Snape's abuse (Re: Would an "O" for Harry vindicate Snape?)

[John Kearns]

No: HPFGUIDX 131481

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

> Betsy Hp:
> Okay, I'll bite.  But first I have to ask, what abusive methods?  
> Making Harry call him sir?  Demanding potions be done correctly?  
> Disliking class disruptions?  Throw some canon at me, because I 
> seriously don't know what you're talking about when you say "abusive 
> methods".

All references are Scholastic first-edition hardcover.

CoS p193:
"'A bad idea, Professor Lockhart.... Longbottom causes devastation 
with the simplest spells.  We'll be sending what's left of Finch-
Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox.' Neville's round, 
pink face went pinker."

PoA p125:
"'Orange, Longbottom.... Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that 
thick skull of yours?' ... 'Please, sir,' said Hermione, 'please, I 
could help Neville put it right-' 'I don't remember asking you to show 
off, Miss Granger,' said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as 
Neville.  'Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few 
drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens.  Perhaps that 
will encourage you to do it properly.'"

PoA p132:
"'Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville 
Longbottom.  I would advise you not to entrust him with anything 
difficult.  Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his 
ear.'"

PoA p172:
"'Miss Granger... five more points from Gryffindor for being an 
insufferable know-it-all.'"

GoF p299:
"(Ron) forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her 
best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they 
had now grown down past her collar.... Snape looked coldly at 
Hermione, then said, 'I see no difference.'"

GoF p515, after reading an embarassing article aloud to the class:
"'All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-
large head, Potter,' said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class 
had settled down again.... 'You might be laboring under the delusion 
that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you... but I don't 
care how many times your picture appears in the papers.  To me, 
Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to 
be beneath him.'"

GoF p517:
"'Do you know what this is, Potter?... It is Veritaserum - a Truth 
Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your 
innermost secrets for this entire class to hear,' said Snape 
viciously. 'Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict 
Ministry guidelines.  But unless you watch your step, you might just 
find that my hand slips... right over your evening pumpkin juice.'"

OotP p661:
"(Harry) had just turned away when he heard a smashing noise.... His 
potion sample lay in pieces on the floor, and Shape was surveying him 
with a look of gloating pleasure.  'Whoops,' he said softly. 'Another 
zero, then, Potter....'"

John K now:

I chose the examples above (from many more like them) because these 
are all instances either of Snape acting unprovoked (i.e. not in 
response to anything specific) or blantantly overreacting to a 
situation.  Furthermore, they are all verbatum, and hence not subject 
to the influence of Harry's perceptions (as are his facial 
expressions, etc.)

Perhaps when you wonder about abusive methods you are thinking of 
physical abuse, which of course Snape does not use.  However, 
psychological and emotional abuse is just as serious.  I am a high 
school teacher and I can tell you that no matter what a student may 
say or do to me, it is illegal for me to resort to name-calling or 
personal insults.  If a student tries to leave the room, it is illegal 
for me to stand in his way.  It is illegal for me to touch a student 
for any reason except physical protection of another student, even if 
I am being physically assaulted myself.  The lines are drawn so that, 
no matter what, teachers can never abuse students in any way.  Many of 
the tactics Snape uses (particularly threats and deliberate 
destruction of grades) would be sufficient to lose a modern teacher 
his job, even with just a single occurance.  Some would - and should - 
lead to prosecution.

What's more, it seems very, very improbable that even a single one of 
these instances is taken out of context or through a skewed 
perception.  In other words all of these actions are, on Snape's part, 
very conscious and deliberate - not something he let slip while 
meaning to say something else.  This makes them even worse.

He really is a horrible person who has no business being around 
children.  I suppose Dumbledore has his reasons.

John K