Sirius vs. Snape

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 99403

> 
> Neri (also yielding to the temptation):
> We don't have direct canon that DD gave Snape this mission. But we do 
> have canon that DD gave Snape an extremely critical mission: teach 
> Harry occlumency. And at this moment of truth, Snape let his emotions 
> get the better of him. He stopped giving Harry lessons because Harry 
> peeped and saw his 20 yrs old underwear. Snape knew exactly what was 
> at stake here. Sirius knew it also. He said to Harry in Umbridge's 
> fireplace (paraphrasing from memory) "listen to me Harry, the most 
> important thing in the world right now is for you to learn 
> occlumency". Sirius hated the fact that Snape was the one to teach 
> Harry occlumency, but unlike Snape, Sirius usually doesn't let his 
> emotions get the better of him. Not in the really critical moments. 
> Not since he was 16.  

Ally:

Well, not to condone Snape here, but I don't think the occlumency 
lessons are a good example of Snape failing at something important 
for a few reasons.

1) I think the person most responsible for Harry not learning 
occlumency is Harry.  We have ample evidence that he never, during 
the entire course of the lessons, bothered to really try to learn.  
He had a few instinctual moments of success with Snape, but he never 
did his homework, so to speak.  So even if Snape had continued, 
there's no reason to believe Harry would have applied himself, 
because he hadn't in the past.

2) Occlumency lessons really weren't that important after all.  After 
Snape stopped giving the lessons, what happened?  Remus said he would 
talk to him.  DD was informed as well, as he later told Harry.  If 
occlumency was so important, why wasn't Snape forced to resume them?  
DD said that in the end, occlumency wasn't important.  Did he know 
that after Snape and Harry's blow up?  It seems likely to me, given 
that he apparently didn't order Snape to resume the lessons.

[Aside - I've always thought the occlumency lessons were just a ploy 
by DD to force Snape and Harry to spend time together in hopes of 
them finding a common ground, kind of like the dueling club may have 
been a ploy and DD may have allowed Harry to face V in the first 
book.]

I think it's apples and oranges to compare Snape and Sirius.  Both 
have problems and both have done stupid things as a result of them.  
Sirius did lose his head at a critical moment, though - when he left 
Grimmauld Place.  That doesn't make him better or worse than Snape - 
who knows what opportunities will come for Snape to lose his head in 
future books?  I just don't think occlumency lessons are a good 
example of that.