Admonishing Snape

[demetra1225]

No: HPFGUIDX 129929

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
[snip]
> I have never understood the idea that McGonagall respects Snape
> (beyond the demands of her profession) or regards him with anything
> other than disdain.  The idea that she would be friends with someone
> who abuses the members of her own house is utterly ludicrous.

Demetra:
I guess I'm one of those people who read it differently.  I'm 
certainly not trying to change your mind or give the impression that 
I think my reading is "right" and yours is "wrong".  I just want to 
lay out my reasons, for what they're worth. 

I don't think that McG is able to hide her disdain of people she 
considers to be poor teachers very well.  It seems to me that she has 
little regard for teachers who are full of crap regarding their 
subject - ie Trelawney, Lockhart.  I cannot recall any instance where 
McG speaks to Snape, or about Snape, in the same manner in which she 
speaks about these two.  Keep in mind, too, she makes disparaging 
remarks about Trelawney to a class of students!  If she has disdain 
for Snape, I think we would have been treated to at least one of her 
trademark sarcastic comments about him.  

As for the end of OOTP, when McG returns from St Mungo's, I read it 
that Snape is genuinely happy to see her back - hence the exclamation 
points when he says "Professor McGonagall!" "Back from St. Mungo's I 
see!"  Note that there is no mention of Snape sneering or smirking 
when he says this, not even a mention of him saying it in a silky 
voice - one of which is usually mentioned when he is in full snark-
mode.  And I think McG's business like response was more to remind 
Snape that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were still there, and he couldn't 
be seen acting all happy to see her back.   


Now to go off on a tangent, I found your last statement interesting.  
Now, I'm going to preface this with a statement that I really like 
McG overall as a character.  She often cracks me up - "tripe, Sybill" 
for example.  But much as I love her, I contend that her mistreatment 
of Neville, while less frequent, is as abhorrent as Snape's.  Here's 
some canon:

GoF, page 236
McG says in front of the whole class "Longbottom, kindly do not 
reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front 
of anyone from Durmstrang!"  

Rather humiliating for Neville, no?   And why the concern about 
Durmstrang finding this out?  hmmm...


PoA, Ch 13, p 268 (after McG found out Neville had written down the 
passwords to Gryffindor tower and left it lying around)
"Neville was in total disgrace.  Professor McGonagall was so furious, 
she had him banned from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a 
detention and forbidden anyone to give him the password..."
"Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night 
for someone to let him in, while the security trolls leered 
unpleasantly at him."  
(after McG sent a letter to Gran telling her what happened, Neville 
got a howler from Gran) "shreiking about how he had brought shame on 
the whole family."

If we never found out it was Crookshanks who gave the password list 
to Sirius and that Neville was not to blame, I suppose we could 
assume that she was just genuinely upset about the circumstances.  
But, we know better.  Yet, we never see her apologize to Neville.  
Never a statement to the rest of the Gryffindors admitting that 
Neville wasn't to blame, and perhaps she overreacted. And did she 
ever set Gran straight?  
I personally think that this humiliation from McG, who is supposed to 
be the parent away from home is worse than Snape's.  All the other 
Gryffs know Snape is biased against them - when Snape acts out he is 
just being the bastard he is. Sometimes it even binds the Gryffindors 
together - like when he called Hermione an insufferable know-it-all.  
But to have McG humiliate you, put you in a position where your 
housemates witness your humiliation every day and then never admit 
that you were wrong to do so, is incredibly cruel,IMO.

Demetra