First potions lesson/Stand aside girl and the end

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 145885

kchuplis wrote:
> Are *any* of you telling me that you could have done this? I'm no
> idiot. I have an MFA
> and a fairly high IQ and I can guarantee you that I could not have
> done that at 11 or 21 or now. That's just silly. To be honest, if
> that was reasonable, there would be little
> or no need for school at all. To accuse JKR of character
> inconsistancy is ludicris, IMO.

Miles:
I don't think you got the point here. No, Snape's questions are not
reasonable, they wouldn't be for any ordinary student at Hogwarts.
But - stop. He did not ask an ordinary student, he asked Harry Potter,
didn't he? Remember the Sorting Ceremony? When Harry was sorted into
Gryffindor, their table exploded in "We have Potter"-cheers. They did *not*
expect him to be just another 11year old muggle-raised boy, they thought
"now Slytherin, be aware, seven House Championships are enough" (this is
only my interpretation, but facing the House rivalry Gryff/Slyth, I see it
as a probable interpretation).

So, for Snape there was the new Gryffindor hero, moreover the hero of the
entire wizarding world. For him as Slytherin HoH he was "the enemy".
Remember Sprouts reaction when Harry was chosen as the fourth Champion in
GoF, stealing "her" Hufflepuff Champion's limelight?

Snape is a much more displeasing person than Sprout, and he doesn't know
Harry. He only knew his fame, I do not think he knew of his family situation
(that Harry is abused by the Dursleys) and that he had no chance to prepare
anything for Hogwarts, and he knows that he looks like his arrogant father.
What does he do from his own PoV? He thinks he just pulls a show-off back to
the ground, puts Harry back in his place: as just another student.

Yes, he is unfair. He is extremely unfair, because we know very much that
Snape didn't know (and still doesn't know at the end of HBP). From Snape's
PoV - yes, still unfair, but at least understandable. And to show the other
students that Harry may be chosen, but that he is just a muggle-raised boy
and no genius - there could have been worse things to happen to him.

Miles