Snape--Abusive?

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 114980



> Alla wrote:
> 
> Oh, yes. I don't know when if ever I will be ready to forgive 
Snape 
> for the Occlumency disaster. I am of the firm opinion that Harry 
> would have done MUCH better with the teacher he trusted. Oh, well, 
> we will never know, huh.
> 
> For a while I was of the opinion that Snape does not value Harry's 
> life, not just his ability to learn Occlumency.
> 
> Which to me is extreme carelesness, boderline stupidity.

Hannah leaps to Snape's defence (of course): I never understand why 
people blame Snape so much for the occlumency disaster.  He does his 
best in difficult circumstances.  DD should never have asked Snape 
to do it.  Snape did his best, IMO.  He stopped teaching Harry after 
Harry seriously provoked him.  Even then, he may have resumed 
classes had Harry asked - he did continue to teach Harry potions.  

Harry never practiced - Snape couldn't force him to.  He did his 
best through reprimands etc.  Snape's teaching methods are suited 
well to something precise and dry like potions, not to something 
emotional like occlumency.  He does his best, but in this case, his 
best just isn't right.  And I still think Snape treated Harry a bit 
better than usual in these lessons (OK, that's still not great).  
Harry is completely unreceptive to Snape.  He disregards everything 
Snape says, and doesn't really want to suceed.  I don't know what 
Snape was meant to do to overcome that.

Yes, Harry probably would have achieved more with a different 
teacher.  But it wasn't Snape's fault that DD made him do the job.  
Even if it had been a student he liked that he was trying to teach 
under the same circumstances, I just don't think Snape has the 
necessary 'people skills' to get to the bottom of the problems 
underlying the inability to learn.  It's too personal.  Snape's not 
good at personal stuff.  Even if he'd said 'what's troubling you, 
lad?' or something equally implausible to Harry, I doubt Harry would 
have immediately started spilling his innermost secret doubts and 
desires to Snape.  Or probably to any other teacher either, except 
perhaps Lupin.

And if Snape disregards Harry's life, why does he keep saving it?

Hannah, clinging on to her Snape-o-philia by her fingernails.