Wondering.... about Snape & McGonagall

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 116737


 
>>> Dungrollin:
> 
>snip> 
 IMO McGonagall and Dumbledore know that Snape can be a bit 
partisan, but they don't see the full extent of his unfairness - 
that only manifests itself when the adults whose opinions matter to 
Snape are  not present.  I was suggesting that *had* McGonagall been 
present in the first potions lesson of OotP, (when Snape vanished 
the contents of Harry's cauldron, while allowing others who had made 
far worse mistakes to take samples up for marking,) *she* would have 
disapproved.

Potioncat:
I agree with you in theory.  It's really hard to understand how 
either DD or McGonagall would approve of or even accept Snape if 
they really, really knew what he was like. Unless perhaps, they knew 
something more.  

Now, perhaps if they knew something about Snape that made them more 
accepting "under the circumstances" and "It's hard on the students, 
but they'll survive, Let's support Severus in this..."

So either JKR believes that even in good schools, teachers can get 
away with bad behavior, or she knows DD and MM know something we 
don't.

As for the example you give, it was mean.  No arguing that.  But we 
don't know that his potion was any better than the others...just 
that theirs came out differently.  And to be honest, I could see McG 
telling someone not to bother turning the teapot with the ears in 
for marking. (Although it isn't in canon and it's complerely 
opinion.) 

But I think what confuses it for me, is that we do respect DD and 
McG and if they respect Snape...there must be something there.

Potioncat, who hasn't argued both sides in the same post for a long 
time.