I See No Difference (was Re: Draco is quite the wizard

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 160803

> Alla:
> 
> Actually I thought this was about whether Snape favors Draco or not.

Pippin:
It depends on what you mean by 'favors'. I think Snape wants a positive
relationship with Draco and his family, which he thinks he can get
by being soft on him. It works, at least as far as Narcissa goes, but
fails with Draco himself, whom we see in HBP actually has little
respect for the teacher he knows has indulged him.

> 
> Pippin:
> > If Harry's going to duel or disprespect  a teacher, it should be 
> > because he's decided to do it, *not* because he's lost his temper
> > and can't control himself. If Hermione gets hexed it should be 
> > because she lost a fight, not because she forgot to duck and 
> > then stood there  snivelling.
> <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> So what I hear you saying is that we are back to justifying Snape's 
> behaviour as in he is  not really a jerk, he is just pretending to be 
one to train Trio?

Pippin:
Sorry, why do these have to be mutually exclusive? Snape is a jerk,
yes, and he wants a strong Harry, (and a strong Neville) 
who is not driven by anger and fear. This works, incidentally,
whether you think Snape's true loyalty is to Dumbledore or
to himself. 

That Snape himself is not very good at not letting his feelings
drown out reason  does not preclude his wanting Harry to be 
good at it, quite the reverse. There are no weaknesses we despise 
in others so much as the ones we see in ourselves.
 
> Pippin:
>  Strange, how Hermione's punishment
> > of Marietta in OOP  is excused because this is war, but
> > Snape is not supposed to be the trio's drill sergeant because it 
> isn't.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> And those two situations are comparable how? 
> 
> Defense of the resistance group and despicable behaviour of the 
> teacher  on the normal school day?

Pippin:
Harry was standing right in front of a Death Eater whose Dark Mark
was coming back even as they spoke. How was that a normal school
day? Snape knows there is no effective resistance to Voldemort
without Harry. Nothing can be allowed to diminish Harry's effectiveness
including Harry himself. 

Alla:
> Really, when Snape wants to protect Gryffindors from being betrayed 
> with the hex that is a little harsher than usual, I will give him 
> some slack. Hmmm, I do not think that those times will ever come 
> though.
> 

Pippin:
Harry's headstrong feelings did betray him and his friends in OOP. 
They betrayed him again in HBP. And again and again, as Snape said, 
until Harry learns to master them.  Harry can't bury his feelings as
Snape can, but he can learn to think as well as feel.

Pippin