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

[gav_fiji]

No: HPFGUIDX 141925

> > Goddlefrood earlier:
> > 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.

> Christina responded
> Not exactly.  What directions can you give for casting non-verbal
> spells other than "cast a spell without speaking"?

Goddlfrood now says:
By your logic Snape needn't have bothered trying to teach Occlumency 
at all. He should have just said close your mind and practice and 
left it at that. Why then have repeated lessons? There was so much 
more he could have told Harry and didn't, and this probably goes 
more to Snape's dislike of Harry than anything else.

As an example if you are trying to teach Occlumency then it would be 
useful to say things like "Now try to compartmentalise your thoughts 
so that any that give away a potential lie can not be seen." It 
seems that Bellatrix taught Draco quite well and it would be 
interesting to find out how she did so. Snape is, although 
competent, a rather lax teacher as he either writes or says 
instructions and expects his students to be able to grasp the 
subject with little or no further exposition.

In the case of non verbal spells Snape could most certainly have 
done more, perhaps something like Wilike Twycross in Apparition who 
explained the three Ds. The theory of non verbal spells and how to 
concentrate the mind would surely have been useful. Or perhaps I 
have been out of formal education for too long myself and have a 
predisposition against teaching.

> Christina:
> I can see how there might be doubt, but I believe it.  

Goddlefrood:

Then we agree to disagree as should be in a healthy discussion. I 
believe, as I make clear in my original article, that Snape did not 
want the DADA job, most particularly in Harry's fifth year. Or 
perhaps as I also mentioned earlier it was simply a convoluted plot 
device.

> Christina:
> I agree on Lupin, although I've heard people criticize him, saying 
he did not teach the students advanced enough material.

Goddlefrood:

We only really see the first half of the year of Lupin's teaching, 
but he certainly did teach them about Vampires in the second half, 
which would probably be considered fairly advanced. All of what 
Lupin taught the students has certainly come in handy for some of 
them later.

As to the balance of your comments, Christina, I would say that the 
interpretation I chose I stick by and am still convinced that Snape 
wanting the DADA job has been the largest red herring of all so far. 
If we accept that Snape was truly repentent and wanted to assist 
the "good" side as has been argued, although for reasons I have 
stated in previous posts I do not believe to be the case, then it 
would make no sense for him to want the DADA job especially in view 
of his probable knowledge regarding the curse.

Oh and Moody taught the students the value of constant vigilence as 
well as giving them guidance on the Unforgiveables.

Goddelfrood signing off for the Fiji weekend and do look out for a 
revision of my Bagman BBDE viewpoint that I hope to post early next 
week.