Evaluating Snape (was: Re: Lupin's resentment )

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 94195

Siriusly Snapey Susan wrote:
> > Actually, while I really did feel the need to tone down my first 
> > argument about "grade abuse", this is the one I **would** stick 
> > to my guns on and call grade abuse or at least grade 
> > unfairness. ;-)  This was the time **Snape** broke Harry's flask 
> > after Harry turned it in.  I think it's even possible that Snape 
> > saw Hermione cleaning up Harry's cauldron and then broke it, 
> > knowing Harry couldn't fill another flask.  Remember, too, that 
> > Snape "survey[ed] him with a look of gloating pleasure" [US 
> > Scholastic, p. 661] after it happened.  It reads *to me* as 
> > intentional sabotage.

Kneasy:
> Child abuse, psychological abuse, mental abuse - now grade abuse.
> 
> Of all the crimes against children that Snape has been accused of,
> this one is a non-runner. In fact looking through my binoculars I
> can see it leaving the field, limping heavily. Nobbled by it's own
> jockey, it looks like.

Susan again:
Yes, yes, yes, this jockey has slid out of the saddle and is 
dangling perilously. ;-)  On the other hand...

Kneasy said:
> And no, I don't blame Snape. All Harry has to do is *do what he's 
> told*. But it seems that that is too much to ask. Just as in other 
> aspects of his teenage progress, Harry doesn't listen, does what 
> *he* wants and of course it's somebody else's fault when his 
> brilliant strategies don't work out.

Susan again:
Now, Kneasy, kindly tell me how *in the example I gave, above, to 
which your post was responding*, Harry didn't do what he was told?  
What did he choose to do that was wrong, what did he not listen to?  
He MADE his potion & turned it in.  Hermione cleared out his 
cauldron w/o his permission, and Snape "dropped" his potion sample.  
What did Harry do wrong here?

*Overall*, I'll agree that Harry often does whatever he wants & 
ignores what he is told, but in this case....


Kneasy remarked: 
> What you call Grades and what we call Marks seem to have absolutely
> no effect on a student's progress at Hogwarts. None. Zilch. Nothing
> Snape does or says in this respect has any consequence whatsoever.
> Hogwarts seems to be a schoolchild's dream where nobody fails an
> exam. Ever. Or not the end of year exam, anyway.
> 
> The only exam that matters in Harry's school career are the OWLs - 
> and guess what? Snape doesn't set it and doesn't get to mark it. 

Susan again:
Now **this** is an argument to really knock me down on the turf.  
Yes, I think you're right!  In spite of the actual zeros and the 
suspected zeros, Harry's moving right along w/ his classmates.  
Since his OWL will be scored by someone else and since there is no 
Institution of Higher Wizarding Learning of which we're aware, then 
you're probably right that these grades won't matter a whole heck of 
a lot as long as Harry can manage to slip through his OWL.

> So far as Potions is concerned, all is sound and fury and 
> signifying nothing. 

Ah, is it a tale told by an idiot, then, too? Do tell! ;-)

Siriusly Snapey Susan, conceding most of her argument.