Potion Master supreme

[Wendy]

No: HPFGUIDX 83417

"doliesl" <doliesl at y...> wrote:
> However the question that really matters to me yet no one seems to 
> have raised: Why does Snape want the DADA job in the first place? 
In 
> OOTP we're confirmed that the rumor that he does want the job 
badly; 
> he has been persistantly re-applying the position over the years. 
> Most of us seems to wonder "why the job was not offered to him" 
more 
> often than "why does he want it?"

Now me (Wendy):

I don't agree that we now know that Snape does "want the job badly." 
What we learn in OoP is that Snape has applied for the job (and been 
turned down) every year. At least, this is what Umbridge is told, 
and Snape confirms this when she asks him. 

A couple of things about this: First, I'm not sure I really believe 
this is true, as we've had some contradiction. In CoS, Hagrid says 
that the reason Lockhart was hired was because no one else wanted 
the job: "He was the only man for the job . . . 'An I mean the 
*on'y* one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts 
job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' 
ter think it's jinxed." (CoS, p 88, UK hardcover). 

Of course, Hagrid has been wrong about things before (like his 
comment that *all* dark wizards came from Slytherin House). But 
still, why say so emphatically that Lockhart was the *only* 
candidate if Snape really had applied, but was somehow unacceptable?

The second thing that occurs to me is that perhaps Snape really 
*has* applied for the position every year, but doesn't actually want 
the job. It could be something he and Dumbledore agreed upon to 
create the appearance of tension between the two of them. Snape 
applies every year, Dumbledore turns him down, of *course* Snape 
can't stand that barmy old codger. It would give Snape an excuse to 
appear angry or disloyal to Dumbledore should the need arise.

Of course it is possible that he really does want the position, but 
for some reason I never got that feeling from him. Judging by his 
opening speech in the Potions Master chapter of SS/PS, he really 
*really* loves potions. Why would a man who speaks so poetically 
about his field want to teach another subject?

I also think that it's likely Snape will end up teaching DADA, in 
the last book. I just hope this doesn't mean she's going to kill him 
off like she's done with some of the others. <g>

:-)
Wendy