Snape--Abusive?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 114692


> Pippin:
> > Snape makes an attractive scapegoat, but surely she.....
>  
> (Valky: Bellatrix who he has already stood against)
> 
> .......is the one responsible for Neville's nightmares and 
> irrational fears?
> >
> 
> Valky:
> Not at all. POA makes a specific case of Neville fearing Snape 
withhis Boggart and furthermore in OOtP you see Neville 
shaking with fear when Snapes castigates him.<

Argh, I don't remember that in OOP, can you give the reference? 
In GoF, Neville has a bad night after he sees the cruciatus curse 
demonstrated, not after any of his misadventures in Snape's 
class, even Trevor's almost-poisoning or the detention with frog 
guts.

Still, I wouldn't deny that Neville is afraid of Snape. But what we 
learn in PoA is that Neville's fear of Snape will be overcome by 
*laughter*, a lesson Neville has yet to apply in real life. 
Neville's fear of Snape is  *irrational*.  It wouldn't be irrational
for 
him to fear emotional abuse, but we know he doesn't,  because 
boggart!Snape doesn't  tell Neville what a miserable failure of   a 
wizard he is (and we know boggarts can do that, because 
Hermione's did). We  have never seen Professor Snape draw 
his wand on a student but that's what Neville fears--how can that 
be reality based?

 Neville was radically insecure and having trouble with magic 
before he ever came to Hogwarts and  he blew up his cauldron 
before Snape ever said a word to him, so I don't see how we can 
conclude that those problems are Snape's fault. 

 And Neville has not yet stood against Bella --he's defied her but 
he hasn't beaten her yet. It won't be satisfying if anyone else 
brings her down.

Pippin