Snape's abuse v Mcgonagall abuse

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 131872

> >>Betsy Hp:
> <SNIP> 
> I would also add, that though Snape makes the students fear and 
> hate *him*, McGonagall seems to favor manipulating the student     
> she's punishing into being hated by their peers.
 
> >>Alla:
> Erm... I will agree with you that putting Neville on the spot in   
> PoA was not a kind thing to do, but really that could at least be   
> explained by her being upset that supposed murderer now in the     
> castle because of Neville. 

Betsy Hp:
I recognize McGonagall was upset.  I also recognize that she took her 
fury out on Neville and made sure his *entire* house would look down 
on him as an idiot.  However, Snape trying to *teach* Neville by 
making him fear doing a potion wrong (which can have deadly 
consequences) is inexcusable?  I'm missing a logic step here.

> >>Alla:
> Again, I am not justifying it, but I can count Minerva's bad       
> moments as a teacher on the fingers of my one hand.
> <snip> 

Betsy Hp:
Which, considering that McGonagall's bad moments result in such an 
undermining of Harry's and Hermione's self-esteem they actually 
change their normal behavior, is a very good thing, IMO.  Imagine if 
Hermione and Harry were punished by McGonagall *every* year.  Harry 
would have quit quidditch and Hermione would have become a wallflower.

> >>Alla:
> Speaking about putting child on the spot... I see no justification 
> whatsoever of Snape reading Rita's article in class in GoF. Talk 
> about putting child on the spot simply because one feels like it, 
> IMO.

> >>Sherrie:
> Were you never caught passing notes in class? It was standard      
> procedure in my schools - even with "nice" teachers - that notes   
> intercepted in class were read aloud. If you were caught whispering 
> in class, you were made to stand up and "share what's so important 
> with the class."
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I totally agree with Sherrie here. Snape was behaving like a 
teacher.  If Harry and Hermione had not wanted to be put on the spot 
maybe they should have been doing *potions* in potions class and left 
the magazine article reading until free time.  (A radical suggestion, 
I know <g>.)

Plus, the end result of Snape's reading of the article didn't really 
have much affect on Harry.  Harry's friends were still his friends.  
Draco and friends still disliked Harry.  Harry was embarrassed 
*during* Snape's reading, but he wasn't embarrassed afterwords.

> >>Alla: 
> Oh, and about PS/SS. I absolutely disagree that Minerva's goal was 
> to make Trio hated by their peers. She caught them being in the 
> place they were not supposed to be at night. She punished them. Oh, 
> and she did not forget to punish dear Draco too, which to me shows 
> her being strict, but also fair ( in general at least), contrary to 
> someone else.

Betsy Hp:
I can only agree with McGonagall being ignorant of the points lineup 
if you can show that, contrary to popular belief, she's a complete 
idiot.  McGonagall *must* have known the house point standing.  She's 
highly competative, as we've already seen.  Why else did she bend 
school rules to get Harry on the quidditch team?  And she's been 
teaching for far too long to be shocked *shocked!* that the other 
students would be so displeased at three little first years blowing 
their chances at the house cup.  (Remember, after McGonagall taking 
points Gryffindor went from first to last.  That's quite a slide.)

As to Draco, McGonagall took twenty points from him.  And yes, that's 
a lot.  But it's a lot less than the fifty each she took from Harry 
and Neville and Hermione.  I don't understand why Neville got fifty 
taken himself.  McGonagall seemed to think he was as much a victim of 
Harry's and Hermione's "prank" as Draco, yet she lumps him in with 
them.  The only reason I can put to it is that once again McGonagall 
is upset and so she lashes out.  (Maybe she just dislikes Neville in 
general?)

> >>Alla: 
> No, if I were to judge  by "totality of circumstances", Minerva is 
> very far from Snape in the emotional abuse department.

Betsy Hp:
Considering that McGonagall gives punishments that *really* give a 
psychological punch, it's a very good thing (IMO) that she's not the 
one handing out punishments to Harry.  If she was I think Harry would 
dread Hogwarts.  Snape only makes him dread potions.

Betsy Hp