Scary Teachers - Good Teachers (was: Re: Hagrid and Snape...)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 152853

> Betsy Hp:
> Well, no, actually.  Snape will dress Neville down in *front* of 
his 
> peers, but he doesn't actually invite those peers to turn on 
Neville 
> to sell the point home.  It seems that McGonagall routinely turns 
> her house against those she's disciplining.  She does so to 
Neville, 
> Harry and Hermione, that we've seen.  And she does it with such 
ease 
> that it seems to be quite natural.  As Snape's acid wit is natural 
> to him.

Alla:

When does Mcgonagall LITERALLY invite other students to turn on 
those she disciplines? I mean, it is a POSSIBILITY that this will 
happen, sure, but I see 
no indication in the books and at this late hour I may have 
forgotten some canon, but I don't remember her saying - please, tear 
Neville to shreds, guys or something to that effect.

She certainly  dresses him down for loosing the passwords for 
example, but invite others to do it to Neville?

And that is IMO exactly what happens when Snape humiliates Neville 
in front of other students and Lupin. Snape does not invite anybody 
to say "Oh, Neville, you are such an idiot, you don't do well in 
Snape's class", but that is a distinct possibility, IMO.

And of course the important thing to me when we compare Snape and 
Mcgonagall's treatment of Neville is that while Mcgonagall is 
CERTAINLY guilty of mistreating Neville  on two occasions  IMO ( 
that I remember), she also praises him ( there is nothing wrong with 
your work but the lack of confidence). THAT Snape never does and 
that is why I think that his treatment of Neville is much worse.


Betsy: 
> Obviously, Neville, Hermione and Harry aren't overly affected by 
> such treatment.  But that sort of thing really bothers me.  So I'd 
> have lived in constant fear of angering McGonagall in a way I 
> wouldn't have feared Snape.  Different strokes for different folks.

Alla:

Sure.

 
> Betsy Hp:
> So you'd want someone like me to have another Transfiguration 
> teacher to choose from, right? 

Alla:

If you wanted to, yes absolutely.

Betsy Hp:
 I wonder if I'd have done it though? 
> Because again, McGonagall *is* a good teacher.  She really knows 
her 
> subject, just as Snape knows his.  Also, not much like life, 
> really.  I'm sure Fleur would have prefered a different mother-in-
> law (and Molly a different daughter-in-law) if she had the ability 
> to choose.
> 
> That's the thing.  It's impossible to choose the people you'll run 
> into in life.  And sometimes it's the folks you'd least like to be 
> around that have something you want enough (or need enough) to put 
> up with them.  Fleur puts up with Molly because she loves Bill.  
> Neville deals with Snape because he wants to graduate from 
> Hogwarts.  Draco puts up with Hagrid for the same reason.


Alla:

Well, sure in life we cannot always pick and choose the people we 
communicate with, but I am of the opinion that in SCHOOL, which 
while in some way I agree supposed to be preparation for life, 
children are NOT supposed to suffer needlessly because of bad 
teachers and while it is not always possible to find the better one 
( teacher I mean), it is OFTEN possible to deal with bad teachers 
IMO as in removing them.

Of course I am running off the RL aspect again, story without Snape 
is not a story, but since I like RL metaphors, I think DD was very 
wrong by not doing anything about him,that is of course if he would 
not have to deal with responsibilities of the Headmaster and Leader 
of the Phoenix.

As I said previously, I DO see a lesson for Harry to learn from 
Snape, but that is never to be like him, never ever.

I suspect that this will turn into Harry granting forgiveness to the 
man who hurt him IMO so badly aand that would be a great contrast to 
Snape who still cannot let go his grudges against the dead man.

JMO,

Alla