Favoring Crabbe & Goyle? [was:Re: OT: Drill Sergeant]

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 94831

I (Carol) wrote:
Quick question here. What evidence do we have of Snape favoring 
Crabbe and Goyle? As far as we know, they could be among 
the "dunderheads" who received D's (for "dreadful") on the essays 
that Snape graded to OWL standards. I also can't recall him 
praising them in or out of class. IIRC, he mostly ignores them.
 
Siriusly Snapey Susan responded:
One quick one for you, Carol. Though it's perhaps not outright 
*favoritism*, it could perhaps be argued as favoritism [haha--have I 
covered myself w/ that?].  Anyway, one of the times when 
Snape "vanishes" Harry's potion and gives me a zero [1st potions 
lesson of OoP], Goyle's potion also went horrendously wrong and it 
was ignored by Snape.  After the lesson Hermione points out how 
unfair Snape was being, to have singled out Harry, and she said that 
Goyle's potion actually broke the flask & caught his robes on fire.  
Now, we do NOT know whether Goyle received a zero or some other 
grade, but we do know that Snape did not "evanesco" Ron's, Seamus', 
Neville's, or Goyle's, as he did Harry's.  
 
In sum, that might be seen as favoritism towards the others, or it 
might simply be seen as unfairness towards Harry.  [I know, I know--
*or* as trying to get Potter to pay attention.]
 
Siriusly Snapey Susan...who still thinks this takes nothing away from 
Neri's point that a drill sergeant who loses credibility through 
favoritism also potentially loses his underlings' commitment to 
follow him.


Carol responds:
Hi, Susan. IMO, Snape just ignores Goyle (and Crabbe as well), not
only in the incident you mention but in general. They're "dunderheads"
whose fathers happen to be DEs so, as head of Slytherin and an
undercover spy, he can't openly express the contempt he feels for
them. He probably gave Goyle's potion the grade (mark) it deserved
(very near to zero) and said nothing about it. (No canon for that
assumption but I think it would be in character for Snape.)

I think that Snape's strict standards in grading to OWL standards on
the essay I mentioned earlier apply to everyone: He really *doesn't*
want "dunderheads" in his NEWT Potions classes. (He'd prefer not to
deal with them at all.) But his particular criticism of Harry and
Neville (and possibly of the Gryffindors in general) is intended (as
you said) to get them to follow directions. Also, as Pippin pointed
out recently, his treatment of them is nothing to what they'll be
facing with LV. They *must* learn to deal calmly with someone they
*perceive* as an enemy so that they can cope with a real enemy when
they encounter one. (Snape uses the same tactic in Occlumency: "You
are handing *me* weapons to use against you!" He means, but can't say,
"You are handing Voldemort weapons to use against you.") Snape, IMO,
really does dislike Harry, but he isn't hurting him out of spite. He's
trying to toughen him (and Neville) up for the battle ahead. (I'm not
arguing that the strategy works, only that I think it's what he's
attempting to do, with Dumbledore's full knowledge and (possibly)
encouragement.)

As for getting "underlings" to follow him, Snape (as far as I can
tell) isn't going to be a battle captain with his students at his
command and consequently he isn't concerned about Harry's or Goyle's
or anyone else's loyalty to *himself*. IMO, he wants to prepare Harry
in particular and anyone else who's loyal to *Dumbledore* to fight
against LV. As for Crabbe and Goyle, who may well end up on the wrong
side, the more inept they are, the better. (I haven't seen Snape
offering them Remedial Potions. Have you? ;-) )

Did I answer all your questions, SSS? And can you and Neri answer mine
(regarding evidence of actually, as opposed to ignoring, Crabbe and
Goyle)?

Carol, who would have presented these opinions in her original post
but wanted to hear from Neri first