CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 12, "Professor Umbridge"

[suehpfan]

No: HPFGUIDX 91227


> > Jen asked: 
> > > 5) Snape singles out Harry once again in Potions, making much 
of 
> > > Harry's mistake. It crossed my mind that Snape, while bullying 
> > > Harry, might also be trying to make certain Harry knows how to 
make 
> > > this particular potion. Any thoughts? 
> > 
> > Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> > Absolutely!  Same as in SS/PS when Snape throws those first three 
> > questions at Harry in their very first class. I think he is 
trying to 
> > make the incidents *memorable* so that Harry will never forget 
the 
> > humiliation...and hence, hopefully, never forget the CONTENT of 
the 
> > lessons as well.
> 
> Carol:
> Funny thing; the word "absolutely!" also popped into my head when I
> read Jen's question, but SSS has already said it for me. So I'll 
just
> add another example of the same tactic (evidence that Snape *is*
> teaching Harry Potions whether he realizes it or not): Snape goes 
back
> and makes Harry reread the instructions on the board and discover 
for
> himself that he has forgotten part of step 3. I don't recall the
> particular potion, but the point of the lesson is that you *must*
> follow directions exactly: the exact amount of the exact ingredients
> in the exact order specified. I think it's the same lesson in which
> Snape assigns Harry an extra essay on the uses of moonstone in 
potion
> making--a hint that moonstones will come in handy for Harry in a
> future book. I think most of Snape's seeming abuse of Harry (which 
has
> not harmed him in any way, unlike Umbridge's cruel punishment using
> his own blood) is intended to enforce the same lesson. snip> 
> Carol
> 
> Carol

Sue chiming in:
I have trouble with this whole "Snape is teaching Harry by ridiculing 
him to make sure he remembers" thing.  As a teacher, I always knew 
that if I wanted to get my point across I better be sure that the kid 
in question knew what my point was.  I don't think Harry remembers 
much of anything from potions, especially on his first day of 
Hogwarts, except that Snape hates his guts.  In other words, Snape 
was not making the point about beazors, he was making the point that 
he couldn't stand Harry.

I will admit to having a rather bad attitude about Snape from the 
very beginning and also to being influenced by the Snape lovers on 
the list.  Which means, I don't like the guy, BUT I see that he 
probably has an ulterior motive for SOME of the things he does.  Most 
of the time, IMHO, his ridicule is simply that, ridicule, with no 
other purpose other than to humiliate the recipiant.  I do think 
there is something to your belief  about the draught of peace, he 
didn't just ridicule Harry, he made him read the directions, and 
write about it that night.  In this particular case Snape really does 
seem to be trying to make sure Harry knows this potion.

There are probably other examples when the follow up is indeed 
teaching, but there seem to more times when there is no follow up 
what so ever.  Honesty, it seems to me Snape doesn't give a darn 
whether Harry learns potions or not and he certainly doesn't seem to 
want Harry back in NEWT potions (though IMHO, he will be). I don't 
think he is doing anything other than flexing his "I am the adult, 
you are the kid and I can do whatever I want" muscles whenever Harry 
is around most of the time. 

Sue, who has spent way too much time trying to compose this post and 
now feels more conflicted about Severus Snape than ever.