Sadism or not ? McGonagall and her punishments

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 186774

Pippin wrote:
> Whoa. Calling Harry a good flier is like calling Mozart a good musician. Harry is truly exceptional, capable enough as an absolute novice  to make a catch that Charlie Weasley, who could have played professionally,  couldn't have made. Harry gets to be the youngest House player in about a century, so the rule has been bent before, probably for the same reason, a truly rare talent.   Would you deny Mozart his own musical instrument and the opportunity to play in competition?

Carol responds:
It would be no hardship for Harry to wait till second year like everyone else. He'd have his chance to fly in Madame Hooch's class and probably be her star pupil. Instead, McGonagall undermines the discipline in Madame Hooch's class by rewarding Harry for disobeying the teacher who just said she'd expel any student who flew while she was gone. (Draco also gets away with flying, but, of course, he's the bad kid so his "cheek" isn't rewarded.)

McGonagall isn't "bending" (breaking) the rules for Harry's benefit. She's doing it because, as she says herself, she's tired of seeing the Quidditch Cup in Severus Snape's office.

As for "Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it," I think we can take that comment with a grain of salt since Charlie could have played professionally. Or maybe she meant that he couldn't have done it in his first year.

Carol, who thinks that McGonagall (like Snape) could use a few lessons in fairness and sportsmanship