[HPforGrownups] First lesson again WAS: Re: Harry's detention in HBP

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 168363

 Alla:
>> But punishing student for facial movement I find beyond ridiculous,
>> sorry. I also must say that I never saw that Harry even trying to
>> talk back to Snape, I saw the kid honestly not knowing the answer
> and
>> honestly answering that here is the student who knows such answer.
>> Again IMO.
>
> Ceridwen:
> I saw the whole incident as a comedy of misunderstandings.  Harry
> honestly was amazed about Snape's presentation, raising his eyebrows,
> which Snape read (based on his history with James I think) as
> derision.  Which prompted him to come down on Harry, who didn't
> realize he'd done anything to get Snape's back up.  He answers that
> he doesn't know, which to Snape comes off as cheeky, so Snape asks
> another question.  Harry gets annoyed, not understanding Snape's
> viewpoint, and answers in perhaps a more annoyed tone.  And so on.

Magpie:
I was surprised when I went back and read this scene later that it was much 
milder than I remembered it on Snape's side.I can totally believe this is 
his standard behavior on the first day, although he may spread it around a 
few kids.

However, I think there's a little more than that. I mean, it could have 
turned out that Harry was just wrong. It could have been that Snape was just 
a strict teacher and Harry was paranoid to think that Snape actually had 
something against him personally. But Harry's not wrong. Snape does have 
something against him personally. So I think it could be a combination of 
things, where Snape is doing what he always does, but he is putting 
something more into it than he usually does, without realizing it, if that 
makes sense. Like, he thinks he can just treat Harry like the kid he starts 
with every year, but Harry can sense the real hostility behind it and 
responds in kind etc.

I was reading a book recently, actually, where from the teacher's pov the 
bully kid was fine and the nice kid was somebody she really didn't 
like--which doesn't really apply to Snape except to show that a teacher 
could get the wrong impression of a kids' personality without much to go on.

-m