Lupin's resentment : An inside to Snape's resentment

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 94206

> Pippin Wrote: 
> > As unprofessional as encouraging one of your students to 
> > conjure a fellow teacher in drag? Don't tell me there wasn't any 
> > other way to handle the situation. I'm sure if Neville's worst 
> fear 
> > had been Harry or McGonagall, Lupin would have thought of 
> > something. 
> 
> Potioncat:  I can't think of anything else myself, but I agree with 
> you.  This is too similar to the taunting from 5th year!  
> 
> Now, Snape had embarrassed Neville at he beginning of the class.  
So 
> the drag image may have been Lupin's way of getting back.  <snip>


Neri:
I have been carefully maintaining neutral silence during this surge 
of Snape posts (an administrative suggestion for the list elves: 
should we perhaps add to our SHIP, FILK and TBAY warnings also a 
SNAPE warning?) but this one had got to me. I just can't avoid 
replying. Did you thought for a minute, how is it that Neville's 
greatest fear is Snape? We are talking here about a boy whom both his 
parents were tortured to insanity. A boy whom his own uncle was 
throwing him out of third floor windows and piers. And what is he 
most terrified of? His teacher.

I may forgive Snape his long abuse of Harry because Harry is tough 
and can take it, and because there is a continuing vendetta between 
them. But one thing I don't forgive Snape is abusing Neville. Neville 
did nothing to Snape. Nevill's parents, as far as we know, did 
nothing to Snape either. Neville does not usually break rules. He 
tries very hard at class and fails because of personal issues. Almost 
all the students picks on Neville, from Draco et al to Fred and 
George. He is the butt of everyone's joke. But for a teacher to pick 
on him, this is a whole different matter. A teacher is a grown-up who 
is given an authority and responsibility for kids. To take advantage 
of this authority, this is a foul thing in my book. 

Ok, if someone detects a personal tone here, one is not wrong. I had 
the misfortune to have a teacher or two like Snape. I know the type 
well, and I believe JKR does also, since she describes it very 
accurately. They zoom like vultures on the weakest, most helpless kid 
in the class and abuse him repeatedly in front of all his classmates. 
I often wonder if the Snape's fans would have agreed that he'd teach 
their own child, and treat him/her as he treats Neville.

Lupin did not invent Neville's worst fear. He armed Neville against 
this fear. This is how a true teacher should behave, and for this 
deed alone I like Lupin.  

And since this is apparently the time to clarify my own position 
regarding our popular but controversial Potions Master, I don't see 
him as "a good guy even if he is not a nice guy". I see him as a bad 
guy who somehow ended up on the side of Good, and might yet redeem 
himself if he does more good than evil. He is one of the ways for JKR 
to point out that in realty there isn't a clean dichotomy between 
good and bad, and that sometime you need bad people on your side in 
order to fight even greater evil. And yes, he definitely has a 
certain misanthropic charm that I'm not immune to. Until he starts 
abusing Neville. I don't dislike talented misanthropic people, but 
please pick on someone your own size.


Neri