Snape

[snazzzybird]

No: HPFGUIDX 68069

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Cindy" <xpectopatronum at y...> 
wrote:
> Jamuna wrote:
> > However, I found it odd and sad that [Snape] could not do a 
better job at teaching Harry Occlumency.  
><snip>

> Cindy replied:
> <snip>
> I think that he did try to teach Harry, he just did it in a very
> Slytherin way... Take the movie Chamber of Secrets for example, when
> Snape grabs Draco Malfoy by the collar and pushes him back into the
> duel with Harry. This is a very Slytherin way of teaching, and I 
think that that is how Snape was teaching Harry Occlumency. 
> -Cindy

snazzzybird:

Yes, exactly!  That's an excellent way of putting into words what I 
was thinking while I read these passages.  I thought of the "sink or 
swim" method of teaching swimming: give the student a very strong 
motive to perform the action, and he will learn to do it.  He'll swim 
because he doesn't want to drown -- or even to go under several times 
and have to be dragged out sputtering and coughing.

Snape knew that Harry would have a very, very strong motive for 
guarding his worst, most humiliating memories against him.  When he 
began, he didn't know what those memories would be -- and I'll bet he 
was surprised to see how "Snivellus-like" they were, given his stated 
belief that Harry is a golden boy like his father.  However, everyone 
has memories they wouldn't want their enemies to see, and that was 
the basis of Snape's teaching.  Make Harry want, very very much, to 
put up a barrier against intrusion into his thoughts -- and Harry 
will be able to put up that barrier.  After all, Harry has proved 
himself able to do everything else he's put his mind to, from the 
Patronus to the tasks for the TriWizard Cup.

So why didn't it work?  It did!  Harry was able to shut Snape out, 
and even to probe back into Snape's thoughts.  The key is that Harry 
has to *want* to keep the person out.  He didn't really want to keep 
Voldy out, now did he?  On the contrary, he believed that this 
connection with Voldy was a good thing, and very much to his 
advantage.  He wanted to find out what was behind the door; kept 
willing it to open, and hoping he'd see what was there.  He also 
believed that it gave him an advantage, as when he saw Arthur Weasley 
being attacked and was then able to get him help in time to save 
him.  The only thing that went wrong was he didn't anticipate Voldy's 
giving him false images.  If he'd been prepared for that, and 
realized that it would enable Voldy to use him as a weapon (as he'd 
feared earlier), then he would have shut Voldy out just as he did 
Snape.

--snazzzybird, who has to say "Vulcan mind meld" just once.