Why didn't anyone offer to teach Harry?

[ingachristsuperstar <ingachristsuperstar@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 52978

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve <
bboy_mn at y...>" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, 
SnapesSlytherin at a... wrote:
> > Why didn't anyone offer to teach Harry the Patronus spell?  
> > ...edited...  Harry had to seek out help.
> > 
> > ~*~*~Oryomai~*~*~
> 
> 
> bboy_mn:
> (snip)
> Now we see why they didn't ask, but your real question is, 'Why 
didn't
> anyone offer?'. I think partly because it's life lesson. The same
> reason they let Snape teach. Because as much as the student 
hate him,
> they learn to work with him. That's the way real life work. There 
may
> be someone where you work that you absolutely hate. 
Someone who's
> personality is grossly in conflict with your own, but you act like 
a
> professional; you deal with it and get on with what must be 
done.
> 
> The life lesson in general in this case, is that it's OK to ask for
> help. Or twisted into a proverb, you do not get what you do not 
ask for. 

now me:

I think there is also another aspect to adult/child relationships at 
play here.  I don't think many adults react to a threat to a child by 
teaching them to fight it themselves.  Instead, the instinct is to 
protect them, using an adult's superiour abilities etc.  So, I'm 
thinking that the profs would be more inclined to keep the 
dementors out of the castle than trying to teach Harry very 
complex magic just in case they got back on the grounds.  After 
all, he is only 13 and the profs are right there to deal with the 
Dementors.

Don't get me wrong, Dumbledore is no doubt a huge fan of the 
'real-life lesson', but I think we've seen more protective behaviour 
from, for instance, McGonagall.

-Ing