[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's detention in HBP

[Marion Ros]

No: HPFGUIDX 168321

> >>Alla:
> <snip>
> I mean, would he attack a boy who just came to the whole new world 
> on his lesson, even when the boy is quite likely to be nervous?

Betsy Hp:
>>This is the first potions lesson in PS/SS. And I think everything 
that occurred there was Snape's normal teaching method. I'd bet 
every first year got to hear that speech and I'll bet every first 
year class had near impossible questions thrown at them. It's 
Snape's "pay attention, this will not be an easy course and I will be 
*extremely* demanding" moment.

That he singled out Harry (because I'm fairly sure he spread his 
questions around normally) has nothing to do with Snape enjoying 
watching Harry suffer, IMO. Snape is going on the offensive trying 
to head Harry's ego (and the class's hero-worship) off at the pass. 
Does Snape misread Harry? Yes. Harry wasn't buying all the sighing 
and giggling and fainting his classmates (and teachers) were doing 
around him; it made him uncomfortable if anything. But Snape did not 
know that.<<


Marion
This was actually the scene in which Snape stole my hart and I disliked (to say the least) Harry for ever.
Because this is what happened to me too, when I was twelve.
Let me explain.
In the book we see that all the kids are listening in rapt attention to the fascinating teacher (and he *is* fascinating in a way any kid would agree with with his dungeon full of creepy stuff, his theatrical appearance and his soft wellspokeness <sp?> I know I'd be rivetted!)
*All* the kids? No, we are told that right after his speech Harry and Ron (the Hollywood Star Famous Boy and the kid brother of those Twin Hellions) 'turn to eachother with their eyebrows raised.
Well, in my country (and I'm sure this is true of the States, Australia, Germany and what have you that you, my listsibs, hail from) raising your eyebrows to one another when somebody in authority is speaking means "who the hell is *this* weirdo".
So I was not surprised when Snape whirled and singled out Harry to answer a few basic questions about the stuff that was evidently in their first Potions Book. Because this happened to me when I was a kid.

Thirty years ago, when I was twelve, I had a very strict-but-fair English teacher (most of my teachers were strict-but-fair; the one or two who tried to be all jolly and 'nice' were bullied away by us horrid kids)
One day, when she was explaining something in front of the blackboard, the girl sitting next to me whispered something to me. I ignored her. She did it again. I whispered back something like "lay off, she'll here us" and at that moment the teacher whirled, say me whisper to my neighbour and stated loudly, "Ah, Miss Ros apparantly knows what I'm trying to teach you all since she has seen fit to talk during my class. Well, Miss Ros, why don't come in front of class and explain to the students what I've been trying to teach you all."
The next two minutes were among the most embarrassing of my life. I stammered and stuttered and was sent back to my seat properly chastised and firm in my mind never to talk during class again.

Did I hate my teacher? No! Did I think she 'picked' on me? No!! (I've had a sister who picked on me and bullied me - believe me, I know the difference. A picker *keeps* on picking mercilessly, even when you're down, *especially* when you're down. My teacher didn't do that and neither does Snape for that matter)

An interesting detail: this English teacher of mine was the only teacher I was ever afraid of (even before the whisper incident) and I myself did not understand *why* she scared me so. She was pretty young and had these very heavily madeup eyes (her entire sockets were blacked in). Then, one day, outside of schoolhours, I saw her riding her bike *without her makeup on* and I litterarily thought, "She's just a woman" and I ceased to be afraid of her, totally. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I yet again got a shock from zapping to a Discovery Channel program about aliens and suddenly saw an artist rendation of a 'Grey' alien, when I connected the dots.
When I was three years old my bullying sister had scared me with a carnival (what you might call a Halloween) mask of a skeleton skull face. That mask 'lived' in the broomcloset and afterwards, for *years* I had nightmares of that mask and that closet.
I simply was not afraid of my *teacher*, I was afraid of her heavy dark eye makeup! 
Which shows how childhood fears are often totally irrational.

But back to Harry and Snape. 

*I* was not angry or defiant towards my teacher, but Harry is and this is (one of the things) what put me off him for good. I can't *stand* brats who seem to think they know better than their teachers. Those Lauren Cooper (Catherine Tate character) types. 
And it goes from bad to worse, from "why don't you ask Hermione" to "no need to call me sir". 
I half expected Harry to tell Snape " Am I bovvered?" half of the time. (http://www.all4humor.com/videos/funny-videos/i-am-not-bothered.html)




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