[HPforGrownups] Re: Neville: was re: Authority and rule-breaking

[Morag Traynor]

No: HPFGUIDX 16870



Catherine wrote:

>I find this theory very interesting, and quite plausible, given
>Neville's general forgetfulness.  That is, apart from one thing.
>What possible reason could there be for Neville having his memory
>moderated?  He knows what happened to his parents, as was revealed in
>GoF, he spends sleepless nights thinking about it, as we find out
>when Harry has entered Dumbledore's pensieve.  What else could there
>be for him to know?  I'm not discounting the theory - just interested
>to find out what other possibilies there are.

As one who used to have Neville's memory when I was at school, I'd say it 
was perfectly consistent with his general lack of confidence, so not 
necessarily the result of a memory charm.  On the other hand, a memory charm 
would be perfectly consistent with his family's well-meaning but inept 
efforts to help him.
>
>As for your comments about Snape's frustration about Neville just
>being a hopeless pupil...Don't get me wrong, my attitude towards
>Snape has changed a great deal since GoF, if not earlier, and I don't
>see him in the black and white terms with which I feel he is often
>depicted.  However, in Neville's case, he is definitely an extremely
>bad, cruel and bullying teacher.  I come from a long line of
>schoolteachers (I am not one myself, but used to do private tutoring)
>and one thing I can say without equivocation is that the best a
>teacher can do is encourage and be positive about a pupil's
>achievements, NOT to bully, and scare them so much that they are
>always going to do badly in your class because you have turned them
>into a nervous wreck.  Snape may well be trying to get Neville to
>show his mettle, but IMO he is not succeeding, and is really getting
>a sadistic pleasure out of treating Neville badly.
>If one was to try and bolster Neville up, and make him feel braver,
>one only has to follow the example of Prof Lupin.  In my mind, it
>bears no comparison.

Hear hear!  Neville doesn't need help, he needs someone to have confidence 
in him.
>
>Catherine,
>(who also has a soft spot for Neville, as everyone has probably
>noticed).

Oh, me too, me too!


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