[HPforGrownups] Re: Neville/Snape Question

[Sandi Steinberg]

No: HPFGUIDX 38081

Regarding Snape's treatment of Neville, Jamie said:

Firstly, Neville is completely incompetant in Snape's class.  Based on what 
we've seen of Snape, this by itself is a good enough reason for Snape to 
despise Neville, criticize him harshly, and speak badly of him to others.
>
Point one:  at this point, Neville is not only not very competent in DADA, 
he is a nervous wreck in that class, fearing failure and ridicule.  Of 
course he cannot perform.

I had an angry, vindictive math teacher in 9th grade who used to walk into 
the classroom in a lather, yell at all the poorest math students to get to 
the board, insult us when we couldn't perform, etc., so I feel for Neville.

Such angry frustrated Muggles or magicfolk have no business teaching 
youngsters, no matter what their degree of competence in their subject.  (My 
math teacher had won fellowships, had a masters degree, etc., but when we 
walked into class, you could actually see both boys and girls rubbing their 
sweaty palms on their pants or skirts.)

When you go into teaching, you must expect to teach the gifted, the average, 
and the challenged in any particular subject.

Snape just takes advantage of his position.  Remember what Sirius says when 
he defends Hermione from teasing by Harry and Ron over her efforts on behalf 
of the house elves: that the measure of a person is in how he/she treats 
underlings.

This is what makes Dumbledore a great headmaster as well as a great wizard, 
the kindness, decency, and sensitivity with which he treats all the 
students, in contrast to Snape.

Even starchy Prof. McGonigall has shown herself to be a softy underneath on 
some occasions.  She's tough as a teacher and administrator, but she's fair, 
and will take points off her own school's members as quickly as she will 
take points off a Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff.

Maybe by the end of the series, if he's still alive, we will find a warm, 
cuddly side to Snape, too.  (Way way waaayyyyy deep down!)

Sandi Steinberg



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