JKR's lesson on prejudice (was:Slytherins come back)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 180464

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Elizabeth Snape" <snapes_witch at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> > 
> > > Betsy Hp:
> > > That Slytherins are treated as the scapegoats and sin-eaters
> > > of the WW had been apparent to me the moment Dumbledore pulled
> > > that tacky powerplay at the end of PS/SS. That Draco was stronger
> > > than Harry ever gave him credit for was apparent to me the second
> > > time Draco went up against Harry. Or the moment Draco looked up
> > > at a teacher who'd just physically abused and humiliated him in
> > > front of the entire student body and still managed to spit out
> > > defiance through his pain.
> > 
> > revaunchanistx:
> > At what point are the Slytherins ever a scapegoat or sin-eater,
> > at the end of PS/SS last minute points had to be rewarded, it
> > would have been more wrong to ignore what had happened and
> > not reward points to Gryffindor. It would have shown extreme
> > favoritism of Slytherin just to let them win. Draco always
> > tried to get Harry when his back was turned, Harry treated
> > Draco with the respect he deserved. Harry was the only one
> > who recognized Draco as a serious threat in HBP. Draco did
> > not spit out defiance to a teacher who humiliated him. He
> > told a bitter Death Eater that his father would hear of it,
> > not very brave of him. Also let's not forget that Professor
> > McGonnagall stopped him, a lowly Gryffindor, or the fact that
> > fake Moody (Barty Crouch Jr.) was probably not in Slytherin
> > (at least canon doesn't say he was) and Barty Crouch Jr. was
> > very bad; he could be called a "sin-eater"
> > 
> 
> Snape's Witch:
> Oh, of course HRH and Neville deserved to be awarded those points!  
> Who on earth has ever argued against it?  No one that I can recall.
> 
> What I found disturbing about that scene in PS/SS was the Slytherin 
> flags on display indicating they had definitely won the house cup and 
> *then* DD awards the points, claps his hands, "We need a change of 
> decoration" and the pennants change to Gryffindor.  Sounds like 
> deliberate humilation to me.

Geoff:
I have to admit that that has always bothered me. To announce the 
points and then say "Ah but here's a few more I hadn't included..."

If Dumbledore had awarded enough points to bring Gryffindor into, 
say, second place, I would have felt happier. He did seem to give out 
unusually large numbers of points considering that McGonagall only 
gave Harry and Ron five each for the troll incident which was supposed 
to be for extremely brave (but foolish) action. And then to award three 
sets of points to bring Gryffindor level with Slytherin before giving 
Neville another ten out of the blue seemed a little bit sneaky.

I feel I must take a diametrically opposite view to revaunchanistx and 
say that it seemed to show extreme favouritism of Gryffindor just to 
let them win. Having taught eleven year olds, I can visualise how that 
would go down with them... and it did nothing to improve inter-house 
relationships in the following years.