CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 29, Career Advice

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 116165


<summary and two questions snipped>
 
> 3. After Harry turns, he hears a smashing sound.  Who or what broke 
> the sample vial of potion?  Would Snape have broken it, given that 
> Draco thinks Snape is teaching Harry remedial potions?  Would Draco 
> have broken it in front of Snape?  Could it have fallen by itself?
 <snip>
> > 5. Are classes for Auror set, or was McGonagall making her own 
> recommendations here?  Why was she smiling about Harry taking 
> Potions?

Carol responds:
IMO, these two questions belong together, IMO. I don't think that
Snape, despite his apparent malice, would actually break Harry's
potion vial any more than he would carry out a threat to poison
Trevor. Nor do I think the vial could have fallen by itself, and no
one was angry, so it couldn't have exploded through spontaneous
wandless magic. Since Draco is present, it seems likely that he's the
culprit, "accidentally" knocking over Harry's potion while handing in
his own. Snape maintains his usual favor-the-Slytherins,
antagonize-Harry stance, with his snide little remark and the supposed
zero. However, Harry has yet to complain of his end-of-year Potions
mark, which seems to indicate that Snape is not really factoring in
the zeroes and is giving Harry the marks he actually has earned
(certainly not high ones, but apparently at least average).

McGonagall has Harry's marks in front of her during the counseling
session but says nothing about the potions mark being low or
unsatisfactory. (Granted, Umbridge is present, but she could have
spoken to Harry about it later but does not.) Moreover, as Head of
Gryffindor, she probably sees all her students' end-of-year marks and
would have had words with Snape before this if she thought he was
marking her students unfairly. Her little smile seems to indicate that
she and Snape are working together and that she knows perfectly well
that Harry will be admitted into NEWT potions. I think that she and
Snape both know quite well how important it is for Harry to learn
Potions (and antidotes), whether or not he survives to become an
auror. (I'm betting that Harry';s knowledge of Potions, which is
greater than he thinks it is, will come in handy during Book 6 or 7.)

As for the qualifications to be an auror, clearly Potions *is*
required, and almost certainly DADA would be as well. Note that she
also recommends both classes that require "fancy wand waving"--aurors
should no doubt know as many spells as possible of all kinds, and
Transfiguration might even come in handy as a defensive skill.
(Doesn't Tonks say something about it early in OoP?) Maybe it's only
the fifth NEWT that's up to the individual student, and it's hard to
see how History of Magic as taught by Binns or Divination as taught by
either Trelawney or Firenze would fit in. (Muggle Studies, OTOH, would
be an easy "O" that would impress the committee that approves
potential aurors. If I were Harry, that would be my choice.) And yet
her wording seems to indicate that some of the classes she lists are
only suggestions and that Charms and Transfiguration, at least, are
her recommendations rather than requirements. But as a long-time
Transfiguration teacher, she unquestionably believes in the importance
of that class at least, and she probably wants to train Harry herself
to be sure that he has the Transfiguration skills he needs in the
upcoming war. So whether or not it's a requirement to be an auror,
she's going to make sure that Harry takes it (and NEWT Potions as well).
> 

> 10. Black and Lupin are very upset that Occlumency lessons have 
> stopped. They don't think Dumbledore will approve. Black will
> talk to Snape. No, Lupin will. Harry has to. Why does JKR set this
up, then leave us in the dark about who, or when, or if anyone ever 
> talks to Snape or Dumbledore?
<snip>

Carol responds:
This is a very good question because it's not easily answered and must
be in the mind of any attentive reader of this chapter. It's
unfortunate, IMO, that Black didn't take this same stance regarding
the importance of Occlumency at Christmastime rather than undermining
Snape's efforts to teach Harry by suggesting that Snape would try to
harm Harry. Only now that the lessons have stopped does he concede
their importance. First it will hurt Harry because Snape is teaching
it. Now it will hurt Harry because Snape has stopped teaching
it--hardly a consistent position except in its opposition to Snape. Is
Black merely taking advantage of another opportunity to make Snape
look like a bad guy or has he actually been convinced of the
importance of Occlumency? IMO, the first is more likely because it's
in keeping with his character.

Lupin sensibly realizes that Sirius, even if he could safely leave the
house, is the wrong person to persuade Snape to do anything. Lupin
ought also to realize that Harry is unlikely to go to Snape with any
sort of request, especially the continuation of lessons with his least
favorite teacher. My guess is that Lupin talked to Dumbledore and was
convinced either that Snape had a valid reason for stopping the
lessons (surely something more than Harry's invading his privacy
through the Pensieve) or that the lessons were doing more harm than
good, or both. (Surely Snape had told Dumbledore that Harry was
refusing to practice and certainly he told him about the dream of the
MoM corridor, so it's quite likely that Dumbledore agreed with Snape
that the lessons should not be resumed.) If Lupin were convinced that
the situation was best left as it was, he would have no need to talk
to Snape himself. (Either that or Lupin was only pretending to be
concerned about Harry, and I don't think that's the case.)

Carol, hoping that this loose end and many others will be dealt with
in Book 6