More on Snape

[probonoprobono]

No: HPFGUIDX 102712

>Ava: And you've never had a teacher or boss like that? Lucky you!

Probono: I haven't said that at all. Haven't we all had
Snapes, 
Umbridges, and Trelawneys in our lives? All I've said is I
don't 
find his teaching methods as particularly encouraging. Just because 
we've all dealt with them doesn't make them right, by golly! 

But as I think about it, maybe I should clarify that I'm 
concentrating on Snape's treatment of Harry in particular. Maybe 
Snape's teaching methods are quite adequate for the rest of the 
students. Sure he prefers the Slytherins and sure he has targeted 
some other students on rare occasions, such as Hermione and Neville. 
I guess if he more or less ignored the rest of the students with the 
exception of assigning incredibly difficult potions and lots and 
lots of homework, while simultaneously grading on a uber-strict 
scale leaving no possibility for error
well, I, for one, cannot 
gripe about that.

But Harry is an entirely different story. Snape has a childish 
grudge against Harry. Hopefully we all can agree on that? It's
just 
something he cannot bring himself to get over. (Hey, nobody's 
perfect) And Snape has a fragile ego too. Harry threatens this ego. 
When Harry looks into the pensieve he discovers one of Snape's 
weaknesses. Has Harry ever uncovered a weakness in Snape until now? 
I don't think so, but I don't have my books handy. And Snape
is 
scared. It's only after this time that he actually destroys
Harry's 
project. He needs to reassert his dominance, his control. Why is he 
so afraid of Harry anyway? 

>> snippitysnipsnip of my original post
(Or maybe he'll get
lucky, 
and for some reason there will be a new potions teacher next year?

>Ava: And exactly HOW would this help him learn to deal with it? And 
>furthermore, I thought you just said you really love Snape as a 
>character. So now you want to get rid of him? Replace him with 
>somebody nice? This would be an improvement? I think not. 

Probono: Just to clarify, under no circumstances do I want to off my 
favorite character! *I* don't want the situation fixed (I like I
the 
way it is). *I* don't want an improvement. And I might add, nor 
would I like to see Snape suddenly turn into Mr. Nice Guy at the end 
of book 7. "Oh Harry it was difficult for me, but I did this for 
your own good." BLECH! But I'm speaking of Harry here, not
me. If 
Snapey-Dear accidentally tripped and squashed his big nose into the 
front-grill of the Knight bus and remained in St. Mungos for
Harry's 
final 2 years, Harry would personally thank his lucky stars. I, 
however, and many other readers would be deeply disappointed I 
think. Don't you? As vmonte said, I think it is okay to
appreciate 
Snape without trying to justify his actions, and I do. 

Now I'm trying to remember why I posted at all? Oh yeah! I guess
I 
am having a hard time understanding that some people find Snape's 
methods admirable; even would LIKE to have him as a teacher. 
Fascinating! Fascinating!

But back to the more likely scenario of book 7 with Snape still 
PotionsMaster
As I said before, Snape is an entirely different
form 
of stress that Harry is going to have to overcome if he truly wants 
to be an Auror. I, for one, am looking forward to how he handles it.