Harry (Was: What if other teachers behaved like Snape?)

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 101220

 
> Del replied, bashing Darrin's Snape-bashing :
> 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.>

True, Snape has some very real issues.  It is clear to me he is an unhappy, 
possibly very lonely man.  He doesn't appear to be in a job he enjoys and we 
now know that within that job, he doesn't even have the position he always 
wanted.  The glimpse into the Pensieve we saw with Harry does make my 
heart go out to him.

I still can't excuse him, though, for holding onto a grudge for a dead man to 
the point where he takes it out on the son.  I also must agree with Darrin 
when he points out that Snape is the adult.  As a teacher, there have been 
times when I would have loved nothing more than to let a student have it, but 
I don't.  I can't.   There are students I don't like very much, but I give them the 
grades they earn (no one says I'm unfair at my school).  In fact, students 
think I have no favorites (I've heard them say it), but I do.  Why can't Snape 
do that?

Del again:
> 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.>

Well, in a way Snape was right.  James *was* pretty awful there, but he was 
also a kid behaving like one (certainly one I'd stay away from, but a kid 
nonetheless).  Snape was no innocent victim either.  I can't blame Harry for 
not believing Snape; it is clear Snape has personal issues with James and 
isn't too objective there.  Harry needed to learn on his own that his father was 
a real person with real faults, not through someone else's words.  We also 
know that James changed, or Lily wouldn't have given him a chance.

> Del, sadly, says of my Harry:
> 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.>

Point taken.  We all have different reactions to different people, and yes, that 
is a good thing.  I'd trust Harry with my life if I was a witch at Hogwarts.  I 
know he has developed some issues that need to be dealt with, and fast, like 
his temper and his emotions that seem never to be checked.  However, he 
has integrity that makes him the hero he is.  I love that he realized Cho was 
not the girl for him, not because he found her annoying, or petty, or 
superficial, but because she defended someone who should not have been 
defended.  She made excuses in a situation that caused a hell of a lot of 
problems and Harry couldn't tolerate that.

I love Harry for standing up to Umbridge, even though he knew he'd get in 
trouble.  I love that he chose punishment over keeping his mouth shut and 
simply going along.

I love him for teaching DADA to his peers and taking such risks to do so.

I even kind of really liked that he let it all out in OoP; he needed to do that.  I 
believe he'll spend time in book six learning to control his emotions because 
he'll know he needs to do so.  I was waiting for Harry to really speak up for 
himself and I'm glad he did, even when people didn't believe him.  

I can see why some people don't like Harry and that's fine.  It's good even, 
because then I can have Harry all to myself.  :-)

--jenny from ravenclaw, not confusing reality with fantasy and knowing her 
sweetie understands this Harry thing ***********************************************