Hermione/Snape (OoP and a bit from PS/SS)

[adamjmarcantel]

No: HPFGUIDX 69741

As someone who, as a student, would have been similar to Hermione 
(and, perhaps, Snape), I remember that the teachers who were the 
toughest were the ones I respected the most (even the coach who made 
me take endless laps around the Quidditch..er..football field 
because I kept missing practices).  Snape seems to fit that 
character.  He expected his students to have read the material 
before the first class (which Harry didn't do..not that I blame 
Harry, as he had one or two things to think about beside Potions 
101); has not, as of yet, tolerated any back-talk from students; 
expects his students to follow his instructions (i.e. "I told you 
not to help him Miss Granger") without question; sees no excuses for 
his students to not have PERFECT potions everytime (I mean, c'mon, 
he does lay it out clearly on the blackboard); and, as long as he 
has to take time out to teach an extra lesson, demands that his 
pupil practice (which, of course, said pupil does not do).  Any 
rulebreaking in his class has yet to be tolerated by Snape and he 
seems to show no remorse about handing out punishments to 
offenders.  Even in the scene with Neville's toad (which I found 
even worse that the scene with Hermione), Snape clearly saw that 
Neville's potion was not going to kill Trevor before he "tested" 
it.  Yes, I know Snape is not everyone's cup of tea as a PERSON, but 
he is the type of TEACHER I and, I suspect, Hermione 
respects...demanding and strict.  As an instructor, I can say that I 
have always been ten times tougher with the students I expect the 
most from (although I certainly do not use punishment as a 
motivating tool).  That may not completely explain Snape, but it 
would explain his tolerance of Crabbe and Goyle.  Perhaps Hermione, 
like myself, thrives in that kind of environment and is able to look 
past Snapes nastiness because of the kind of teacher he is.  Harry 
and Ron, on the other hand, thrive in Prof. Trelawny's (sp?) class, 
a class where they can not do work, make up answers, and still get 
good grades.  Different people respond to different teaching 
styles.  That is my take on Hermione and Snape's relationship.

Adam--who thinks he has finally found the reason, despite everything 
his head tells him, of why he respects Prof. Snape