DD to blame for occlumency? (was: What if other teachers behaved like Snape?)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 101394

Mel:
> I disagree with you that Harry had no 'goal' in beginning 
> Occlumency lessons. I've heard this argument before and it never 
> washes. I used the same one trying to get out of Algebra and it 
> didn't work then, either. (I could be snarky here and say he had a 
> goal of not learning it because it was Snape). He was instructed 
> clearly by DUMBLEDORE to pay attention, work hard and do everything 
> his teacher told him to do. When he whined about it this assertion 
> was backed up by..OH! Lupin! Whaddya know!  Harry's goal was to 
> LEARN OCCLUMENCY TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY. Harry's goal was to 
> CLOSE HIS MIND FROM VOLDEMORT. That's what he was told by 
> Dumbledore, Snape, and Lupin. 
> That should have been enough. Next you're going to claim he thought 
> that the 'real' reason he was being made to learn 
> Occlumency was to be found in Snape's Pensieve.
> 
> Harry's had 5 years to get familiar with Snape's teaching style for 
> better or worse. You'd think by now he'd have figured out he's not 
> going to get a sweet every time he answers a question correctly.
> 

SSSusan:
Of course you're correct in the last paragraph, that Harry would not 
have gone in expecting a fun time or sweets as rewards for getting in 
right.  You're also right that Harry SHOULD have listened to DD, 
Lupin & Snape, and trusted their instructions.

On the other hand, I think there is something to the goal's clarity 
in Lupin's dementor lessons & the goal's lack of clarity in the 
occlumency lessons...COUPLED with the fact that Harry felt things 
were getting worse, not better.  

For right or wrong, Harry doesn't trust Snape very much.  He doesn't 
feel he's someone he can talk to very easily.  He HAS talked w/ DD in 
the past, but all year DD has been avoiding him [so Harry thinks--and 
he's right, though he doesn't know WHY], and he can't get ahold of DD 
to ask him, "Please, sir, WHY do I need to do this?  It's not 
working.  I seem to be getting worse.  Can't you explain this to 
me?"  DD's not around nor been willing to explain.

As I said in another post today, Harry trusted Lupin and felt Lupin 
truly wanted to help him.  Harry has his doubts about Snape, and when 
he failed to improve, he wondered if Snape was sabotaging him.  He 
FAILED to acknowledge his own lack of work, too, which made it all 
the worse.

I don't blame Snape for all of the failure, and I think he made some 
strides at first in the manner of compliments--backhanded compliments 
which failed to register with Harry--but I do think Harry's failure 
is somewhat understandable.  Inadequate explanation of the REASON for 
learning this [doesn't *everyone* learn better when s/he knows the 
why behind it?].  Bad pairing.  Teacher & student not making great 
strides to break history of bad blood.  Harry's visions 
getting "worse."  

Mel:
> BTW, Dumbledore does not blame Snape for the lesson failures, he 
> blames himself.

SSSusan:
True.  Remember, though, what's behind that blame.  He knows it was a 
bad match-up.  He realizes that Snape couldn't put some things behind 
him.  He doesn't want to blame Snape, because he knows he (DD) is the 
one who ordered Snape to give the lessons.  But Snape did do some of 
the "failing" in not helping Harry understand (to the degree DD would 
allow that), not helping Harry understand more fully what was going 
to happen in these lessons, in not explaining much about how one 
clears one's mind, etc.

Ultimately, though, I think DD is right--it was his unwillingness to 
come clean w/ Harry when he should have that contributed to Harry's 
not understanding the true situation and not being willing to trust 
Snape or to work hard.  

There's enough human failing to go around in this situation--DD, 
Snape, Harry--but the *responsibility* ultimately lies w/ DD, which 
is why, imo, he blamed himself.

Siriusly Snapey Susan