What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

[Ava]

No: HPFGUIDX 101416

> > Mel:
> > You didn't answer the questions. Attempts at distraction will 
win 
> > you no points.

Darrin:
> Oooh, nasty. If I was a weaker-willed poster, I might go crying to 
the Admins to 
> post the polite and nice rules again.

Ava:
Just have to ask - what was so nasty about a comment that your 
statements were not on point?  You needn't answer that as it is also 
utterly off topic, but I do wonder why you took such offense.

Darrin: 
> I just wanted to make sure we didn't lose sight of what Snape was 
trying to 
> accomplish. Such things are very indicative of the man's character.
> 
> Or lack thereof, as the case may be.

Ava:  I'm sorry; I have trouble reading between the lines, 
myself.  When you speak of "what Snape was trying to accomplish", 
are you referring to what he was trying to accomplish with the 
Occlumency lessons?  DO you think he had an ulterior motive there?  
Because if you can back that up, it's an argument of interest, 
whether one agrees or not.
    
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.

Darrin:
> Perhaps you should not worry about what I will claim next,
> since you look at the world so differently than I do. Again, 
> polite and nice wins the race. :)

    Ava: I assume you're referring to Lupin?  Mmmm - we KNOW how 
effective he was in nicely & politely controlling his buddies Potter 
& Black while he was a prefect - not very.  

Darrin:
> He was told to do something, but never told why. For Harry, who 
> for all his bleating and 15-year-old self-centeredness deserved 
> to know a bit more. 

Ava: And whose decision was that, not to tell him more?  I don't put 
much stock in what the films contribute to the discussion, but I did 
think it was interesting in PoA when Snape asks DD if Potter should 
be told more info.  He gets vetoed.  Whether that's an accurate 
reflection or not, it is nonetheless DD's decision re Occlumency 
that Harry should be kept in the dark. (Admittedly, that's pretty 
much a guarantee of rebellion from most 15 year olds, esp. Harry.)

Darrin:
> And again, it is about trust. What exactly in Harry and Snape's 
> relationship would give him reason to trust Snape? 

Ava:  If nothing else, because he's been told to, by DD and Lupin?

> And to answer the question, Harry did do his part to send the 
> lessons off the rails when he dove into the Pensieve. But you 
> know what? Thanks to Snape, it was a train wreck long before.

   Ava:   It was Snape's fault, of course.  Harry was practicing 
Occlumency SO assiduously, and Snape just did his best to discourage 
the poor lad, didn't he?

Mel:
> 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.

Darrin: 
> Ah, so Harry should be USED to it by now. Perhaps he should bend 
> over and say, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

   Ava:  Isn't that sort of implied in the career advice McGonagall 
gives Harry - he's going to need Potions next year, & he'll need 
Snape's recommendation.  How do you suppose he's going to manage 
that?  By acting like an ass?

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

Darrin: 
> Yes, for actually believing that Snape could be a grownup! Read 
> between the lines once in a while, why don'tcha?
> 
> Oops, there I go again.

Ava:  Hypocrisy is a lovely thing, isn't it?  
        Anyway, what I read into the "some scars run too deep" 
speech is a hint at a measure of self-rebuke that may well include, 
but is certainly not limited to, a mistaken belief in Snape's 
ability to 'get over it.' 


Ava