Snape and Lupin's Character Arcs (was: Lupin's Char Arc)

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 119329


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> Magda:
> I find the idea that Snape's only goal was to out Lupin to be not
> realistic.  Had he wanted that, there were all kinds of ways he 
> could have made it happen, like being "accidently" overheard by any 
> number of Slytherin kids or by diluting the wolfsbane potion so 
> that it was ineffective ("or was that a FULL cup of newts' toes 
> instead?  Darn this fading ink!")  What Snape was actually doing 
> was much funnier - staying within the guidelines set down by 
> Dumbledore about how to treat Lupin, he was bending the rules as 
> far as he could without breaking them.  I thought it was wonderful 
> dark comedy.

Of course, any of those other ways would probably have landed him in 
very, very deep trouble with his boss--and I don't think he really 
wants to be in deep trouble with his boss.  I don't see that this 
last paragraph contradicts the idea that Snape's only goal was to out 
Lupin--it only points out that he was trying to do it in as sneaky of 
a way as possible to not rouse Dumbledore's direct ire.  (One wonders 
what Dumbledore thought; it would be an interesting question for JKR).

He still treats the class rather poorly, and going by any standard of 
taking over someone else's class for them, his behavior is completely 
unprofessional.  (Speaking ill of another teacher's methods in front 
of a class is also unprofessional--you will note that McGonagall says 
as much when asked about Trelawney, and thus controls herself in her 
comments; that's not just my importation from the Muggle academic 
world).  Which is why I think the kappa error (which is NOT a flint, 
because it's not a textual inconsistency--it's a direct revelation, 
and makes perfect sense) is also so funny, when you find out about 
it.  Snape considers himself the Great DADA Master--and apparently he 
hasn't read the book.

-Nora considers about half of Snape's humor to be genuinely sharp and 
hilarious, and the other half to be on high-school girl level