Severus and the DADA exam (Was: James, a paragon of virtue? )

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 123714


Carol earlier:
> > Severus, in contrast, clearly *knows* DADA in detail and clearly 
cares about what he knows. <snip> Severus clearly wants to *master*
the subject, possibly to use it in his career, possibly because the
subject itself is important to him. 
> > Just because a student studies doesn't mean he or she isn't 
> > naturally bright. Look at Hermione.
> > 
> > Snape quite possibly has the same sort of retentive memory as
> > Hermione, which enables him to write more than the question
probably calls for in response to the DADA OWL. 
> 
> 
> SSSusan:
> I think there's a WHOLE lotta assumin' goin' on here.  How do know 
> all this stuff about Severus Snape -- that he clearly *cares* about 
> what he knows, that he's not interested in getting a high mark just 
> for a high mark's sake but because he wants to *master* the subject?  
> How do we know he's not studying hard and trying to do well because 
> he wants to impress or please his potential boss, Lord Voldemort?  
> 
> How do we know that his writing a long response on his DADA OWL exam 
> means he has a strong, retentive memory?  I DO think the man is very 
> bright and skilled, at least as we see him as an adult, but surely 
> there are other possibilities than what you've stated that this
scene shows?  How 'bout he's struggled to come up with a response, has
had lots of fits & starts or moments of "writer's block," and so he's 
> rushing to complete the essay at the end?  How do we know he's not a 
> master bullshitter?  I mean, *I* know all about that skill -- I got 
> by on quite a few exams through a combination of quick comprehension 
> of material and a good, strong ability to bullshit my way through an 
> essay.  And guess what?  I was often one of the last ones to turn in 
> my exams.
> 
> I just don't see how you know all this stuff about Severus, sorry.


Carol responds:
He's not stopping and crossing out words. He's writing quickly in a
minuscule hand trying to get everything he has to say onto the page.
The implication is that he knows the subject and the words are just
coming out of him. Afterwards he studies the questions as if trying to
be sure that he remembered everything. That in itself is evidence that
he cares about the subject, or at least about the results of the exam.
And I didn't say that I *know* all this. Note the repeated use of
"possibly." As always, it's my interpretation of the evidence--in
response to other people's interpretations that I disagree with,
especially the idea that a student who studies (like Severus or Remus
or Hermione) is less bright than one who doesn't (like James or
Sirius). (Not that James and Sirius aren't also bright, especially
James, who may well have settled and started studying before he was
awarded with the position of Head Boy and therefore deserved it, not
as a reward for his natural intelligence but for the uses to which he
had put it. But at the time of this scene, James doesn't seem to care
one way or another about the DADA exam, the only one we see him take.
He doodles Lily's initials on his exam sheet when he's done, jokes
about the werewolf question, and plays with a snitch afterward.
Severus *does* care. He studies the exam questions, undoubtedly going
over his own answers in his mind, to the point of being oblivious to
everything else.) 

Maybe Severus *does* want to get a position with Lord Voldemort to
make use of his interest in and knowledge of the Dark Arts, as you
suggest. I don't know his motivation. But it's clear to me, at least,
that he not only cares about this exam but that he knows his stuff.
And I'm willing to bet every knut in my possession that he got an O on
that exam (and probably in Potions, too, but that's not part of the
wager).

Carol, who is not trying to denigrate James, only to argue that
Severus did know DADA