We'll Never Ever Be Able To Guess The Sixth DADA Teacher

[bookraptor11]

No: HPFGUIDX 83628

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...> 
wrote:
> Louis Badalament proposed that we won't be able to guess the next 
DADA
> teacher, and listed his reasons why.
> 
> So. I'll bite. Because I think Snape will finally get his chance, 
next year.
> 
> Rationale? Snape must continue to be Harry's teacher.
> 
> I seriously doubt Harry made high enough on his O.W.L. in Potions 
to be
> acceptable to Snape for N.E.W.T. study. To be an Auror, Harry must 
continue
> with Potions, however. He can, if the Potions teacher isn't Snape. 
Auror
> study is not the survival-necessity that Occlumency was; so I doubt
> Dumbledore would "lean" on Snape to take Harry for N.E.W.T.-level 
potions
> study.
> 
> Harry *easily* made N.E.W.T. level in DADA. He's something of a 
Hermione in
> that field. It is where his and Snape's skill sets interact, and 
their
> interaction as teacher/student in this class would further the 
unwilling
> understanding that JKR is building between the two.

Donna:
Reading your post gave me a wonderful thought. What if *Harry* 
becomes the new DADA teacher, with Snape as his advisor?

I know it sounds unlikely, but hear me out.  I agree with those who 
have said that Snape is too vital as Potions Master to switch to the 
DADA job. Also, there's no way he could fill both positions, even for 
one year. However, if Dumbledore appoints Snape, but because of his 
potions classes, Harry does all or most (first through 
fifth years) of the actual teaching, it could work out. Snape and 
Harry would meet at the end of summer and go over the textbooks for 
each year.  Snape would introduce Harry to the concept of lesson 
planning. For the rest of the year they would be meeting at least 
once a week to go over the past weeks lessons and to go over what 
Harry will teach each class the following week. If Harry only takes 
fifth years and below, maybe Snape could handle sixth and seventh 
years if there are a smaller number of students in advanced classes.

You've said that Harry has already reached NEWT levels in DADA; his 
life experience qualifies him. Also in OOP he's shown a real aptitude 
for teaching.

There is a big problem with time, I know. Harry still has to take 
other classes.  However, since not everyone takes Potions after fifth 
year, for example, do sixth and seventh years take a varied number of 
classes, depending on what career they want?  There seems to be some 
specialization coming in. Neville will no doubt move into advanced 
Herbology, but students who do not need this for their careers 
wouldn't bother taking it. In OOP, McGonagall tells Harry aurors need 
to take a minimum of five NEWTS (p. 662, US ed). She, for one, would 
be willing to take Harry in a private tutorial, even on the weekend, 
to free up time for him to teach. Aside from Snape, I don't think his 
other teachers would need too much persuading from Dumbledore. As 
long as Harry passes his NEWTS in seventh year, the Ministry wouldn't 
have too much say on how he prepared for them, even under normal 
circumstances.

And the circumstances are far from normal. The interference of the 
MOM at Hogwarts in OOP, those Educational Decrees, Umbridge's 
actions, the way this becomes known in the WW toward the end of the 
book, capped by the very public appearance of Voldemort after Fudge 
had been ridiculing Harry and Dumbledore for close to a year: the 
wizarding government has been very seriously embarassed.  My 
strongest belief for the next book is that Dumbledore will be given 
carte blanche in the running of Hogwarts. If Fudge even retains his 
leadership, he wouldn't dare say boo to D. Even if the Ministry were 
foolish enough to butt in, I think things have reached the point 
where Dumbledore would very graciously tell them to bugger off.

Getting back to Harry, I had written after OOP first came out that 
based on Harry's skill and obvious enjoyment teaching DADA, I would 
like to see him become a teacher after Hogwarts. I won't go over all 
the debates on this topic that have been posted. But: someone did 
post that JKR was asked if Harry was going to become a teacher 
*after* Hogwarts, and she said no. If Harry becomes a teacher while 
still a student, she hasn't lied, but has misdirected us once again.
:)

I won't go over the reasons Louis listed, but I will say that just 
because JKR has followed certain rules up to now, does not mean she 
can't break them in the next two books.

Donna (standing tall, refusing the customary blindfold and last 
cigarette)