Should Neville Stand or Sit in Defiance WAS Re: Snape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 115683


I (Carol) wrote <snipped>:
> But assuming that Neville were to talk back to Snape or refuse to 
> follow directions or some other uncharacteristic behavior that could 
> serve no purpose except to annoy Snape and confirm his bad opinion 
> of Neville, I can easily picture Snape's reaction. No tears, no wry 
> grin, no confusion--just a cold, blank stare and a silky "Ten points 
> from Gryffindor, Longbottom. And if you speak again, it will be 
> detention."
> > 
> 
> Valky:
> Ahh but, Carol, you tar Neville with the wrong brush. 
> Neville cannot confirm Snapes bad opinion of him for it is simply 
> not in him to do so. Originally I posted that Nevilles defiance of 
> Snape will constitute a defiance of Snapes preconceptions of 
> weakness in Neville. Longbottom is stubbornly virtuous, his defiance 
> won't be "uncharacteristic". And *that* will be its effectiveness.

Carol again:
I certainly didn't intend to "tar" Neville with any brush. I was only
trying to imagine quiet, timid Neville defying Snape in the way
dzeytoun seems to want him to do and Snape's reaction if he did so. 
"Defiance" to me suggests rudeness and disrespect (justified in cases
where the person being defied is Voldemort but out of place in a
school and out of character for Neville). I don't consider "stubborn
virtue" to be "defiance." I think we both want Neville to politely and
"virtuously" demonstrate to Professor Snape that he's mistaken about
Neville's abilities. And maybe, now that he has a new wand and can
perform Charms and Transfiguration spells correctly, he'll be able to
succeed in making potions correctly as well. Only I doubt that he'll
have the opportunity, as I doubt that he earned the "O" needed to take
NEWT potions.

Can a person "defy" a preconception? If so, it's a different thing
from defying the person's authority, or defying the person himself,
which I for one *would* not find amusing or appropriate from Neville
(and *do* not find amusing or appropriate from Harry).

Carol, who wants Neville to get over his fear of Snape and get on with
more important things