However, there is an important distinction in many of their attacks. When people claim that the twins are "merely pranksters", this argument often turns around to the fact that pranksters are the worst sort of bullies, because when they are bullying people, it's covered up as being "all in the name of fun", and everyone should see it that way.
It's a little hard to say whether or not this would characterise the twins, because to this date, we've only seen them actually prank their family, fellow Gryffindor students, or just for a general laugh; no one whom they hold a grudge toward, or actively set out to bully. When they are being bullies, especially when picking on people significantly younger or weaker than they are, it's very forthright.
I see the bullying behavior of the Twins as a direct parallel to the behavior of James and Sirius when they were also students at Hogwarts. It sounds like Jame/Sirius (with the help of the Marauders) were quite cruel to a number of students but probably managed to get away with it a lot of the time (even then, they seemed to have left a rather impressive dossier...and their Map shows that they clearly intended to keep the jolly Mischief going, even after their departure as students). It sounds almost like bullying by the Gryffindor jocks is some sort of tradition at Hogwarts. And woe to those without the appropriate sense of humor.
Remember that in book six, Snape points out to Harry that Snape was repeatedly attacked and humiliated/hurt by the four Marauders. Even Sirius admitted to picking on Snape for no good reason. I can't really blame Snape for relishing the downfall of Sirius and Remus in book three.
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Date: 2005-09-11 02:40 pm (UTC)It's a little hard to say whether or not this would characterise the twins, because to this date, we've only seen them actually prank their family, fellow Gryffindor students, or just for a general laugh; no one whom they hold a grudge toward, or actively set out to bully. When they are being bullies, especially when picking on people significantly younger or weaker than they are, it's very forthright.
I see the bullying behavior of the Twins as a direct parallel to the behavior of James and Sirius when they were also students at Hogwarts. It sounds like Jame/Sirius (with the help of the Marauders) were quite cruel to a number of students but probably managed to get away with it a lot of the time (even then, they seemed to have left a rather impressive dossier...and their Map shows that they clearly intended to keep the jolly Mischief going, even after their departure as students). It sounds almost like bullying by the Gryffindor jocks is some sort of tradition at Hogwarts. And woe to those without the appropriate sense of humor.
Remember that in book six, Snape points out to Harry that Snape was repeatedly attacked and humiliated/hurt by the four Marauders. Even Sirius admitted to picking on Snape for no good reason. I can't really blame Snape for relishing the downfall of Sirius and Remus in book three.