In Defense of Snape (long)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 122317


Betsy:
I think, based on Neville's smile and Harry's confidence, that both 
boys ended up doing well on their Potion's exam in OotP.  In which 
case, Snape is a good teacher.  However, if they both blew their 
exams (especially Harry - Neville really did seem hopeless in class - 
how many cauldrons did he end up destroying?) then I'll have to 
reexamine my view on the matter.


Alla:

If they performed well, they performed well, because Snape was absent 
in OWL class.
"With Snape absent from the proceedings he found that he was much
more relaxed than he usually was while making potions. Neville, who
was sitting very near Harry, also looked happier than Harry had ever
seen him during a Potions class" - OOP, p.716.

How does it make Snape a good teacher, if his only presense 
terrorises the studentts so much that they are unable to reach their 
potential?

By the way, I am pretty sure that Harry performed well at least on 
written OWL, because he knew Polyjuice effects well, but Snape did 
not teach him that.

JMO,

Alla