Snape/McGonagall/Neville (was: Admonishing Snape)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 129941

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "demetra1225" <tzakis1225 at n...>
wrote:
> --- 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 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:
>
> <SNIP>

> 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.
>
>
> Demetra

Very interesting. What do others think of the
McGonagall/Snape/Neville dynamic? As I say, I think the thing that
gets in the way of my believing McGonagall regards Snape as a friend
is his unfairness to, indeed open disdain for, her house. I find it
hard to believe that she would just wave that off and merrily stroll
arm in arm with him through the gardens on his way to abusing more
Gryffindors. Also I read the end of OOTP as a rather amusing example
of her using the rules, in prime McGonagall style, to whittle Snape
down to size, right up to the final touch of taking the last ten
points from Harry (i.e. "Oh yes, I've given 300 points but you do have
to have your measly ten, don't you Sevvie?"). Talk about thrusting
the knife in then twisting it! In that sense I see it as a mirror of
Dumbledore hanging Snape out to dry at the end of PoA.

However, her treatment of Neville is indeed questionable. Indeed, her
handling of Harry in OOTP gives new meaning to "stupid and maladroit."
The best I can say for her is she just isn't very adept at people
problems -- not a minor failing for someone who heads a house full of
adolescents. Perhaps she relies on Dumbledore to step in if there is
a real personal crisis with one of the students, and of course he was
not available in OOTP.

Anyway, what do you think?

Lupinlore