Harry learning from Snape (was: stopper death)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 114807


Pippin wrote:
> > That is one reason that Dumbledore is not going to sit Snape 
> > down -- the other reason is that as Dumbledore said in PoA, he 
> > has no power to make other men see the truth. Which is to say, 
> > that's one of the powers Dumbledore is too noble to use. If 
> > people share Dumbledore's views, it should be because they 
> > want to, not because Albus Dumbledore is good at being 
> > obeyed. Dumbledore has no more right to remake others in his 
> > image than Voldemort does.
> 
Dzeytoun responded:
> That is an utterly and absolutely absurd attitude.  And if
Dumbledore really does feel that way, he has no business being in
charge of a 
> lemonade stand, much less a school or a war.
> 
> 

Carol responds:
Forgive me, but first you call Siriusly Snapey Susan's position
"reprehensible," then you call Pippin's "utterly and absolutely
absurd." Both SSS and Pippin are intelligent posters whose messages
are almost always worth reading, whether or not we agree with them.
Namecalling is not argument, nor does it prove your points. Please
respond respectfully, using canon to support your arguments, which
should relate to the characters and the text, not to the perceived
"absurdity" of "reprehensibility" of other posters' views. (If you had
carefully read SSS's other posts, you would know that she doesn't
approve of Snape's teaching methods. Even I will admit that he's
sarcastic and often unfair. His status as an Order member, which you
seem to think is probational, is another matter. There is, to my
knowledge, no evidence that he is not performing his duties there to
Dumbledore's complete satisfaction.) 

JKR has said in an interview that Dumbledore allows "bad teachers like
Snape" to continue teaching at Hogwarts because they are part of life
(I can find the exact quote if you need it). Certainly it can be
argued that facing Snape prepares Harry for facing a greater enemy,
Voldemort. And Snape, I think, know that--and in fact deliberately set
himself up in a Voldemort-like role in the Occlumency lessons, telling
Harry that by failing to control his anger, he was handing him (Snape)
weapons.

The WW is not the modern Real World; its standards are not our
standards. Dumbledore is not the principal of a politically correct
modern high school but the headmaster of a wizarding school whose
pupils are about to face a war against a Dark Wizard and his murderous
followers. Protecting their feelings and their self-esteem is the
least of his concerns.

Carol, with apologies to the List Elves for stepping in here, but two
posts of this sort in a row could not be passed by in silence