Snape, Neville and Herbology

[Fyre Wood]

No: HPFGUIDX 44318

BlueSqueak (aka Pip!Squeak) nicely posted:
>>>>I agree entirely that in real life there is absolutely *no* way 
I'd 
> want anyone like Snape teaching anyone like Neville.
> 
> But...
> Neville must be an incredibly frustrating student. His ability to 
> destroy cauldrons (which no-one else in the class can) suggests 
that 
> the raw power is there, but he doesn't want to use it.<<<<<<<<

Fyre Wood (ME!) replies:
I agree with you on this statement. Neville is a tad... slow... for 
lack of better phrase when it comes down to doing potions. Though, it 
does seem odd that he destroys cauldron after cauldron after cauldron.

Perhaps it is this fear he has of the mean, nasty potions master that 
makes Neville squirm, causing him stress, and then messing up 
horribly.

-____________________

Bluesqueak continued:

> So Snape has a student who hates his subject, but who *must* learn 
> it. Snape can't *let* Neville hide in a corner and quietly ignore 
> potions, because if he does he's going to ruin Neville's chance at 
a 
> WW career he'd be good at. And this is a situation I don't think 
> Snape is very good at dealing with (to put it mildly).
> 

Fyre Wood (ME) Replies:
Snape is a teacher that desires perfection. He knows that Neville 
isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to 
Potions--but maybe that is because Snape made him that way.

Look at the way our beloved Snape treats Harry the first day of 
class. Maybe that freaked Nev out to the point of being scared that 
he screws everything up because of the pressure.

Neville has done well in other subjects. Herbology is his best 
subject, and If I remember correctly, he did just fine in DADA with 
Professor Lupin.

Maybe if there were more nuturing teachers like Lupin, then Neville 
would excell academically... or perhaps he's just an idiot savant, 
who just happens to have a knack for Herbology?

________________

BlueSqueak's last comment:
> But if this is the case, then I hate to think of Neville's face at 
> the end of OoP when he discovers that he's got to study for a 
Potions 
> NEWT with Snape [big, evil, grin].

Ahh.... being the sadistic person I am, I find much pleasure in 
Neville's torture right there. Oh baby!

--Fyre Wood, who reminds herself that it's only a book series... and 
not real life.