Acceptable Abuses?

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 95700

Karenocl: "I don't understand about this one Dumbledore incongruity (I
apologize if this has been previously discussed!). I'm wondering why
Dumbledore allows his students to be abused at all, and I guess I'm
thinking specifically about Snape."

I don't, either.  I can understand why JKR does it; she lets her
readers know life isn't always fair, and that people can be on the
right side but not good, either. Young readers don't usually get that
kind of complexity.

Karenocl: "But where does Dumbledore stand on emotional abuse?
Here, I'm thinking mainly of the episode in PoA, when Neville could
not get his (shrinking?) potion to work properly. Snape gave Neville
time to fix it before administering it to Trevor, and we all know that
Trevor did not die because of Hermione's aid to Neville. But Snape
fully intended to administer what we can only assume to be poison to
Neville's pet. I know that this scene is a device to demonstrate why
Snape would be Neville's worse fear during the boggart lesson, but why
does Dumbledore allow a teacher to terrorize a student so viciously?"

Again, you've got me. Snape was probably aware Hermione was helping
Neville and let it happen, knowing it would be another chance to dock
points from Gryffindor; even so, his entire pattern of behavior toward
Neville is a disgrace and should be stopped.  The Trevor incident was
just another brick on the load he's dumped on Neville all along.

The Hermione teeth incident showed his willingness to be dishonest and
his breaking of Harry's potion is downright misconduct in his duty. 
It's hard to explain.

Maybe we'll find out somehow how and why all this is allowed to happen.

Jim Ferer