[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape as DADA substitute (Was: Poor KnowItAll)

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 57020

> Linda wrote:
>
>
> That really wasn't Lupin's doing. The shape of the boggart
> > was what Neville feared most, which happenes to be Snape. Lupin had
> > no control over the choice; for that matter neither did Neville.
> > Lupin did suggest how to make Neville's boggart comical, but if he
> > didn't Neville would have failed the lesson. Is he just supposed to
> > skip boggarts because of what someone in the class might be afraid
> > of? He didn't even know Neville well enough by that point to guess
> at
> > what his fear might have been. I don't think we can fault Lupin for
> > this one.
> >
> Darrin continued:
>
> Welllll... I think we CAN fault Lupin a bit, because he drew Neville
> out with a pretty good idea who his greatest fear would be. But I
> also think Snape got what was coming to him.
>
> Remember, he insulted Neville, in front of the class, in front of the
> new teacher, saying, (paraphrasing) "Longbottom can't do anything
> without Miss Granger whispering in his ear."
>
> Look, Neville is hopeless in Potions and Snape has the right, and
> responsibility, as his teacher, to push him harder. I don't think
> fear is an effective teaching tool, not in the long run.
>
> But Neville is very good in Herbology and apparently not half-bad in
> Defense Against the Dark Arts, so Snape's warning to Lupin was just
> mean. Snape was, once again, out of line, in this case.

Ok, Lupin and his class walk into the teacher's lounge and say they're there
to take on the boggart.  Snape leaves, saying the line quoted above about
Neville.  He has just insulted a student to another teacher in front of that
student.  Pretty unprofessional, in my opinion.  Lupin does probably the
best thing to both point out to Snape his unprofessionalism and to attempt
to boost Neville's self-esteem.  Instead of saying nothing or taking Snape's
head off for insulting Neville (which is a conversation best left in private
and not conducted in front of a class), Lupin automatically thinks, "You're
singling this student out and saying he sucks, well, in that case, he's the
first student I'm going to use.  I'm going to set him up to succeed, and
prove to both him and you that you are just wrong."  Honestly, I don't think
he sat there and thought, "Oh, Neville's afraid of Snape.  Here's a chance
to make Snape a laughingstock."  I think what he did was simply a reaction
to Snape's comment and with Neville's welfare in mind.  I think he would
have done the same thing if Ron had been the student Snape picked on.
Perhaps not Harry, since what he believed to be Harry's worst fear is
something that is a LOT of people's worst fear, and he does not want to
start a panic.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova/