Snape, Potions and DADA - Possible and Not

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 126499


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Hannah" <hannahmarder at y...> wrote:
> 
> Hannah:  
> I think that Harry will get an 'O' for his Potions, and 
> that Snape will teach him.  

bboyminn:

Again, we are on one of those subjects in which people are entrenched
in their opinions. Although, I admit that since these events haven't
played out yet, there is much more room for speculation.

Personally, I am forced to come up with alternate scenerios like a new
Potions teacher because I simply can not believe that Harry got and
'O' in his Potion OWL. In the absents of that, I have to create
alternatives.

The OWL-

--- OotP AM Ed, HB, pg 716 ---
... the one (exam) that would be the downfall of his ambition to
become an Auror....

Sure enough, he found the written exam difficult...

Harry corked his sample flask feeling that he might not have achieved
a good grade but that he had, with luck, avoided a fail.

- - - end quote - - -

I'm sure Harry did better than he expected, but it's a HUGE leap from
avoiding a fail to top-grade Outstanding.

If I'm taking a written test that I get a 90% on, that's probably not
a test I'm going to think is difficult; it's a test for which I knew
90% of the answers. I don't get the sense that Harry knew 90% of the
answers. A difficult test is one where I struggle to bring an
impending 60% up to a hopeful 70% (avoided a fail). Further, I think
these percentages likely reflect the wizard grading system, 90%+ ="O",
80%+ = 'E", 70%+ = "A", 60%+ = "D", below 60% = fail. Wizards really
don't strike me as a group that grades on a curve.

If Harry's Practical Potion went well, the potion would have looked
exactly as it should have looked, and Harry would have been confident
that it was correct. As it is, there must be something wrong with it,
because he thinks the best he will do is scrape by with an 'pass'.

Even factoring in Snape's absents, I can't stretch '...avoided a
fail...' all the way up to a (+90%) 'Outstanding'; it just doesn't
stretch that far. Certainly, I think Harry did better than /he/
expected, which brings him up to a low to middle "Exceeds
Expectations" [80% to 85% range, although, a more likely range is
mid-A to mid-E (75% to 85%)]. 

If a Hufflepuff takes over the Potions class, a 75%/Acceptable would
probably be enough, anyone else would probably require an +80%/E.

One of the best new theories that keeps Snape in the Potions teaching
position, is one that speculated that Draco did poorly and got an "A"
or an "E", and the only way to keep Draco in the class it to lower the
standard. That satisfies everyone; Harry gets in, Snape is still the
teacher. 


> Hannah continues:
>
> The other theories are interesting, but in my opinion, that is what
> JKR has set up in OotP.  The interaction between Harry and Snape is 
> an important part ...
> 
> If JKR intended to make Snape DADA teacher, why did she go to all 
> the effort of explaining (via McG) that Harry would *have* to take 
> Potions the following year?  
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Hannah

bboyminn:

Well, yes, JKR did include the Career Counciling meeting where she set
up Harry's need for Potions. But in every single book, JKR as set up
Snape's desire to teach DADA. In each book it becomes more difficult
to get DADA teachers, and indeed in the last book (OotP), Dumbledore
was unable to find a DADA teacher in time, so the Ministry had to
appoint one. 

Teachers like Lockhart were tolerable when things we less critical,
but Voldemort is back now and operating in the open, Dumbledore is
well past the time when he can appoint second rate teachers, or accept
Ministry interference. Now, he is out of time, now it is a matter of
life and death. There simply is no room left for (pardon the
expression) half-assed DADA teachers. 

Student must learn to defend themselves. So, who do we have left, who
is both willing and able? Snape. I admit that this breaks the pattern
of a new DADA teacher appearing in every book and driving the plot
forward, then meeting the Curse of the DADA in the end. But I counter
that with the belief that OotP was a great transitional book. What
applied in the past no longer applies. With Voldemort back and the
world at war, routine comfortable patterns have to be broken, and all
that /could/ open the door for Snape to finally be DADA teacher.

I'm not 100% entrenched in this belief that Snape will teach DADA, but
it is one way to explain how a not so 'outstanding' Harry can continue
with Potions.

Further, I have pointed out in the past, that I don't think Potions is
an absolute requirement to become an Auror, it is just a reasonably
logical area of expertise that an Auror must have. If Tonks serves as
any model, Auror's don't have to 100% in all areas. A basic working
knowledge of potions would be suffcient if other more positive aspects
were in a surplus. For exampe, Harry has more than demonstrated a
superb ability to fight dark wizards. While his charms and
tranfigurations grades are good, beyond that he has demonstrated an
outstanding ability to apply those sujects in practical defensive
situations. Logic says that the Auror selection committee is not going
to look just at NEWT grades, but reasonably at the bigger picture of
theoretical and demostrated skills and apptitude.

I think, a fair grade in OWL potions combined with a high grade in
NEWT Herbology combined with other outstanding skills and demonstrated
abiliy would add up to enough. I really don't think Potions is an
absolute requirement, just a logical and reasonable area of knowledge
for an Auror.

So,...

-I can see no way for Harry's grades to jump all the way into the +90%
'Outstanding' range. 
-I'm not convinced that Potions are an absolute requirement.
-Snape could take over as DADA teacher, the book has been setting up
that possibility since book 1.
-Equally, I can see possible ways in which Snape and Harry could
continue in potions, but not at Snape's present standard.
-I can also see possible ways for Harry to NOT take Potions and still
be eligible to become an Auror.
-I don't think Harry will be privately tutored in Potions by
Dumbledore, McGonagall, or anyone else. He is more likely, in my
opinion, to not take potions than for that to happen.
-While I haven't addressed it here, if Harry doesn't take Potions and
Snape doesn't teach DADA, I see plenty of room for conflict when Snape
takes over as faculty adviser for the DA Club. Speculating of course,
that the DA Club will be an open and offical club in the next book.
-I can see the reaction on Harry's face, when he drops Potions and
think he is finally rid of Snape, only to find Snape teaching DADA.
It's worth it just for that reaction alone. 
-An easy way out for all, is for Snape to drop his standards to
accomodate Draco's poor Potions grade.

So, anything and everything is possible, with one exception, I just
can not bring myself to see any scenerio in which Harry gets an
'Outstanding' in his Potion Owl. There has to be some other
explanation. If he does, JKR better have an extremely good explanation
for it, even then I'll still have trouble believing it.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn