Snape and Neville/ Does Snape help students reach their true potential?

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 128409

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214"
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:


> I for the most part agree with what Susan said in her reply, but I 
> specifically wanted to comment on " Neville's best".
> 
> How do you know that Neville's best seems to be a potion that does
> not harm his neighbors?
> 
> Is Neville REALLY that hopeless in Potions or maybe a teacher of 
> whom he is terrified makes him to be that hopeless?
> 
> There is IMO a possible hint in canon ( and I realise that this is a 
> hint nothing more) that Neville's true potential in Potions is so
> much  higher than what he shows in Snape's classes.

<Snip comments on how well Neville does at Herbology>

There's an even better hint when Neville and Harry are taking their
Potions OWL:  

"With Snape absent from the proceedings, he (AD: Harry) found that he
was much more relaxed than he usually was while
making potions. Neville, who was sitting very near Harry, also 
looked happier than Harry had ever seen him during a Potions class."

--"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

This is the smoking wand--Harry and Neville both perform better
without Snape skulking around.  Snape's "teaching style" hinders 
them both.

Amiable Dorsai