CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 29, Career Advice

[Nora Renka]

No: HPFGUIDX 116174


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> 
> <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>
>
> 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).

Problem is, Draco is here laughing; Harry hears the smashing 
noise, "Malfoy gave a gleeful yell of laughter...Snape was surveying 
him with a look of gloating pleasure".  This seems to me, although 
it's possible the other way, that Draco is laughing *because* he sees 
exactly what Snape is doing.  This fits better with Draco's 
personality--he's the type to gloat loudly at misfortune, especially 
when he doesn't exactly have anything to do with it.  The little git 
knows the full extent of Schadenfreude, but I don't think he quite 
has the moxie to pull that off so openly.  I know we all wouldn't 
like to believe it, but Snape fully *is* capable of being that petty, 
especially when he's been offended so personally.

The zeros may not matter into the final score, but it certainly 
matters as to the professionalism with which you treat your 
students.  If the point is to encourage learning, engaging in cheap 
shots like that is not a help.

-Nora adds in one long thoughtful note about Occlumency; learning to 
relax is a skill, and a very tricky one at that; it is NOT well-
developed by taking a beginner and hitting them until they chance to 
actually manage to relax and deflect a hit; should be interesting to 
see if teaching method is addressed at all...