CHAPDISC: HBP9, The Half-Blood Prince

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 147676

 "AyanEva" <ayaneva at ...> wrote:
> 
>  I honestly do NOT remember there ever being any mention before now 
> that Neville was good at Charms, but apparently he is. Also, the 
fact 
> that he sucks at Transfiguration—This might mean something, but 
what? 

Potioncat:
Well, we knew he was pretty bad at Transfiguration from GoF. I'm with 
you, we didn't know about the Charms. I thought it would play out in 
this book, of course, I was expecting more of him in this book. It 
could be a set up for the next one.


> AyanEva:
> When did he start performing at a NEWT level in Transfiguration?? I 
> think this is the first I have heard of it.

Potioncat:
Back in Career Advice, McGonagall said he could make it if he 
studied. I guess he did. Or perhaps she assigned work that improved 
his skills.She did say she would do everything in her power to see he 
got into Auror school. (Although we never saw her doing anything.)


AyanEva:
And that he performed as 
> well as he did in Potions? I know this means something, but I 
cannot 
> piece anything together.

Potioncat:
I think Snape marked everyone in such a way that they were doing 
better than they knew. He did from what we could tell, mark Harry 
lower than he should have been.  

AyanEva:
 Earlier on the page, Snape looks right at 
> Harry (and JKR makes a point of mentioning this), immediately after 
> demanding that they listen closely and right before beginning his 
> spiel. This leads me to think that the "many-headed monster" bit is 
> specifically for Harry. Yes, yes, I AM a Snape flag-bearer, so my 
> reading of this is a bit colored. It is also why I had so much 
> trouble with this part; it is difficult to approach it objectively. 
> Anyway, I do think that maybe this is a clue about how different 
> characters are going to use different skills to fight Voldemort.

Potioncat:
You have a good point. I haven't had time to consider it. But,yes, 
I'd say Snape is particularly teaching Harry. I think that's the real 
reason he sort of "attacked" him in the first class. I also think 
it's way he attacked him in the very first potions class too. (Not 
that it's the best way to deal with Harry.) 


AyanEva: 
 Snape is too meticulous and orderly, I cannot 
> believe that he would not know what was and was not left in his 
> classroom and the content of each thing that was there. Why the 
heck 
> would that sort of book that would allow students to "cheat" be 
left 
> lying around??

Potioncat:
I addressed this a bit in my reply to the first part of the 
discussion. But I think it's possible the book had been in Slughorn's 
possession all this time. I don't think Snape knew it was there. 
Also, I don't think of it as a book that allows students to cheat, 
but a book that a student make improvements in. 
 
 
> 
>AyanEva:   
> > -Penapart Elf also brought up a couple of good points (hope you 
do 
> > not mind my mentioning these Penapart! These are direct quotes.)
> >    1) "HRH (and if HRH are right, so do the rest of their year)   
> >       dropped NEWT-level Care of Magical Creatures - too bad 
since  
> >       they might have to fight The Voldemort and His Minions Dark 
> >       Arts Monster." –Penapart Elf

Potioncat:
But CoMC is about acceptable creatures within the magical world. It's 
how to take care of them, not how to fight them. The Dark Creatures 
are covered in the early years of DADA. I wonder what other creatues 
Hagrid introduced and who might have taken the class? The trio should 
be able to use any magical creature since they have ordinary 
knowledge of them.
> 

>