Hagrid and Snape: Was Snape, Apologies, and Redemption

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 152744

> >>Lupinlore:
> <snip>
> There is a tendency for things to balance out in the great scheme 
> of things, and the harshness with which mean people are judged is 
> what they are due.

Betsy Hp:
So, in the end, life is fair?  I recall a character from another 
story-verse saying something to the effect of: "I take great comfort 
from the fact that life is not fair.  Imagine if we actually 
deserved all the horrible things that happen to us!"  Myself, I'd 
rather think that Harry is a good kid, overall, and doesn't actually 
deserve to lose all of his loved ones as he has. <g>

> >>Lupinlore:
> Niceness, on the other hand, does get its reward in the great 
> balance wheel of things.  And getting passes is part of it.  So    
> yes, Hagrid gets a pass for his poor teaching.  And Lupin gets a   
> pass for his problems.

Betsy Hp:
Hagrid has lost all of his students, and Lupin is unemployed.  How 
are they getting passes?

> >>Lupinlore:
> Snape, on the other hand, most certainly does NOT get 
> a pass for his abusive methods, no matter how effective they might 
> be.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Snape is a respected teacher and manages to land his dream job.  How 
is he not getting a pass?  (He also becomes a Head of House at a 
remarkably young age.  Which may explain his strictness in the 
classroom, actually.)

> >>Magpie:
> But clearly he does get a pass by many people, because different
> people have different priorities.  It depends on what an individual
> person finds the most annoying or the most important.  If it were 
> as clearcut as nice people getting a pass and mean people not     
> getting a pass, Snape wouldn't have so many fans, and everyone    
> would agree on the character.  Hagrid really doesn't get much of a 
> pass on his teaching--less than Snape does in many ways, imo.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
The interesting thing this raises, IMO, is how does one 
define "nice"?  I guess "polite" is the popular definition, but 
doesn't this give Snape a clear-cut reason for giving Draco a pass 
but not Harry?  After all, Draco is very polite (nice) to Snape, and 
Harry is most definitely not.  With Hagrid, we see Hagrid being very 
nice to Harry but not very nice to Draco.  So we see Harry giving 
Hagrid a pass, while Draco judges Hagrid more harshly.

What's the correct form of judgement here?  Should Fudge give the 
opinions of nice (to him) Lucius Malfoy more weight than the not so 
nice (to him) Albus Dumbledore or Arthur Weasley?

It could be argued that the non-questioning, non-judgmental Crabbe 
and Goyle are nicer to Draco than the not as easily controlled Ron 
and Hermione are to Harry.  Does this mean Draco has the better 
henchmen?

Betsy Hp