Is Snape unfair with House Points? (WAS Re: Teacher Ratin...

[backstagemystic]

No: HPFGUIDX 56887

>> PoA, chapter 9:
 
'Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf 
and the true wolf?' said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, 
whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

'Anyone?' Snape said, ignoring Hermione.<<


Snape is definitely a curmudgeon (putting it nicely) when it comes to 
calling upon Hermione.  It's another, boderline abusive, way for him 
engage in little power games to fluster both her and her House mates 
(and placate his underlying need to feel respected and in 
control...regarding which I sense his classroom is the *one* place he 
feels that he truly has that).  'Course, there's more than just 
grounds to suspect that Snape is a bit intimidated by, and therefore 
resents, Hermione's knowledge...and one way for a Slytherin to keep 
from being shown-up by a muggle-born is to keep her silent.

However, Snape is not a black and white character and I think it's 
equally clear that he also has legitimate reasoning behind his 
methods.

A teacher's job is to promote and ascertain understanding, critical 
thinking, etc. to *all* of his or her students.

In that respect, calling upon Hermione is actually a waste of time 
(Is there a single doubt in anyone's mind, including Snape's, that 
when Hermione raises her hand, chances are she can give you a near 
encyclopedia's worth of information on the topic off the top of her 
head?).  

So for Hermione to spout-out the answer by rote to the rest of the 
class would be no different than Snape just giving it to them himself.

That's not what he wants to achieve...because it doesn't help them.
  

Snape wants the others to observe, think, research, and work-out the 
answers for themselves...and he's more than willing to use threats to 
get them to do so (e.g. he got them to take their antidote research 
seriously by hinting that he might be poisoning one of them).

I find it intriguing that despite Snape's surly disposition and often 
cruel nature...he tends to pass on some of the most truly useful 
information...information they'll need to protect themselves from 
evil intent.   

Harry learned "expelliarmus" from watching Snape...and it saved his 
life twice.  Hermione found-out where to find the polyjuice potion 
from Snape.   And sooner or later, someone's going to need to use a 
bezoar or other antitdote to save their lives.   Snape also gave a 
lecture on undetectable poisons.  I'm sure others here can come up 
with more such examples...but I think it's clear that there's a very 
real reason why he's teaching this stuff.

And in the case of werewolves, he has very good reason to want the 
students to be able to recognize one...because one is among them.

Snape truly considers Lupin to be a serious threat (make that a 
Sirius threat)...a viewpoint of which he is more than justified, 
considering Lupin's gross negligence in forgetting to take his potion 
(He's had this condidtion for HOW many years, and he forgot?!!!).

Had not Sirius been there in his animagus form to fend-off Lupin when 
he transformed into a werewolf, it could have been disastrous for one 
of the trio.

BM