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

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 152917


> houyhnhnm:
> 
> That is very unlikely.
> 
> ******************** 
> Dumbledore cleared his throat.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not the
> only ones who had been talking: the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz
> of conversation at the news that Snape had finally achieved his
> heart's desire.  Seemingly oblivious to the sensational nature of the
> news he had just imparted, Dumbledore said nothing more about staff
> appointments, but waited a few seconds to ensure that the silence was
> absolute before continuing. (HBP8)
> ********************
> 
> The evidence is very much on the side of the other ten NEWT Potions
> students having come to Hogwarts prepared to enroll in Potions because
> they had achieved the necessary score on their OWL.
> 

Neri:
Oh, I quite agree that the students didn't know that Snape is going to
be the DADA teacher. However, knowing that the required grade was
lowered is a completely different matter. Which NEWTs to take is a
major decision with critical implications for the career of young
wizards. Most of them probably discuss it with their parents (or more
likely, their parents discuss it with them) and for that they need to
know the true and updated requirements *before* the students leave for
Hogwarts. There were several weeks before Sept 1st  for this update to
be published, for example in the Daily Prophet, or maybe added to the
list of textbooks of the sixth years. In contrast the identity of the
teacher is theoretically not supposed to be a factor in this decision
(although in practice it probably is sometimes) and therefore it
doesn't have to be published in advance. 

If you think the rest of the students didn't know in advance about
changing the required grade, how come there weren't additional EE
students with no books and ingredients, quickly jumping on this
opportunity to get into an important class? Especially when the new
teacher doesn't make a secret of his influence in important places,
nor his habit to help his students get there. And you still have to
explain why Hermione, the only confirmed Outstanding in the class, was
indeed considerably better than the rest.

This is also the impression I get from the text when the trio first
enters the class:

***************************************************************
HBP, Ch. 9:
When they arrived in the corridor they saw that there were only a
dozen people progressing to N.E.W.T. level. Crabbe and Goyle had
evidently failed to achieve the required O.W.L. grade, but four
Slytherins had made it through, including Malfoy.
***************************************************************

"Only a dozen" sounds like the class was unexpectedly small.
"evidently failed to achieve the required O.W.L. grade" clearly means
EE, which the reader and Harry already know to be the required grade.
"but four Slytherins had made it through" doesn't sound like they all
got Outstanding. It sounds as if (unlike Crabbe and Goyle) they made
it through over the required grade.  

Neri