Theory on the DADA-post's jinx

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 85401

"Florentine Maier" wrote:
I presume that it's not just a rumor but that the post is actually 
jinxed. I think the jinx could go something like that: "Everybody who
takes the job of DADA-teacher will come to grief because of his/her 
greatest weakness within a year."

Cases in point:
Quirrell: Weak will
Lockhard: Vanity
Lupin: Being a werewolf
Moody: Paranoia
Umbridge: Imperiousness

Carol: 
Interesting theory. Only one nitpick: The real Moody didn't lose the
post because of paranoia. His paranoia was fully justified. He didn't
teach because he was in a trunk under an Imperius curse, and strictly
speaking, he didn't lose the post (though he didn't take it the
following year, either). Imposter!Moody, OTOH, never intended to take
the post for more than a year and said so at the welcoming feast in
OoP, but he didn't expect to end his term as teacher quite the way he
did. His greatest weakness would not be paranoia but--hm--Deception?
Malice? Vengeance? Just being a murderous, conniving Death Eater? At
any rate, he was altogether evil and even though he wasn't able to
testify that Voldemort had returned, no one except possibly Voldemort
is sorry that he's gone. Anyway, Wrong Moody, wrong weakness, but no
effect on your theory over all.
 
 
Jen:
> > This theory would tie in nicely with why Dumbledore doesn't want 
> > Snape as DADA--there would be a real reason (other than the 
> > addiction theory which has never satisfied me) of why DD fears
> Snape 
> > would turn to the Dark Arts again if he's the DADA teacher. 
> 
Catherine:
> Jen's comment seems fair. HOwever I also wonder whether
> rumour of the jinx could make Snape himself want the post _more_? He
> could see it as an opportunity to overcome his weaknesses and prove
> his worth once and for all, not least to himself.

Carol:
That's an interesting idea. We definitely need some way to explain why
he would keep applying for the position for fourteen years after
seeing teacher after teacher last only a year. my theory is that he
really wants it and will receive it as his reward for service to
Dumbledore, ending the jinx because the right person holds the post at
last, but as you say, he could see the post itself as the way of
proving his worth to Dumbledore. Someone suggested that he wants the
position because the jinx would mean he'd be out of Hogwarts at the
end of the year, not dead or fired but somehow able to resign because
of the jinx. I do think he feels limited at Hogwarts, but I don't
think Dumbledore will let him go. Part of their arrangement seems to
be for Snape to teach at Hogwarts. Maybe at first it prevented him
from going back to the dark side and now it provides him with some
degree of protection from Voldemort. But if he were to leave Hogwarts
at the end of Book 7, I wonder where else he could go (other than
rejoining the dark side, which I'm sure he won't do). Maybe the
Department of Mysteries could use his talents.

But whatever his reasons for reapplying and whether the jinx is real
or not, I think we can safely predict that we'll see yet another DADA
teacher in Book 6. Unless that person is Snape, and I don't think it
will be (yet), he or she won't last the year.

Carol