was
> the case.  Buckbeak *knew* that Draco's motives and attitude were 
insulting, 
> and didn't go on the exact words.  Of course, in a world where 
owls 
> understand language and know where to go with only a name, nothing 
surprises 
> me.
> 
> Magpie:
> Your experience, like mine, is that it's all in the tone. Yet 
Buckbeak, imo, 
> is reacting the opposite way. Draco is, iirc, petting him as he 
says this. I 
> always assumed he was, as I said above, speaking in a sort of 
crooning way. 
> There's definitely no indication that Draco's words suddenly sound 
> threatening. But Buckbeak attacks him because he reacts to the 
words. Which 
> is why I've always assumed Draco was surprised and possibly feels 
like he 
> really was attacked by an animal without deserving it.


Alla:

If Buckbeak reacts to tone, meaning reacts as RL animal, it does not 
have to be limited to **threatening tone** IMO. I thought Sherry was 
rather descriptive in different varieties of tone her dog reacts to 
( and I don't know about your experiences, so I only refer to 
Sherry's)

I think it is a very reasonable interpretation that Draco's tone is 
perceived as **insulting**, demeaning, I don't know, something like 
that, even if not as a **threatening** one, so I think it is 
reasonable if hypoggriff would react to such tone.

Magpie: 
> As I said above, it puts Buckbeak in a comfortable grey area for 
himself, 
> because if he's reacting to the words and therefore as a human 
than he 
> intentionally hurt a person because he felt insulted. 
<SNIP>

Alla:

Um, yes, if he is a sentient being, certainly he hurt Malfoy because 
he felt insulted , I agree. It still would not translate to me that 
he should necessarily be punished as you said above. If Buckbeack 
reacts as human and was provoked by Malfoy, he may have a defense of 
being provoked IMO.



Magpie:
What makes him 
> innocent is that he's supposed to be an animal acting on instinct, 
more like 
> a horse who kicked someone who walked behind him or a dog reacting 
to a 
> physical gesture that it read as threatening.

Alla:

As I said, I can see both possibilities and in both of them, I think 
Buckbeak is completely innocent - whether he reacts to the tone or 
to the implication of what **big ugly brute** means.

JMO,

Alla