Snape as Neville's teacher (was:Re: Snape as Noble teache...

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 168426

> Dana: 
> Granted as Carol points out as well but a pharmaceutical company 
> that produces medication is still not the same as a hospital. 
>  
> The problem is that we are now debating knowledge of magic against a 
> profession that needs compassion to heal the sick. Snape does not 
> have a passion to heal the sick, he has knowledge about how to brew 
> potions and counterbalance Dark Curses. 
> 
> It doesn't state that Snape was the only one that knew Mandrakes can 
> heal the petrified. He can brew Lupin's potion but it doesn't mean 
> Snape would ever have wanted to go to the trouble of inventing such 
> a potion to help the poor werewolves. He might be able to if he 
> wanted to use his knowledge that way, I'm sure, but he does not have 
> to compassion to heal the sick and therefore he is not a healer. He 
> just has knowledge. 
>  
> Tom Riddle knows more about Magic then anyone, even DD admits this, 
> but would that make Voldemort a healer even if he could lift Dark 
> Curses, probably with more ease then Snape could? No, it doesn't 
> because the man does not have compassion to heal the sick.
>  
> Snape is not a regular Florence Nightingale swooping around the 
> castle to heal the poor little children. To me the above canon quote 
> could easily be read that Snape would not allow someone else to 
> steal his glory of brewing potions and nothing to do with Snape's 
> intent to brew it because these people need to be healed as soon as 
> possible. That DD even needs to have it made instead of him stating; 
> Professor Snape volunteered to have the potion made as soon as the 
> mandrake is ready speaks volume to me too.    
>  
> <snipping>
> Dana:
> Who says he diagnosed Katie and not the necklace? Again I am not 
> trying to downplay Snape's knowledge but you also should not 
> romanticize his efforts in to assuming he has the natural instincts 
> to be a healer because he doesn't posses the compassion for it. 
> Imagine some kid throwing up all over Snape's robe, could you 
> imagine his reaction? I could and it isn't a pleasant one. 
> 
> He has a passion for knowledge and be the best in the things he is 
> interested in but that does not qualify him automatically as a 
> healer. And your suggestion that he might always wanted to become a 
> healer is ridiculous because he came to school knowing more (dark) 
> curses then most kids in the 7th year. Curses are harmful to people, 
> someone with a natural instinct to be a healer would never want to 
> know so many ways to harm another human being. Snape did not know 
> these curses so he could one day counterfeit them, he knew them 
> because he wanted to stand out knowing more about the Dark Arts then 
> any other student.  
> 
 <snipping again>
colebiancardi:

anyone ever watch House?  Hugh Laurie's character is an embittered,
sarcastic man who does not have a bed-side manner, but his passion is
to find out what disease the patients have.  He doesn't really care
about the patients, but he does care about how to save them. 
Personally, if I had a weird illness, I would want House as my doctor,
not Florence Nightingale <bg>

back to the topic, that is how I view Snape.  His passion is to find
the cure, if you will, by learning what causes the curse and creating
a potion for it.  He may not be a healer (I really don't think that
word describes Snape) but he is a person who creates cures or expands
on existing cures to make them better (RE: Lupin, who stated that
there weren't that many who would make the Wolfsbane potion and that
Snape's potion gave him relief on a monthly basis)

Also, another key to Snape's brilliance as a "healer" (again, need a
better word here), is the fact that Dumbledore, several times in HBP,
refers to Snape - "and for Professor Snape's timely action when I
returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to
tell the tale" HBP UK ed, p 471 - not to mention the Katie Bell
incidient and when Dumbledore insists that Harry get Professor Snape
after the cave trip

It isn't that Snape and Madam Pomfrey don't have similar jobs;
instead, I view Madam Pomfrey as a general practictor, whereas Snape
is a specialist in curing those curses/illnesses that no one else
wants to or can touch.  This should not and does not, IMHO, discount
Poppy as a healer, nor should does it discount Snape's talent either.
 Snape doesn't deal with Hermione's teeth because that isn't something
he normally may deal with - Madam Pomfrey is the better person for
Hermione to go to.  

colebiancardi