[HPforGrownups] Re: First potions lesson/Harry getting special treatment

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 145952

Potioncat:

I think the main difference in our reactions to the first Potions 
class is determined by our view of Snape's motivation. Let me explain 
better what I mean. Some readers think Snape is only a bitter man, 
still carrying a grudge against James Potter. His only reason for 
attacking Harry is that Harry is James's son; and he attacks him 
although ignorant of Harry's true nature.

Other readers accept that Snape is a bitter man who still has a 
grudge against James and the Marauders, but that he is fighting Lord 
Voldemort and he has reasons to "test" Harry. His actions toward 
Harry range from unpleasant to cruel with an occasional neutral 
tossed in; but they are performed for a reason that have very little 
to do with James. 


Sherry now:

Are we viewing this incident now from the point of view of having read five
more books since SS/PS?  After all, in that very first lesson, we didn't
know about James and Snape.  we didn't know Snape hated Harry's father.  we
didn't have the never ending good/bad Snape debate yet.  Did anyone read
this first potions lesson the very first time and think, yeah, he's just
being a tough teacher, impressing on the class how Harry is nothing special,
keeping up his death eater role or anything else?

My initial reaction was to be horrified that a teacher would so unfairly
single out a first time student in such a way and humiliate him.  in fact,
it makes me cringe, every time I read it.  That has nothing to do with what
i think of Snape now, but like Harry, it set me off against him from the
beginning.  And the entire lesson goes on the same.  Even though I never
thought Snape was the one after the stone in that book, I still understood
why the trio might think so.

Sherry