Snape--Abusive?

[kmcbears1]

No: HPFGUIDX 114708


> Alex wrote:
> <snip some>
> What has Snape done?  He's asked Harry questions he wouldn't 
> reasonably be expected to know the answers to in his first week of 
> school.  He's capriciously graded a couple of his assignments.  
He's 
> blamed Harry for incidents of classroom misconduct in which Harry 
> was not the instigator or sole participant. These behaviors are all 
> unprofessional and inapproriate, but I'm not sure I'd call them 
> abusive.  (the capricious grading is what bothers me most, as a 
> teacher.)
> > 
> 
> Valky (interrupting): 
> Me too about the grading but I am not a teacher.
> 
> Alex continues:
> > If those who believe in abusive!Snape can present the case without
> > going into a CAPSLOCK rage, I'd be interested in hearing it,
> > particularly with reference to specific classroom (or other on-
> page) incidents that I haven't thought of.  
> >  
> > Alex
> 
> 
> Valky:
> I am sorry, Alex. I can't really make the case that you have 
> requested for you. I feel that Snape is borderline abusive in 
> dealing with Harry and essentially I have agreed with the term on 
> principle while part of this debate, in most of my posts you'll see 
> I have inserted dumbed down synonyms where I might have put abusive.
> 
> Alex said:
> What about Harry's reaction?  If he was crying himself to sleep on a
> > regular basis, having horrible nightmares about potions class,
> > becoming physically ill on days when he was supposed to have class
> > with Snape, or otherwise showing signs of extreme stress or 
> anxiety, then I'd consider assigning the label of "abuse" to 
Snape's 
> behavior.  But he isn't. 
> 
> Valky: 
> I agree with what you have said here Harry doesn't have these 
> reactions to Snape but there is someone who does. Neville 
Longbottom.
> Now I have been thinking on this for a little while now especially 
> in terms of the longest debate that has been going on the past few 
> days about Harry needing to stand his ground with Snape. My 
response 
> to that you can read if you sift through the deluge and paraphrased 
> it basically says that Harry has Snape beaten in spades already. 
> Someone who hasn't though is Neville. Neville is still suffering 
and 
> tormented by Snape. In POA we discover he has been deeply cut by 
> Snapes cruelty toward him. Neville has no respect for Snape and 
> Neville is the subject most abused by the evident *issues* Snape 
> hasn't matured beyond. Therefore it is *Neville* who most needs to 
> stand up and take back his personal power here and not Harry. 
> 
kmc adds:

In PS/SS Harry gets points taken off because he was disrespectful not 
because he didn't know the answer.  Harry set the tone for his and 
Snape's relationship from day one.  IMO Snape selects a student in 
each of his first year classes to ask these types of questions.  I am 
sure he changes them from one class to another so older siblings 
can't pass the answers down.   Harry thinks Snape causes his scar to 
burn and that Snape hates him.  Harry often jumps to the negative 
opinion of Snape and does not show him respect due the office of 
teacher.  Including the Occlumency lessons, where Snape must remind 
Harry that he is still his teacher and will be addressed in the 
appropiate manner.

As to Neville, he has destroyed six caldrons.  He has been the cause 
of injury to his fellow students.  Snape is venting frustration with 
Neville not abuse.  I wonder if Snape is getting Howlers from 
Neville's potion partners' parents because of the cost of caldron 
replacements.  (Now that would be a funny scene - ranks right up 
there with Snape in "lime green robes".)

I actually had a caustic, sarcastic, no nonsense teacher who favored 
any football player the way Snape favors the Slytherin.   Every non-
football player in his class got a dose of his negative teaching 
methods at least once.   He was one of three teachers I kept in touch 
with after I left school and when he died, there was a write up in 
the paper about the number of his former students who came to his 
funeral because he taught us something outside of his subject 
matter.  He taught us that there are consequences to our actions and 
some times the consequences are negative, even if you think you are 
doing everything right.

Snape teaches a subject that can have negative consequences in real 
life.  Its been mentioned before - bad potion can cause serious 
injury or death.  One little mistake and a caldron is melted, the 
class is standing on chairs and everyone is breaking out in boils.  
Neville did this before we saw Snape picking on him.  

Snape is not fair to the students because he favors his house.  Other 
than that I think he is right to expect respect of the "office" and 
subject matter.

-kmc