What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 101848

Dzeytoun wrote:

<snip> We don't have much evidence that Snape 
> is targeting specific memories. 
> Having said that, however, there is still an obvious failure in the 
> method (and I understanding you are not necessarily defending
Snape's  methods).  Harry should have been offered the courtesy of a
pensieve 
> to protect his most painful/embarassing memories in a way similar to 
> Severus' sequestration of HIS painful memories.  Once Harry had 
> become more proficient at blocking Snape's attacks, this would not 
> have been necessary.  However, it would, almost certainly, have 
> greatly facilitated Harry's comfort and his ability to learn.
> 
> 
Carol:
OTOH, not having Harry's memories protected ought to have
"facilitated" his efforts to protect them. Notice that Snape is almost
pleased when Harry accidentally hits him with a stinging hex,
understanding that he did so reflexively, belatedly defending his
memories from Snape's intrusion. If Snape were as horrible as many
people read him to be, he would have accused Harry of doing it on
purpose and given him detention for it. Instead, he sees Harry as
making some sort of progress.

I'm guessing that the method Snape is using to teach Harry is the
method by which he himself was taught, presumably by Dumbledore, and
it may well be the only way to learn it (which could explain why it's
so rare). The whole idea of occlumency, as far as I can see, is to
block your emotions and your memories from your enemies (and, in
Snape's case, to be able to lie without being detected). Snape has to
position himself as the enemy in order to get Harry to do protect
himself, and he's angry when Harry doesn't react quickly enough
because he know what could happen if Harry faced Voldemort with a
similar attitude. ("You're handing me weapons!") Being nice and
respecting your student's feelings isn't going to prepare your student
to deal with a murderous enemy who wants to invade his mind.

Carol