[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's liability

[Mrs.) Lee Storm (God Is The Healing Force]

No: HPFGUIDX 100730

| From: rowena_grunnionffitch
| Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 10:57 AM

[I wrote]:
| > The biggest thing I see is that Snape didn't really prepare Harry;
| he didn't
| > tell him plainly enough, IMHO, what to expect when the
| word "Legilimens" was
| > spoken.
[rowena responds]:|
|    The first "Legilmens" would have told Harry everthing he needed to
| know about that.
|
[I wrote]:
| > Really, if one is going to teach something that requires clearing
| the mind
| > and, in essence, centering oneself, Snape should have taken a bit
| of time to
| > help Harry to get into that preparatory state.

[rowena responds]:|
|    Why? When teaching the Patronus charm Lupin simply told Harry to
| find a happy memory, asked if he was ready and launched the
| boggart/dementor on him without further ado. He then repeated the
| process until Harry got the hang of it. I don't see how this is any
| different. Snape tells Harry what he must do, then challenges him to
| do it. If Harry had *wanted* to master occlumency as he wanted to
| master the Patronus he would certainly have done so in short order.

[Lee here again]:
Agreed, to a point.  Telling someone to focus on a happy memory is a lot
more tangible than telling someone to clear their mind.  For those who've
never tried consciously to do this, well...that's something a lot harder to
do than focus on something tangible like a happy memory.  I've done
centering meditation and know first-hand that clearing the mind can be a
rough thing to understand.  Once one has learned how to do it, then it comes
more naturally.

[I had written]:
| > Does any of this sound understandable?  I think both Harry and
| Snape did
| > wrong things, but a personality clash can certainly make a working
| > relationship miserable and, sometimes, futile.
|
[rowena responded]:
|   Now here we are in complete agreement. Harry and Snape's miserable
| relationship is the fault of both, though rather more Snape's since
| he is the grown-up.

[Lee again]:
Yes, indeed, and guess it just goes to prove that being grown up doesn't
necessarily mean being a true grown-up. <Grin>

Is we having fun? :-)

Lee :-)

Do not walk behind me,     | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;    | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,     | n2fgc at optonline.net (or)
I may not care to follow;  | n2fgc at arrl.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.