[HPforGrownups] Re: OoP SPOILERS: Worries for Harry? Warning: Long Reply

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 58500

> In a message dated 5/22/2003 4:03:40 PM Mountain Standard Time,
> innermurk at catlover.com writes:
>
> > I'm not defending Lockhart here, but I do have to ask why it's all
> > right for Snape to mistreat students as a "learning tool" and it's
> > not ok for Lockhart to do so. There seems to be a double standard
> > running around here. Let's face it if Snape had set the trio in a
> > room and unleashed a bunch of cornish pixies on them, some on this
> > list would argue that it was an important lesson, he was trying to
> > toughen them up, he was grooming them to fight the Dark Lord, and a
> > myriad of other excuses. But when Lockhart does it, he's just a
> > fraud, braggart, and an icompetent idiot?

First, let me say I have not totally and fully embraced the "Snape's
toughening up the kids to deal with dark times" theory.  However, I still
see a difference between Snape setting pixies on a group of second years and
Lockhart doing so.  I don't think I've heard anyone argue that Lockhart is
*not* a fraud, braggart and an incompetent idiot.  Snape is not a fraud.  He
has proven that he knows what he is doing.  I don't think I've heard anyone
argue that he is just pretending he knows his subject, and we truly have no
proof one way or the other that he does not know how to handle Cornish
pixies.  Hand in hand with this, I'd say about 99 percent of the people on
this list would say that Snape is very competent and not an idiot.  An idiot
living his life would have died a LONG time ago.  As for being a braggart,
how often have we heard him brag?  He is capable of it, but Lockhart beats
him hands down.  Not that bragging has anything to do with the double
standard bit.

Yes, I agree, people would be more inclined to argue that it was an
important lesson, etc, if Snape was teaching it.  But that's because Snape
has proven he usually knows what he's talking about.  All Lockhart has
proven he knows how to do is smile, look pretty, co-opt other people's
accomplishments as his own, and cast excellent Memory Charms.  Plus, as
another post mentioned, he seems to more or less do his best to prevent
physical harm.  Lockhart could care less if someone died in his class, as
long as it wasn't him and he could come out of the situation looking good or
like he tried to save the victim.  It is for reasons like these that people
rush to Snape's defense while vilifying Lockhart.  I personally am not a fan
of much of what Snape does in the classroom, and realize he would be sacked
in a real school (at least in the US) very quickly, but there is still much
more to defend here than with Lockhart.

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