Reaction to Snape's death

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 175765

> > Montavilla47:
> > 
> > Adam, please show the text evidence of Snape teaching Slytherins
> > so we can compare them.
> > 

Prep0sterus: 
> "Snape's Head of Slytherin House.  They say he always favors them -
> we'll be able to see if it's true."
> 
> This according to Ron, as well as 'they'.  Certainly not hard
> evidence, but proof of 'the word on the street' about Snape.

Montavilla47:
It's not hard evidence.  It's hearsay.  

I'll bet the Slytherin students say the same thing about other 
teachers.

Prep0sterus: 
> In that first lesson Snape goes after Harry with a vengeance, ignores
> Hermione's obvious knowledge and skill, rips into Neville, and praises
> Malfoy 'whom he seemed to like'.

Montavilla47:
I'll give you Harry and Hermione.  But I don't see proof that it's 
because they weren't Slytherin that he insulted them.

As for Neville, he made a bad mistake and melted Seamus's 
cauldron.  

And what's wrong with praising someone for cutting their slugs
well?


Prep0sterus: 
> We also get, 'Cheer up, Snape's always taking points off Fred and
> George.'  though, I have to admit, they are more likely to deserve it.

Montavilla47:
>From the way Georgeand Fred behave, I wouldn't count any points
taken from them as evidence of favoritism.

Prep0sterus: 
> But even if we attribute his poor treatment of Harry to his
> preexisting relationship with James and Lily, his treatment of Neville
> to his incompetence, and his treatment of Malfoy to his preexisting
> relationship with the Malfoys, I think we should see better treatment
> of Hermione, who is surely skilled in potions, and worse treatment of
> Crabbe and Goyle, who we know to be idiots.  And, his preexisting
> hatred and favoritism are NOT signs of a good teacher, and neither is
> the maliciousness with which he treats Neville.

Montavilla47:
Again, I'd just like to point out that Draco is "praised" (not awarded 
points) exactly *once*.   And, since Draco probably got an O in his 
O.W.L.s in potions, he probably deserved the praise.

As for Hermione, she doesn't get points, IIRC.  But then, no one else
does, either.  Including Draco.  

And Hermione tends to answer questions by quoting the text.  Well,
this is the guy who battled the text throughout potions, and bettered
it.  He's not going to be impressed with someone who sticks to the 
book.

Prep0sterus: 
> And the common knowledge Ron spouts may not be hard fact, but I am
> inclined to believe that the students have a decent handle on this. 
> Feel free to disagree.

Montavilla47:
I don't think it's so much that the students are wrong as that 
the students are looking at it from their perspective.  They don't 
really know Snape.  They see him as 1) a "nasty" teacher and 2) the 
Head of Slytherin House--the House they have the most problems 
with.

Naturally, they are going to assume that any points he gives to 
Slytherins are unearned, and that any points taken from a 
Gryffindor (or not awarded) are unjustified.

The *only* unjustified point that I see Snape taking from Harry in
the  first five years of class is the one he takes when Neville melts
the cauldron.  I have no idea why he does that, but it isn't as 
though he's favoring the Slytherins by doing so.  If anything, he's 
favoring Neville.

After Harry goes into SWM, we see a difference, with Snape taking
petty revenge on Harry by not marking the broken vial of potion,
and taking a huge number of points for Harry arriving late and
out of uniform.  (Although, that might be partly because Harry 
gave him a scare--I mean, he was probably worried that he'd 
mess up that "protect Lily's son" thing.)

As for Crabbe and Goyle, we also know that Snape gave them
detention for not learning their D.A.D.A. material.  (Although
that one is murky, as he might have been trying to keep them
from helping Draco.)  Also, the only potions disaster that 
befalls Crabbe or Goyle in potions is when Harry lobs a 
firecracker into Goyle's cauldron--something Snape quickly
identifies as sabotage.

Apparently, Crabbe and Goyle know enough not to melt 
their cauldrons.

My point is that, although we hear Harry (and Ron) talk about
the unfairness of Snape, we don't actually see much favoritism
within the classroom.  And what we do see is never based on 
the work itself, but rather on Snape assuming that the 
Gryffindors are always out to make trouble and that the 
Slytherins never are.

Which is wrong, of course, but it has more to do with
discipline and very little to do with teaching. 

Montavilla47