[HPforGrownups] Flitwick or Snape as DADA?

[phantomchick03 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 90986

I'd like to take the opportunity to both introduce myself, as I'm a fairly new member, and address this post. I've just been lurking for a few weeks now, getting a feel for the topics and opinions of the board. I was pleasantly surprised at the intelligence of the members of this board. Everyone who's posted is extremely well-written and knowledgeable about the Potterverse. The discussions flying about this list have been extremely eye-opening to possibilities I haven't even considered. Just wanted to say that to someone besides my computer. ;) 

Carol said:
Not to get sidetracked here, but I also wonder when and why Quirrell was first hired. Was it at the same time as Snape? I get the idea that he's at least a few years younger than Snape and that someone else held the job before him, but if so it couldn't have been Flitwick if there was a DADA vacancy at the time Snape was hired.

Adri here:
Not to be nitpicky or anything, but I don't remember SS saying anything about how long Quirell had been teaching. I assumed (and I could be wrong) that Quirell had been recently hired by Dumbledore, possibly just that summer. If I'm right, he couldn't possibly have been hired at the same time as Snape, who says in OotP (Ch. 17, pg 363): "Fourteen years", when asked by Umbridge how long he's been teaching at Hogwarts. So if Snape's been teaching since 1982-1983, Quirell wouldn't have been the person to get the DADA job over him.

My take on the situation is that Flitwick was only monitoring the test ('proctoring', I'd also call it), and wasn't the DADA teacher. I have no doubt that he'd probably do a better job than nearly all of the 5 teachers we've seen in the books, but Dumbledore's probably got a good reason for keeping him as Charms teacher. If he were really that replaceable, we'd be having revolving Charms professors. 

I also think that Snape doesn't really want the DADA job. It's more of a useful cover as a Death Eater if the rest think that he's got a yen for the Dark Arts. The rumor might have had some truth to it when he first began teaching, but Dumbledore, for whatever reason, wouldn't let him take the DADA job. That reason probably was something along the lines of keeping him away from an addiction, like keeping a recovering alcoholic away from a bar. Dumbledore "suggested" Snape take the Potions Master position for a few reasons: 1) You can't deny that he's talented at the subject if he can make both Veritaserum and Wolfsbane Potion. 2) How many more cauldrons would be blown up by people who aren't Neville if Snape weren't around to frighten the precision into them? 3) See above 'alcoholic' theory.

Anyway, I'll be slinking back to lurkdom. Just wanted to give my $.02.

~Adri~
Who's still wondering how Neville manages to be so inept at Potions, yet so good in Herbology and DADA . . .