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

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 186004

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "montavilla47"
<montavilla47 at ...> wrote:
>
> > 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.

Pippin:

I agree that trading insults is not bullying. But Smith isn't trading
insults with the team, he's insulting them when they're not in a
position to fight back. Harry's methods of choosing his teammates is
fair game, but unless Smith has some proof that there were better
keepers than Ron available, he has no business insinuating that
friendship had more to do with Ron's appointment than skill. 

If Smith knows so much about McLaggen that he knows he's better at
making saves, he should also know about McLaggen's nasty temper and
lack of team spirit. 

Hermione didn't make her accusation in front of the whole school, nor
in such a way that Draco wouldn't be able to respond. And in fact
Draco did, calling her a Mudblood. 

I agree that Zach didn't succeed in intimidating Ginny or the team
(except possibly Ron), but I don't think intimidation was his goal.
Like James, he's an attention-seeking bully, IMO, not a power-seeking
one. In fact that might be the explanation for his persistence, and
for Draco's, too. It doesn't matter if Draco seldom gets the upper
hand  if attention is what he desires.

> Montavilla47:
> I think that insults can be bullying, but I don't think that ALL
insults are  bullying.  I agree that Smith can't plausibly intimidate
an entire Quidditch team, especially since he's already been hexed by
Ginny.  

Pippin:
Ginny doesn't appear to have her wand with her on the Quidditch field,
and in any case she can't leave the game or zap Smith in front of
McGonagall.  Smith would have supposed he was safe.

Size does matter, and so does a bully pulpit  -- just ask Hagrid. :)

Pippin