Our Man Snape and Dumbledore

[eliasheldon at ivillage.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 1185

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Sister Mary Lunatic" <klaatu at p...> 
wrote:
> Perhaps Dumbledore allows the behavior of teachers like Snape or 
Trelawney,
> or incompetents like Quirrell and Lockhart, because he simply has 
so little
> in the way of professors to choose from.  It has been suggested 
that the
> ranks of competent adult wizards have been thinned considerably in 
the years
> preceding Voldemort's downfall, and we've seen even more decimation 
of the
> troops as Voldemort struggles to return to power.  With all the 
world-wide
> wizarding schools competing for personnel, Dumbledore may have to 
take
> whatever he can get and hope for the best.
> 

IMHO, perhaps Dumbledore wants to expose the children to the 
realities of life through their experiences with these not-so-perfect 
teachers.  How many times have you looked back on a difficult teacher 
and realized that you learned a lot from them about yourself, about 
people, about life?  Difficult teachers prepare you for difficulties 
that you will encounter throughout your life.  With experiences as 
the Snape Dungeon to draw on, Harry will be better prepared for the 
difficult and sometimes evil people, situations, and challenges that 
he enounters later in life.

In fact, Rowling seems to be using the Dumbledore character to teach 
Harry the lessons of life that he will need to understand and learn 
in order to be a successful wizard.  The Mirror of Erised lesson, the 
sorting hat lesson, the difference between right and just in the 
pensieve, etc., are just a few examples of how the Dumbledore 
chracter is used to teach or reinforce some basic human truths.