Why don't Ron and Ginny know? (WAS Gum Wrappers)

[alshainofthenorth]

No: HPFGUIDX 113159

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "meriaugust" <meriaugust at y...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "potioncat" 
<willsonkmom at m...> 
> wrote:
> > Dumbledad: 
> > > Imagine that you are teaching a boy who is struggling with his 
> > > education, and you know that he was brought up by his 
> grandmother 
> > > because his parents were tortured close to death and now reside 
> in 
> > a 
> > > mental home. Would you be able to treat him as McGonagall 
treats 
> > > Neville?
> > > 
> > 
> > Potioncat:
> > Hi, Dumbledad, haven't seen your name in a while.
> > 
> > I think McGonagall believes in the "Life is Tough Get Over It" 
> > philosophy.  Similar to Gram.  She reminds me of Merilla(sp) 
> > in "Anne of Green Gables."
> 
> Also, she knows all about Harry's history and doesn't hesitate 
> punishing him: 
> Is SS she takes off all those house points for the dragon incident 
> and gives him a detention. 
> In CoS she gives him detention for flying the car into the Whomping 
> Willow. 
> In OotP she doesn't intervene when DU is clearly abusing her powers 
> over Harry. 
> So she is just a very strict teacher. She has a soft spot sometimes 
> (and she may even demonstrate this to Neville, we just don't see 
it, 
> after all he is allowed to go to Hogsmeade again). 

Alshain agrees with aforementioned speakers and adds:

What was McGonagall to have done in the PoA situation? Given what she 
knew then, Neville's forgetfulness could have led to at least one, 
possibly several murders. Even if she loves her Gryffindors (tough 
love, obviously)  she isn't coddling them and isn't playing 
favourites. The only time she's relented was in CoS when Harry and 
Ron ostensibly wanted to see Hermione, but I'll argue that she wasn't 
her usual cantankerous self at that point.

Alshain