[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco's anger (was Snape and Occlumency.

[Kirsty Lowson]

No: HPFGUIDX 121884


Carol Wrote:
> 
> > Unfortunately, grief is no excuse for
> > bad behavior, whether for Draco
> > or for Harry. 

Eggplant: 
> Harry was not misbehaving, he was just
> defending himself and Snape 
> would know that if he took a few seconds to
> investigate the matter 
> before handing out punishments. 

Kirsty:
But what did Snape see? Harry, wand out, ready to
hex; Malfoy, wand *not* out (yet). He didn't hear
or see the exchange between Harry and Draco. He
asks Harry what he's doing. Reply "I'm trying to
decide what hex to use on Malfoy, Sir." (p750 UK
edition). Even to the neutral teacher, this
sounds like a simple confession. I agree that any
teacher worth their salt would investigate *why*,
but Snape has his little prejudices and takes
this as barely-concealed insolence.

Eggplant:
>If the
> situation were reversed you 
> can be certain Snape would look long and hard
> before he punished 
> Malfoy junior. 

Kirsty:
Well, yes. But then, this is his pet pupil (from
what we've seen).

Eggplant:  
> Then Harry said Malfoy's father was a scumbag,
> a perfectly
> true statement, the man is a scumbag. 

Kirsty:
Draco doesn't see his Dad that way, and he's
incensed. Natural reaction (I don't think
especially badly of him for his reactions at the
end of OOtP -- they're pretty typical reactions
for someone who's lost one close to them and is a
blaming-sort of person).

<gets scissor-happy> 
Eggplant:
>[McGonagall]*herself* deducts the ten points for
Harry's
> misbehavior 
> 
> She was trying not to embarrass Snape,
> McGonagall has a thing about 
> criticizing other professors in front of
> students.  Personally I 
> don't thing Snape deserves such consideration. 

Kirsty:
But then, McGonagall's one of the old school --
she's got stereotypical Scottish traits of wry
humour and a tight rein on her emotions. Can't
wait till her temper fully explodes -- I'm
betting it'll be one to rival Snape's. I can't
wait for the OOtP-MWHNBM (medium which must not
be mentioned), to hear Maggie Smith deliver
McGonagall's humour...I can hear her voice now
(or that might be my old English teacher, who hsa
an accent unnervingly like Smith's...)

Kirsty

=====
"If men are always wrong, what does that mean when he tells a woman she looks beautiful?"