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

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 141883

> > 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:

Not exactly.  What directions can you give for casting non-verbal
spells other than "cast a spell without speaking"?  And Snape doesn't
expect people to do it right off the bat- he says, "One partner will
attempt to jinx the other without speaking.  The other will attempt to
repel the jinx in equal silence."  He has them practice on each other
to make it work.  Snape gives no fewer directions than other teachers
we've seen (IIRC, most of the class sessions at Hogwarts consist of
students actively refining practical technique.  Not much instruction
is given when it comes to skill-based magic).

> > 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?

Christina:

Lupin may be a spy for Dumbledore, but he is in no position whatsoever
to give him information on Lord Voldemort (sorry if I was unclear
about that part).  Snape is the only spy that we know of that has
infiltrated the Death Eater's inner circle and has direct contact with
Lord Voldemort.  My impression of Lupin's role was to keep Dumbledore
informed of the werewolves specifically (and possibly to find people
in Greyback's camp that may have sympathy for the Order, but that is
100% pure speculation on my part).

> 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:

I can see how there might be doubt, but I believe it.  Dumbledore
needed Snape at Hogwarts as a double agent for as long as possible.  I
think that the need to get Slughorn to Hogwarts gave Dumbledore the
final little push that convinced him that giving Snape the DADA job
was his only choice.


> > 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

Christina:

I agree on Lupin, although I've heard people criticize him, saying he
did not teach the students advanced enough material.  I don't have GoF
on hand so I can't look it up, but did Fake!Moody really teach the
students anything other than how to throw off the Imperious Curse (a
useful skill of course, but still an Unforgivable)?


> Goddlefrood:
> 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:

But the whole point of that was that Umbridge was wrong.  The students
*did* need to practice their skills.  Even Hermione, the supposed
champion of convention and book-learning, calls Umbridge out.  As
someone who has just recently escaped from institutionalized public
education, I found Umbridge's defense of her methods outright
hilarious- "Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss
Granger? ... You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure,
risk-free way..."  

The only DADA-related material the students learn in fifth year comes
from *Harry*, who is forced to take action lest the students waste an
entire year learning nothing at all!


Christina