Snape - Abusive?

[redlena_web]

No: HPFGUIDX 114905


<<
> distaiyi:
> The fact that Neville is afraid of Snape hardly amounts to 
> abuse. And what I recall of Snape's interaction with Neville is 
> hardly different from any other Gryffindor student must endure.
>>

RedLena:
In Chapter 7 of PoA, the Gryffindor third years are in Potions 
class with Snape.  Neville is having such trouble with his 
Shrinking Potion that it's coming out orange instead of the proper 
green.  Snape sees this and tells Neville that at the end of the 
class he will feed Neville's potion to his frog Trevor.  

This terrifies Neville... he knows his potion is wrong and has no 
idea what his orange mistake would do to his beloved pet.  
Snape knows that Neville would have that reaction to the threat... 
particularly because it's not an idle one.  While I believe Snape 
knows what effect the incorrect orange potion would have, he 
certainly also knows that Neville wouldn't and the boy would 
assume the worst.

This is intentional emotional abuse that Snape is inflicting on 
Neville.  In interactions with other Gryffindors, Snape has been 
strict and disdainful with his punishments, but I don't know of 
anyone else whom he led to believe he would possibly poison 
someone/thing that the student loves.

The fact that Neville is afraid of Snape is not the abuse.  It's the 
fact that Snape recognizes that Neville is afraid of him and takes 
advantage of that fact with interactions like the one I've related 
above that is abusive.

--RedLena