Why should Harry be expected to listen to anyone at Hogwarts?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 122986


> Pippin:
>  
> > The respect is due to the position, not the individual. If Harry 
> > believes that Snape is not qualified to teach, then he should 
> > resign from the class.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Do we know another Potion!master in Hogwarts? I am pretty 
sure that  given the chance Harry will be quite happy not to attend 
Snape  classes.

Pippin:
Harry's never tried to find out, has he? Ron says they're not 
allowed to drop potions. But school policies get bent for Harry all 
the time. I can imagine a scene where Dumbledore says, with 
his customary twinkle, that if Harry can tell him why it's important 
for Harry to study with Snape, he will excuse Harry from potions 
forever. 

But the shoe is going to be on the other foot in HBP, isn't it? 
Harry needs to be in potions because he wants to be an Auror, 
and unless he got an O, Snape's not going to want him. Should 
be interesting.

> 
> Pippin:
> But Harry is not the Headmaster or the Hogwarts Board of 
Governors,  and he has no right to usurp their authority by 
making it impossible  for Snape to do his job.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Not making it impossible for Snape to do his job, just let 
Snape  know that he had enough. <

Pippin:
As Harry found, it would have been impossible to teach the DA if 
Zacharias had continued to challenge him.  Fortunately, the 
twins took care of the discipline issue for him. Snape cannot 
teach if students are allowed to  challenge his authority, 
disregard his instructions or otherwise distract the class. 

I will grant that Harry is not a sadistic teacher, so it never 
occurred to him that he could get back at Zacharias, who isn't 
much of a performer, by pointing out every mistake he made to 
the entire class. OTOH,  if Harry had done this, would Zacharias 
have indulged in passive-aggressive behavior like not doing his 
homework or making fun of Harry behind his back, or would he 
have let Harry know he'd had enough by not coming to the 
meetings anymore?

Every moment Harry and Snape spend on their stupid, childish 
power struggle is stolen from the other students in class and 
from the war against  Voldemort. That Snape is stealing from his 
students is not an excuse for Harry to do so as well.

You want to see Harry win the struggle, or so I take it. I don't
think there can be a winner when the battle itself is a mistake.

Pippin