Standing up to bullies WAS: Re: Which Harry Potter character

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 185998

> > Magpie:
> > And Zach probably thought he was the one standing up against the 
man
>  there! I really don't see what Zach is saying there that doesn't 
fall
>  into the realm of normal commenting on a game.
> 
> Pippin:
> Is it normal to make an unsubstantiated accusation of favoritism? 

Mapgie:
He's commenting on the team line-up, so yeah, I think that 
speculating that Ron's well-known friendship with Harry had a hand in 
him being on the team would probably be considered within limits to 
mention. As Kemper pointed out, he's not completely far off. Ron 
isn't just on the team because Hermione hexed his rival (although 
that, too, I could imagine him saying in his commentary if it was 
rumored to be true), he's also there because Harry knew he'd get 
along with him more than McClaggen. The year before he was put on the 
team despite not being up to snuff because his brothers were good 
players. Ron really has always been a borderline player given a 
chance because of things outside his skill, including his connections.

Likewise, I wouldn't be surprised or think it would be off-limits if 
Lee Jordan mentioned Lucius buying brooms for the Slytherin team, 
especially if Draco had a season like Ron did the first year. I get 
why Zach's remarks make the team angry, I just don't think it's 
bullying. 

Pippin:
Zach
> is saying the kind of things that McGonagall would have forced Lee 
to
> withdraw, perhaps because that's the protocol for auditions or 
because
> she's bending over backwards so as not to look like she's deflecting
> criticism from her own house. 

Magpie:
Commentary on Quidditch games has always been biased and included 
personal remarks, and I just don't think it's that surprising that 
something like this would get said, however McGonagall says the 
commentary is supposed to go. If McGonagall didn't force Zach to 
retract his statements (as you claim she would have done with Lee), 
perhaps she thought it was okay. I don't recall being told that 
McGonagall was bending over backwards to not look like she's 
deflecting criticism from her own house, etc. 

But however McGonagall feels about what Zach said, whatever 
punishment she did or didn't give to Ginny (perhaps Ginny's claim it 
was an accident saved her), I simply don't think it's bullying. To 
me, bullying requires more than just insulting someone in any 
context. Draco's accused of buying his way onto the team by Hermione, 
but I don't think she's bullying him when she says it.

-m