First potions lesson/Harry getting special treatment and Draco's view of him

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 145908

> Potioncat:
> There is so much happening in this first Potions class, I don't 
really 
> know where to begin, so I'll start with canon:
<SNIP - go UPTHREAD to read the quote>
> (That was just to counter the arguments that Harry couldn't look at 
his 
> books. He did look them over. Snape might expect him to remember 
> everything, I wouldn't.)

Alla:

Right, great quote, but that is the thing - IMO it shows that no 
official homework was given, since Harry does not mention ANY pages 
assigned to read OR any essays to write. It seems to me that he read 
it only because he was curious and Snape had no right to ask him 
anything at all, IMO.

Potioncat:
> We don't really know Snape's motivation in the first class. (Can't 
you 
> just hear Rickman asking, What's my motivation in this scene? No? 
OK, 
> moving right along...)

Alla:

LOLOL

Potioncat:
<snip>
 Is it a good way to start off teaching 11 year old 
> kids. Nope.

Alla:

Thank you!


Shaun:
> OK - Harry didn't have that problem. He wasn't arrogant. But I 
don't 
> think it's unreasonable for Snape to have suspected he might have 
> been. Harry looks a lot like his father - when Snape saw him, he 
must 
> have noticed the resemblance, it would seem to me. And from what we 
> know of James, he was arrogant.  

Alla:

I think it is more than unreasonable for Snape to think that Harry 
may be just as arrogant as his father only because he LOOKS like his 
father. Snape saw Harry what for five minutes and determined that 
Harry is arrogant based on that? IMO it is a very bad behaviour from 
Snape, but see below.


Shaun: 
> Dumbledore knew the risks Harry could become arrogant - and took 
> steps to try and limit the chances of that happening, but keeping 
him 
> away from the Wizarding World - so I don't think it's unreasonable 
> for Snape to have considered it a possibility as well. 

Alla:

I think it is a VERY telling that in the later books the reason that 
Harry should stay away from WW because he may become arrogant is not 
mentioned ( DD says something about " not a pampered little prince" 
in OOP, but I think he showed their a deepest regret that Harry did 
not get a bit of pampering there  and in HBP he sticks to blood 
protection and blood protection only). I believe that JKR did not 
intend to convey that message at all, BUT even if DD did intend to do 
it, he was sort of involved in Harry's life. Snape as far as we know 
was not and to make such conclusion based on five minutes of looking 
at Harry seems arrogant at best and very hateful at the most to me. 
IMO of course.

Shaun:
Yes, he's 
> wrong... but if he'd been right... then maybe that first class 
could 
> have been a much more positive experience for Harry, long term, 
than 
> it actually is.


Alla:

The point to me is he WAS wrong and we seem to agree on it, right? I 
don't think Snape had any right to act upon it without confirming his 
suspicions first.

Besides, to me it is obvious that the main lasting damage which Snape 
did in this lesson was setting Harry up to mistrust him and dislike 
him AND eventually that lead to Occlumency disaster in their fifth 
year,IMO.

Sure Harry did not practice hard enough, BUT there is no way IMO that 
Harry was able to ever trust Snape after what he did to him during 
five years and that lesson IMO was a start of all that.

I think Snape did horrendous damage here, personally.


> Magpie:
<snip>
> Getting a broom and being on the Quidditch team is special treatment
> for whatever reason it happened. 
Alla:

I said that I am conceding that this is a special treatment

Magpie:
So is being able to compete in the Triwizard tournament.

Alla:

It IS? OK, let's clarify something first, maybe we indeed talk past 
each other. I consider "special treatment" as something which person 
gets a benefit from. If you are talking about "special treatment" in 
the negative sense - as in attempts to kill him, attacks on his 
health, physical or mental, then sure Harry gets PLENTY of that 
special treatment, IMO.
Harry has NO desire to compete In Triwizard Tournament, whole school 
knows it, although many don't believe it AND the most importantly 
even though I would LOVE Dumbledore to find a wiggle room,  the canon 
is quite clear - it is a binding contract. Harry has no choice but to 
compete in something, which may result in his death and it almost, 
does.

By that logic, do you also think that Harry getting to Graveyard is a 
special treatment he gets?

Magpie:
<SNIP>
Or seeming to have the House Cup 
> Competition results changed to favor you.

Alla: 
What special treatment? Are you talking about PS/SS and poor 
Slytherins being cheated of the House Cup? I am being a bit sarcastic 
here of course. Trio just defeated Voldemort. I see no special 
treatment here whatsoever. IMO of course, it was points fairly and 
very deservingly awarded. And this is also IMO objectively fair win, 
even if Slytherins do not think so.
Are you talking about different House Cup competition?

Magpie:
  So is being the 
> Hadmaster's favorite. 

Alla:

Oh, Dumbledore sure showed it well by placing Harry with Dursleys. I 
have no doubt that Dumbledore loves Harry now, but I disagree that he 
got preferential treatment from him in school. In fact, the lessons 
that he got in HBP are IMO are very good example of how Draco's POV 
is objectively skewed. Draco may think that Headmaster teaches Harry 
because Harry is his favorite and be upset about it or something 
although I think that in HBP Draco was too preoccupied trying to kill 
Headmaster to even notice those lessons, but we as readers KNOW that 
those lessons have nothing to do with being Headmaster's favorite and 
everything to do with preparing Harry to kill Voldemort. It IS 
preparing Harry to survive, sure, BUT I see no proof in the books 
that Headmaster would not have done it for any other student who 
needed it. IMO of course.

JMO,

Alla