Harry's detention in HBP

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 168333

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> Betsy Hp wrote:
> 
> > 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.
<snip>
> Carol responds:
> I agree completely. Note that Hermione is excited by the class and
> *wants* to answer the questions. His snubbing of her does nothing to
> dull her desire to learn as much as she can and do as well as she 
can
> in Potions. Also, the fact that a Muggleborn who probably received 
her
> books at the same time Harry did knows the answers to these 
questions
> shows that the information about them is in the books assigned.
> (Bezoars, of course, would not be discussed in "1,000 Magical Herbs
> and Fungi," as Harry wrongly assumes, but they're probably mentioned
> in "Magical Drafts and Potions.")

Quick_Silver:
Doesn't Snape start his Defense against the Dark Arts class with a 
speech as well? Snape making a speech about his subject seems to be 
his traditional approach. 
 
<snip>
> Carol responds:
> That Snape chose to focus on Harry does reveal him as just an 
ordinary
> kid to his classmates, but that's not a bad thing. It certainly 
strips
> Draco, et al., of any delusions that he might be a Dark Lord in the
> making for the DEs to rally around in the absence of Voldemort. It
> also allows Harry to cultivate real friends instead of having to 
deal
> with a fan club following him around at all times. (True, he has 
Colin
> Creevey in CoS, but Colin is not in his year. And we see with Viktor
> Krum and others how inconvenient and annoying a perpetual fan club 
can
> be. Harry doesn't *want* to be a celebrity, so, deliberately or not,
> Snape does him a favor by stripping away the aura of celebrity from
> Day One.)

Quick_Silver:
I'm actually going to disagree with this. Why would Harry not knowing 
the answers strip away Draco's (or others) delusions that Harry is 
the next Dark Lord? Remember that we have canon that even the Dark 
Lord sometimes forgets little nuances of magic like phoenix tears 
having healing properties and the powerful countercharm created by 
sacrificing oneself for their child. And while Harry may not have 
memorized his potions books when Draco challenges Harry at another 
wizarding activity (flying) Harry does turn out to be natural skilled 
at it. So if anything Snape's little Q&A produced not dispelled 
delusions about Harry. 

I think a large reason for Snape's questioning comes from the fact 
that Snape has actually heard at least part of the prophecy about 
Harry. Snape probably believes that the "One" is going to be a 
wizarding prodigy like Voldemort or Dumbledore (or Snape himself
at 
least I'm sure he thinks that). So naturally he figures he'll see 
what Harry knows and instead concludes that Harry is going to be like 
James. 

Quick_Silver