Snape, Harry, and DADA

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 138932

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "suehpfan1" <sue.stanley at s...> 

> Harry.  Harry took this as a great compliment, mostly because 
> Hermione viewed something Harry had said as worth remembering.  (HBP 
> US 180).  Also on this page, Harry is able to effectively block 
> Snape's attempt to jinx him.  It seems to me JKR was showing them as 
> very close in ability, and therefore there would be little of the 
> cat and mouse of the potions classes.  Harry was too good.
> 

Harry's abilities are strangely inconsistent, but he does seem to be
unusually powerful--he learned the Patronus when he was very young,
then used it to drive away a hundred or so dementors, he
side-apparated Dumbledore (which must be hard, else why go through the
broom-ride to Grimmauld Place in book 5?).  On the other hand hand, he
had a hard time learning the Summoning Spell.

I don't know about his being Snape's equal in skill--Snape has decades
of practice on Harry, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he
equals or betters Snape in potential.  And I think you're right--that
potential means that Snape would be taking a chance on being further
embarrassed by Harry if he pushed him too hard in class. 

It would be interesting to see them duel again if Harry ever takes
Snape's advice and learns to Occlude his mind properly.