Drill Sargeant (with a tiny bit of ontopic talk...)

[jjjjjuliep]

No: HPFGUIDX 94730

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:


> There.  Now on to what you've said here.  I think I *do* understand 
> what you're saying, Pippin, particularly about why Snape may see 
> this as war because he knows about the prophecy... and why he's not 
> allowed to explain all of that to Harry & Neville.  I guess if all 
> of what you're describing *is* the true situation, then I'd say 
> we're back to my other argument:  that, if it's really THAT 
> important for Snape to prepare these two particular students for 
> the inevitable battle(s) with Voldy, he's GOT to find a way to
> reach them.  Being cruel, sarcastic & nasty doesn't seem to be
> cutting it w/ the two students who most need to learn, so why
> doesn't he STOP the drill sergeant routine w/ them and find a way
> to help them learn?  SURELY he can *see* that it's not working with
> them?  
> 
> Hmmmm.  Maybe *that's* part of what I'm struggling with!  If Snape 
> is as brilliant as I think he is, why isn't he able to see that his 
> methods AREN'T helping Neville & Harry to learn & to perform under 
> pressure?  If he cares about The Order and defeating Voldy--as I 
> believe he does--then why isn't he re-evaluating his technique with 
> Harry & Neville?

Perhaps because he knows that if Harry and Neville can't stand up to 
him at Hogwarts, if they can't perform under his gaze and insults, if 
they can't pay attention long enough to prepare his potion 
assignments correctly, if they can't marshall their fear and anger 
when they are frazzled, startled, or upset, then they don't stand a 
chance of defeating Voldemort?

jujube (who is going to be extremely disappointed if, in book 7, 
Snape is revealed as a truly kindly soul, who wears daisies in his 
hair and confesses he felt "just awful" all of those years and would 
have much rather have been singing happy songs instead all that time)