Cultural standards for Snape abusiveness/Karma again/Mcgonagall and Neville

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 144462

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "amiabledorsai" <amiabledorsai at y...> wrote:
 
> Just a quick query: when has Snape saved Harry?  The time Quirrelmort
> cursed his broom?  OK, I'll give him good intentions (probably), and
> of course he gets credited with an assist, but Hermione is the one who
> actually (and accidentally) saved Harry.

Pippin:
According to Quirrell, he'd have managed to have Harry off his broom
before Hermione got there if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse.
 
Amiable Dorsai:
> The night Lupin went for a moonlight stroll?  Padfoot drove Moony away
> from the rest of the party (saving Snape in the process) and Harry
> drove away the Dementors (probably saving the unconscious Snape from
> being Kissed).  What did Snape do other than take credit?

Pippin:
He rescued Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius who were unconscious
and would have been defenseless if the werewolf or the dementors returned.

Amiable Dorsai: 
> It's nagging at me that I've probably missed another incident, but
> nothing comes to mind.

Pippin:
In OOP, Snape deduced that Harry had gone to the Ministry and sent the Order to
his aid.

Compare Snape's actions with Slughorn's when Ron is poisoned:

"Professor!" Harry bellowed. "Do something!"
But Slughorn seemed paralyzed by shock. Ron twitched and choked. His
sking was turning blue.
"What--but--" spluttered Slughorn.
Harry leapt over a low table and sprinted toward Slughorn's open potion
kit, pulling out jars and pouches, while the terrible sound of Ron's
gargling breath filled the room. Then he found it-- the shriveled 
kidneylike stone Slughorn had taken from him in Potions.

He hurtled back to Ron's side, wrenched open his jaw and thrust the
bezoar into his mouth. Ron gave a great shuddder, a rattling gasp,
and his body became limp and still. 
---

We don't hear that Dumbledore or McGonagall were disappointed or
suspicious that Slughorn seemingly lost his head in an emergency 
and did nothing while a student was nearly murdered in front of 
him.

Slughorn's definitely better company at a party than Snape is, and
and much less deserving of the ' deeply horrible person' tag,  but
I know which one I'd want around if someone was trying to kill *me*.

Pippin