Who's more out of line? (WAS: Snape and respect)

[tcyhunt <tcyhunt@earthlink.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51201

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tom Wall <thomasmwall at y...>" 
<thomasmwall at y...> wrote:
> MELISSA (AND MANY OTHERS SIMILARLY) WROTE 
> RE: HERMIONE'S TEETH:
> 
> The last straw for me came in GoF, chapter 18, when 
> Hermione's teeth are hit by a spell and grow past her 
> chin, and his only reaction is to say, "I see no 
> difference." That was cruel and unprofessional. Snape 
> is a teacher, an adult. It's one thing for Malfoy's 
> group and Harry's group to be tossing insults back and 
> forth, but he has a duty to be above that. No matter how 
> hard I try, I just can't like Snape.
> 
> I REPLY:
> I'm amazed and the number of people that jumped on this 
> thread all at once. When I posted my devil's advocacy bit 
> yesterday, there was only the original post. When I check 
> today, there're, well, WAY more than that. ;-)
> 
> 
> So:
> 
> For everyone who got so upset over Snape's treatment of Hermione: 
> were you equally upset when Crouch/Moody turned Malfoy into a 
ferret 
> and started bouncing him around? 
> 
> Were you as shocked and angry as McGonagall, or, like Ron, did you 
> think it was farily amusing? I bet that some of us even thought 
that 
> Malfoy *deserved* it, didn't we?

 <snip>

my reply:

I was much more tolerant of Crouch/Moody turning Malfoy into a ferret 
before I knew it was Crouch, Jr. *and* after!  It was funny!  Snape's 
treatment of Hermione in that instance just seemed cruel.  I felt 
neither was an appropriate thing for a teacher to do - but, I 
chalked Crouch/Moody's actions up to Moody being so unconventional 
and (later, once revealed)Crouch, Jr. being *evil*.  Another reason 
is that I hold Snape to a higher standard than Crouch, Jr. or Moody.  
Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with everything he does...but while 
I dislike some of his choices, Snape has my respect (and I think he 
will probably continue to have it as I learn more in the books to 
come - I hope).

Tcy 
(of course, I reserve the right to change my mind as JKR often 
leaves me gobsmacked)