Snape - Abusive?

[redlena_web]

No: HPFGUIDX 114954



> > RedLena:
<snip my summary of Snape/Neville interaction from PoA Ch. 7>
> > 
> > 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.
> > 

> kmc:
> 
> Or did Snape just want Neville to have a compelling reason to figure
> out what he did wrong and fix it?  <snip> Snape is dealing with a 
> dangerous subject.  Students must learn to correct their errors. <snip>
>>

RedLena, again:
I would agree that Snape's *intention* was to get Neville to get his act
together and fix the potion.  However, the end does not justify the means.

<<kmc:
> Neville rises to the occasion as part of the DA group after Bellatrix
> escapes Azkaban, in spite of his fears. Hermione's helping him may
> have prevented him from fixing the solution himself.
>>

RedLena, again:
Neville does certainly begin to trust himself and build confidence in OoP.
And Hermione helping him along the way may (or may not) have slowed
the natural maturing process that brought him to the place to be able to
do that. We have no way of really knowing that for sure though.  Sometimes
students just have trouble with particular subjects, regardless of whatever
level of help they receive and simply have to find the motivation within
*themselves* to achieve greater results.  That appears to be the case with 
Neville.