What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 101214

Darrin wrote :
> McGonagall, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Moody, Lupin, Sirius and all the 
> other members of the Order of the Phoenix did quite a bit during the 
> war too. 
> 
> Don't see them reacting this way to Harry.

Del replies :
Who ever said that everyone should react the same way to the same
things ? People don't, in real life.
Especially when they were NOT the same things : as you like to point
out again and again, Snape started the war on the wrong side, and as
DD pointed out, he changed sides at great personal risk. BIG difference.

Darrin wrote :
> My problem is not with people who pity Snape, hope Snape gets it 
> together or enjoy him for his humanity.
> 
> My problem is with people who admire him and apologize for him.

Del replies :
And why should that be a problem to you ? It so happens that many of
us know and love people who are not nice. We know they are not nice,
but we also know some of the reasons why they are not nice. And so
next time we meet someone who's not nice but who seems to have a
painful background, we might be enclined to cut him some slack. I
don't see why that should be a problem for YOU. Just leave us alone.

And by the way, I don't like Snape, but I do admire him for having the
courage to change sides when that might have meant death. I don't see
anything wrong for giving credit where it's due. I don't like Snape's
teaching methods, but I admire his role in the current war. And I
don't see what's wrong with that.

Darrin wrote :
> Whether it's James or it's resentment over the war, Snape needs to 
> get over it.

Del replies :
You're talking about deep emotional issues like they were just some
kind of stains on the floor that just need to be brushed away. It just
doesn't work that way I'm afraid. Snape needs professional help to get
over those issues, and he's not getting it. And considering the stress
he's been under lately (and the chronic stress he's been living with
almost all his life), I consider it quite normal that he should
explode once in a while. Just like another person who's been letting
off steam in OoP. Unless you truly mean that only teenagers are
allowed to have emotional issues ? Then I would counsel you to open
your eyes and look around you : you'll find that MANY adults are
dealing with deep emotional problems as best they can, and sometimes
it's really not pretty.

Darrin wrote :
> And Harry is ridiculed, slandered and put through hideous detentions 
> for his insistence on V-Mort's return. Perhaps Harry IS pulling his 
> weight now, so Snape, once again, should let the hell up. 

Del replies :
I don't remember Snape doing anything to get in the way of Harry as
far as fighting Umbridge goes. In fact, he's been helping him.

Darrin wrote :
> But again, McGonagall was out there fighting when Snape was in 
> school. And soon after Snape graduated Hogwarts, he became a DE. He 
> WAS a DE for a period of time.

Del replies :
It's just a mere technicality, but we don't know for sure that
McGonagall was out there fighting LV. She doesn't seem to have
belonged to the first Order.

And yes, Snape was a DE for a while, until he apparently realised he'd
been enrolled by the wrong camp. I find it admirable that he should
then have the courage to change side. He didn't just drop the whole
thing, he actually became a fighter for the good side.

Darrin wrote :
> OK, fair enough. Maybe the teachers realize that Draco doesn't have 
> to turn into what his father did.
> 
> Wouldn't it be loverly if Snape realized that about Harry? After 
> all, James isn't around to influence Harry.
> 
> Other teachers are working against Lucius' influence. 

Del replies :
Many people on this list believe that Snape has to maintain good
relationships with Lucius, as part of his spy job.

James might not be there to influence Harry, but his memory and the
way other people talked about him were enough  to influence Harry. For
4 years, Snape kept telling Harry that his father, while in school,
wasn't the saint everyone described him as, but Harry never believed
him. Too bad, because Snape was right.

Darrin wrote :
> Never once have I said Harry can do no wrong. Check the tapes. I've 
> never said that. My problem has always been with the moral 
> equivalency some try to put forward on this list.
> 
> It goes something like this:
> 
> Harry broke the rules to rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets.
> 
> Draco broke the rules to try to knock Harry off the broom in PoA.
> 
> Harry & Draco - Both rulebreakers!
> 
> Or like this:
> 
> Snape took off on Harry from the very first day of class.
> 
> Harry doesn't give Snape a chance!
> 
> Harry & Snape - both to blame!

Del replies :
I don't know about others, but I've never tried to level out people's
faults. I've just been pointing out that *everyone* was guilty of
something, that everything was not Snape's fault, and that Harry was
no little saint, even if Harry is the hero.

Darrin wrote :
> And I have a major problem with downplaying what Harry has gone 
> through in order to make Snape the star of the piece. 

Del replies :
You know what ? I do too. But I've learned to just let those
Snape-lovers alone. I let them have their fun the way they like, it's
their right to wear rose-coloured glasses where Snape is concerned if
they want. JKR didn't put a warning in her books forbidding people to
like Snape, so why should we ?

In real life, not everyone likes the same people, thankfully ! And
we're always tempted to absolve our loved ones' faults, while
criticising every little mistake that people we don't like may make.
It's human.

Darrin wrote :
> And please. I doubt I will "suffer" anything on the list besides 
> getting a lot of posters upset with me. Done it before. 

Del replies :
Yes, and it sounded like you hadn't liked it the first time around.
You said it made you leabe the list for a while. So why do it again ?

Darrin wrote : 
> I don't care if people have differing opinions or not. I'm pointing 
> out how ludicrous it is when people's best shots at Harry have to do 
> with "being upset with the Creevey" brothers, as if that MATTERS to 
> the price of eggs.

Del replies :
I have much deeper concers with Harry than the Creevey brothers.
Things that DO matter to the price of eggs.

Darrin wrote :
> I find the moral equivalency offensive.

Del replies :
And I find the white-washing of Harry's faults offensive. Harry is a
true human being, and he does things that annoy me sometimes. He's not
the kind of kid I'm fond of, and I woudn't want much to do with him in
real life. And I don't see why I should change my preferences
concerning him just because he happens to be the hero of the books.

Del