The DADA job - Not Snape's cup of tea?

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No: HPFGUIDX 141863

> Christina:
> Regardless of whether you love Snape or hate him, he's *good* at
> teaching DADA.

Goddlefrood replies:

I thought the only useful thing Snape taught them was non-verbal 
spells, and he didn't really teach that did he? He expected people 
to do it. The rest of what we saw had previously been covered, and 
in my view quite a lot better than Severus managed it.

> Christina:
> We know that in VWI, Dumbledore had "a number of useful spies," 
but there is nothing that suggests that this is the case now.

Goddlefrood:

Lupin wasn't spying on the werewolves then? I also have certain 
suspicions regarding Goyle, which I intend to post as a (shortish) 
article in the future. There is certainly more to come on 
Dumbledore's spies. Of course it would be the ultimate irony if 
Pettigrew turned out to be a double agent. This would be, as I 
believe you might say, out of left field.
 
> Christina
> I don't find it a stretch to believe that Snape really *has* been
> applying for the job all these years and has been denied it.

Goddlefrood:

As I said earlier there is plenty to indicate that Snape did not 
apply. Particularly the events of Harry's fifth year. Do you really 
think that if Snape had applied Dumbledore would not, however 
reluctantly, have given him the job, mostly because of his aversion 
to Ministry interference?

> Christina:
--  Does Voldemort need Snape in the DADA position?  Not really.  

Goddlefrood:

Why are we led to believe that Snape was encouraged by LV to take up 
the post? As I say in my original article this is perhaps the 
largest red herring in the series. The main point of my article, and 
perhaps I should have made it more explicit, is that Snape himself 
did not really want the job. As an extrapolation from that premise 
it is not unfair to conclude that Snape only has his own best 
interests at heart. Phineas Nigellus tells us in Ootp Chapter Twenty 
Three – Christmas on the Closed Ward at page 437

"We Slytherin's are brave, yes, but not stupid. For instance, given 
the choice, we will always choose to save our own necks."

Snape's choice is to save his own neck by taking a comfortable 
backseat.

> Christina
> Most of the DADA teachers in recent years have stunted the 
students' education.

Goddlefrood:
Quirrell is largely an unknown quantity but did teach them about 
werewolves, one of the few indicators of Quirrell's class is in PS 
Chapter Thirteen – Nicolas Flamel, where we are told at page 162:

'Next morning in the Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying 
down different ways of treating werewolf bites 
 '

Lockhart was incompetent and was another convoluted plot device in 
my view. Lupin and fake Moody were certainly quite useful and even 
Dolores in Ootp in Chapter Twelve - Professor Umbridge, at page 220 
says:

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough –"

To me this suggests that, other than I grant you Lockhart, each DADA 
teacher has been quite useful. I, therefore, have to disagree with 
you on this point.

> Christina
> ... you offer no canon
> whatsoever that even suggests that Snape didn't want the Dark Arts
> job.

Goddlefrood:

Well, that was, after all, the main point of my article. It is the 
interpretation of what we are given and I find it quite natural that 
JKR would not want people believeing Snape did not want the DADA 
job. That would be far too big a clue as to Severus's motives and 
that would never do.

My hope, of course, is that by examining the enigma of Snape we can 
decipher what he may do next. While I think he is out for himself it 
is quite possible that Snape will, either inadvertently or 
otherwise, by of great use in the final anaysis.

Regards

Goddlefrood