Snape and Occlumency

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 121639


 
> > Carol responds:
> One more point. We need to look at the narrator here. Harry's 
dating the increased prickling to the beginning of the Occlumency 
lessons is his own view, not objective fact. He hates the lessons; 
he hates Snape; he *wants* to think that the lessons are harming 
him. That does not mean that they actually are harming him, or that 
Snape wants them to. 
 
[Potioncat snipping Canon supplied by Alla. And very good canon it 
was!] 
>
Alla 
> I respectfully submit that there is absolutely NOTHING in this 
quote  that can makes us somehow think that what Harry describes 
does not  actually happen.

snipping again

> YES, narrator is often unreliable, but when he describes objective 
> feelings, I don't think we can dismiss it as unreliable simply 
> because we would like to. :o) JMO, of course.

Potioncat:
I don't think Carol doubts that Harry is feeling these pains, I 
think the question might be whether he's correctly identified the 
cause. And does Snape know these things are happening?  It's too bad 
it had to be Snape who taught him.  He might have been more honest 
about his experiences with a different teacher.

We know Harry is feeling worse after Occlumency starts.  I would 
have to go back and re-read, but I have these questions for those 
who have read the material more recently.
1. Are there any other episodes of Harry feeling bad before 
Occlumency starts?

2. Do we know if anything else changes/begins at the same time as 
Occlumency?

I snipped Alla's last question because I don't really have an 
answer.  But I'll throw this out in honesty.  If for some reason 
Snape had been the one to teach Harry the Patronus charm, he would 
no doubt have tossed a bucket of water on him, ordered him to stand 
up and opened up the cabinet again. (Nothing more than "that wasn't 
as bad as it might have been" and certainly no chocolate)

Potioncat