CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 29, Career Advice

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 116184


> Carol responds:

snip.
 It's clear,
> however, that if she had not done so, Harry would not have received
> the zero. He would have triumphantly produced the second vial.


Alla:


Eh? Of course, he would have produced the second vial and Snape 
could have smashed it just the same.

Carol:

> More important, while it does seem unlikely that the vial would 
have
> fallen one its own unless Harry placed it precariously near the 
edge
> of the desk, it's also very unlikely that Snape would have knocked 
off
> the vial in the presence of three students (even though Harry's 
back
> was turned, he was still *there*. And Hermione, Harry's friend,
> witnessed the incident.

Alla:

You mean it was just as unlikely as Snape riduculing Hermione's 
teeth in the presence of more than three students or Snape 
humiliating Neville in front of the whole class, or Snape having fun 
at Harry's expense, while he wanted to warn Dumbledore about Crouch 
Sr.

Snape never cares about how many students present when he is having 
fun.


Carol:

 > Harry is furious, to be sure, but even he does not accuse Snape of
> breaking the vial. His bad mood results from the zero that he 
received
> in place of the E he was hoping to have earned. I've argued 
elsewhere
> that these zeroes are not really factored into Harry's grad; he has
> yet to complain about an end-of-year Potions mark.


Alla:

He does complain about his end of the year mark, Carol. Remember 
PoA? Harry thought that if Dumbledore did not interfere he would 
have failed the potions.

Could you tell me how Snape's behaviour becomes less unprofessional, 
because those grades do not count? That is why he is allowed to 
treat the student  during whole year in his usual disgusting way, if 
he would give him "average grade " at the end?



Carol:
Either of these explanations is much more
> likely than that Snape risked his professional reputation by 
breaking
> a student's potion vial in the presence of at least three students.
> 


Alla:

I submit that he risked his professional reputation SO many times 
already, that one more  does not really matter for him. He LOVES it.