Snape's unfairness was Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: Snape and Raistlin Majere

[Irene Mikhlin]

No: HPFGUIDX 126870

Betsy wrote;

>  He's not there to be the children's best
> friend, or to help them unleash their creativity, or
worried about
> scarring their poor fragile minds <insert sarcasm
tone here>.  He's
> there to teach potions.  And if he has to pound the
knowledge into
> their thick, clumsy skulls (hello, Neville) than
that's what he'll
> do.  I admire that.  (Not that I wouldn't have been
scared crapless
> of Snape if he was my teacher - but I think I'd have
appreciated his
> methods a few years down the road.  As I do with my
very Snape-like
> fourth grade teacher, secretly referred to as Mrs.
Hitler by her
> students.)  Snape's old-world, old-school, way of
teaching is like a
> breath of fresh air for me.  I also, don't think
Snape is nearly as
> unfair as Harry and friends like to think he is.

Lots of good points you made about Snape, and I agree
with them. To keep this from being strictly "me too"
post, let's go over several examples of
Snape's perceived unfairness (or lack thereof ;-)).

JKR is very skillful about making the readers share
Harry's point of view.
Lots of people believe that Snape gave him a passing
grade only because Dumbledore intervened, when we only
have Harry's completely wild guess as a basis. Lots of
people share Harry's belief that Snape wanted to
poison him, when it's much more likely that Snape
wanted him to study antidotes very hard.

Snape used Trevor as a lesson prop! Shock, horror,
what an evil man. How many people have noticed, that
Flitwick used Trevor as a prop while teaching
levitation?

Snape let Draco to the class in the middle of the
lesson, without taking points. Harry is furious,
because when he was late, he didn't get away with it.
But what he forgets is that he was late discussing
quidditch with Oliver, and Draco comes straight from
the hospital wing (where he was faking it, but that's
not the point).

Actually, Oliver reminded me of something: when Snape
is going to referee that game in PS, Oliver tells his
team "we should not give him any excuse" or something
along these lines. Notice that Oliver, an experienced
Gryffindor :-), does not think that even if they play
the cleanest game possible Snape will find a way to
penalise them. Harry does, though, and that's exactly
his problem.
We discussed possible strategies Harry could adopt in
his dealings with Snape a while ago. Changing his
attitude to "Don't give him any excuse" might be a
winning one.


>  May the final two
> books include many, many scenes with Snape.

Let's drink to that. :-)

Irene


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