Snape as DADA, new Potions teacher? (was Re: It's Libatius)

[mooseming]

No: HPFGUIDX 126280


General thoughts following Lupinlore and Alla ...

The interesting thing to me is how, and why, JKR has deliberately 
set up the potions conflict, she has gone out of her way to give us 
a great deal of info on Harry's potion requirements and has made it 
very hard for him to meet them convincingly.

We know Harry must take potions to study to be an auror.
We know Snape only accepts students with an `O' pass.

Harry has done better than we might have predicted as he and Neville 
both performed well in the practical because Snape wasn't there. 
Plus Harry had a polyjuice question in his written exam.  Plus 
Umbridge comments on how advanced the class as a whole is. 

However, to get an `O' must be exceptionally hard and we have no 
real reason to believe Harry would have gained anything more than 
an `E'. He finds the written paper difficult and believes after his 
practical that he should have passed if not very well.

So why did JKR have Snape set the NEWT acceptance level so high?

If she simply wanted Harry to take potions and surprise/irritate 
Snape then she could have set the grade as in Transfiguration 
to `E', but she didn't. She could want Harry to take potions against 
Snape's wishes (some have suggested McGonagall/DD could ensure this) 
this would provide a believable excuse for Snape to further 
humiliate Harry and good motivation for Harry to begin to fight back 
by working hard to prove his worth. In terms of Harry growing up it 
makes sense that with the information from the prophecy plus his 
experience teaching the DA he will start to apply himself as a 
student. In potions he could start to work at a subject that isn't 
his forte.  He could learn that to overcome adversity it is 
necessary to engage in the unpleasant but it is also empowering to 
face your enemy on his own ground and, if not win, at least stand 
proud. Harry could gain confidence whilst the hostility between 
Snape and him could become more personal and more overt.

But what of Neville? If he is to become a healer, as some believe, 
then he needs to take potions too. Is Snape going to have to 
continue to teach him as well? Mind you I wouldn't put it past JKR 
to have a little joke with both us and Snape and give Neville an `O'!

Of course neither Harry or Neville could take potions at all, but 
given that the adult cover of the UK edition of HBP is a potions 
book that seems unlikely. Snape could refuse to teach them and they 
could find an alternate teacher but that disrupts the 
Snape/Harry/Neville dynamic too much in my opinion.

Or JKR could be using the potions dilemma as a distraction when 
Snape moves to the DADA post. Harry (and the reader) could be 
forgiven for not dwelling on the why DD changed his mind so much as 
the benefit to Harry. I imagine the conversation with Ron would go 
something like this:

Harry `But why did DD give Snape the DADA position after all this 
time?'
Ron `Listen mate don't worry about it. Now we can take potions and 
become aurors. Its what you want isn't it?'
Harry `Yeah but Snape teaching DADA its going to be a nightmare!'
Ron `You're good at DADA, Snape won't be able to pick on you right. 
Hey, you'll really show him up!'

Harry was really dreading his first DADA lesson but it turned out 
Ron was right. Snape started out by asking Harry the most difficult 
questions imaginable but Harry was able to answer them all. Snape 
quickly left Harry alone and concentrated on ignoring him completely 
which suited Harry. Snape was a surprisingly  good teacher and Harry 
could hardly believe he would have enjoyed one of his classes so 
much! He agreed with Ron, whatever DD's reasons for changing his 
mind it had certainly improved life at Hogwarts for Harry.

End of discussion
.

Then I'm left asking why has JKR moved Snape to DADA now, where does 
that take us? Who is the new potions master?

I'm sure of one thing only, JKR has created the potions dilemma for 
a very good reason, I just don't know what it is!

Regards
Jo