Bullying/Snape and Neville and a bit of Harry too

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 140898

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...>
wrote:
> Alla wrote:
> > > 
> > > Oh, personall attention in a sense of turning Neville away from
> Potions forever? I think it was Amiable Dorsai who so eloquently said
> that because of Snape Neville has no hope of advancing in the 
> subject which is closely related to his best subject.
>  
> Pippin responded:
> Now this is a stretch, IMO. There are loads of people who love
 gardening but hate to cook. I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities
 for herbologists that don't involve NEWT class potion-making. 

Amiable Dorsai:
I'm sure you're right.  But mastery of a subject involves knowledge of
its adjuncts.  To push your cooking analogy a bit further, it would
behoove a master gardener to know that a chef who wishes to make
tomato sauce would likely prefer roma tomatoes to beefsteaks, and that
you get more flavor out of many herbs if you gather them in the
morning before the sun has had a chance to vaporize some of their
essential oils.  

To bring it back to the subject at hand, look at the interaction
between Sprout and Slughorn just before Aragog's funeral.  Sprout's no
Potions Mistress, but she understands and appreciates Slughorn's
concerns and can help him all the better because of it.

Slughorn is, in effect, a customer for Sprout's wares.  Imagine if she
regarded his use for them with fear and loathing.  (not saying that
Neville's outlook on Potions is that bad, but if it was, who could
blame him?)

Amiable Dorsai