Snape as Neville's teacher / JKR's sexy men roll call

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 168441

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > And while Snape does set Harry done pretty hard, I'm not sure    
> > I'd label it out and out *abuse*.
> <snip>
 
> >>Sandy responds:
> <snip>
> In this case I see it as abuse of authority. Harry did absolutely  
> nothing to provoke Snape's actions or words.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
I think the reason I don't see Snape as abusing his authority is that 
I see a rational (though mistaken) reason for his using Harry as his 
impossible question guinea pig.  There's nothing wrong with a teacher 
hitting his students with near impossible questions to set up what 
sort of classroom he's going to run.  Sure, the student being asked 
the questions feels like an idiot, but that's not an abuse of 
authority, IMO.

If Snape had taken *points* than *maybe* I'd see it as an abuse of 
authority, but he doesn't.  (This is part of the reason I have a 
slight problem with Snape saying the point taken for Neville's 
cauldron melting came from Harry.  Technically it's unfair to blame 
Harry, though the point was honestly lost.)

> >>Sandy responds:
> Checking and correcting everyone's work except Neville's it would  
> seem. How did he miss Neville?

Betsy Hp:
Going with the text, it appears that Neville added the quills and the 
potion immediately went wrong.  I'm sure Snape *had* checked 
Neville's and Seamus's potion.  Up until Neville added an ingredient 
over too high a heat, things were going well, I'd guess.
  
> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Though I'd also add that it wouldn't surprise me if Draco *were* 
> > doing  a better job at stewing his slugs than Hermione at this   
> > stage in the game.  This is a brand new world for Hermione, but 
> > Draco's been in it for a  while.

> >>Sandy responds:
> Draco may have been in that world for a while but his status was   
> the same  as Hermione's. They were both first year's on their first 
> day in Potions class. Given what we know about Hermione I see no    
> reason to believe Draco was doing any  better.

Betsy Hp:
And given what we know about Draco, I see no reason to believe 
Hermione was doing any better. <bg>  I think this is an agree to 
disagree moment.  Canon does not make it painfully clear as to 
whether or not Draco actually deserved Snape's praise.  We each have 
to go with our own interpertation of the characters involved, and I 
believe we've got different views of all of those characters. 

> >>Sandy:
> And, because Hermione *was* new to the Wizarding World I would 
> think any  teacher she had would be a little more attentive of her 
> work to see if she is  adjusting well.

Betsy Hp:
I'm sure she was.  Hermione doesn't really have problems in Potions 
until she gets into Slughorn's class.  And even then it's a matter of 
degrees.  So I'm not sure what issue Snape is supposed to have 
spotted.

> >>Sandy:
> And while we are on this subject I would like to point out that  it 
> was a brand new world for Harry too.
> <snip>
> Snape knew Harry was  new to the WW, which, IMO, makes Snape's     
> treatment of him even more unfair,  especially if you lay it to    
> Snape not wanting Harry's fame to go to his head. 

Betsy Hp:
The entire point of Snape's exercise, IMO, is to ask questions of a 
student who did not know the answer.  And new to the world or not, I 
don't think it's odd that Snape wondered if Harry would buy his own 
hype.  Maybe even *especially* since he's so new to that world.
 
> >>BetsyHp:
> > I will say, you and Dana are not alone. There are quite a  few   
> > folks still fighting the "Snape is evil!" fight. Only DH will let 
> > us  know who is ultimately right.

> >>Sandy responds:
> I have yet to use the word *evil* in this thread.
> <snip>

> >>Dana:
> I never stated Snape was evil either, one is simply stocked up under
> this label when you do not consider Snape to be anything like a
> fluffy bunny...<snip>

Betsy Hp:
Oh sorry, you've both misinterperted what I meant up there.  I was 
unclear.  I was going for a generic "not a Snape supporter" label.  
The one generally used is ESE!Snape, which stands for "Ever So Evil" 
meaning not a good guy as per JKR.  But so many new comers have been 
confused by the "alphabet soup" such labels create, that I shortened 
the "ever so evil" to just plain old "evil".  And that basically was 
supposed to stand in for, "nasty, horrible, I don't like him and I 
never will" view point.  

I was just trying to go for a short cut since basically I was just 
saying that you two are not alone in your view point in this 
particular fight.  (Though, as always in all things Snape, there are 
degrees. <g>) 
 
> >>Betsy Hp:
> > See, I honestly see nothing personal at all in his  treatment of 
> > Neville. There's nothing that suggests to me that Snape  actually 
> > *hates* Neville.
> > <snip>

> >>Sandy responds:
> Despite not using these tactics I still believe Snape hates         
> Neville.

Betsy Hp:
And I still just don't see it.  I just don't see anything personal 
there.

> >>Sandy:
> It could be that he perceives Neville as being weak, or it could be 
> that he sees similarities  to his self when he was Neville's age. I 
> keep thinking of the  fact that the Marauders called Snape          
> Snivellus.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
My theory on how Snape earned the moniker "Snivellus" is that in the 
very early days (if not on the actual train for the first time) James 
and Sirius and Snape got into it, and passionate, inarticulate (at 
that time, I think) Snape was got so mad he started crying.  Death 
for a boy.  And a very easy thing to hang a cruel nickname on.  
Especially since I'm betting he still managed to throw a few curses 
through his tears.  (Snape's biggest issue that I saw with the 
Marauders is that he would not stay down.)

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > <snip>
> > My  goodness, I don't think I'd expected a character so darkly   
> > sexy in a  children's book. (Actually, JKR does a pretty good job 
> >  inserting a bunch of  amazingly hot men into her children's     
> > books. It's like there's a type for  every need; she could       
> > seriously do a calander. <g>)

> >>Sandy responds:
> Oy! I honestly don't understand this at all. Sexy? Hot men? I'm    
> beginning to think I should be worried about myself because I      
> haven't seen a sexy hot man in the books yet.

Betsy Hp:
Oh, it's all quite personal I'm sure.  Here's a list of some who 
spring to mind. (Will I get that magic number twelve?  Oh, the 
suspense! <g>)

There's the Marauder's of course:  
Sirius, all tragic Byronic beauty; Lupin, poster boy for hurt/comfort 
(though really, JKR is *all* about the hurt/comfort when you get down 
to it <g>) with a bit of boyish charm and a gentle bookish soul 
thrown in for good measure; and James who covers the noble young 
father and husband bit.

There's the older Weasley boys:
Bill, kind of an eighties hair-band throw-back in some ways (a *fang* 
earring? oh, Bill), but you can probably add a bit of pirate treasure 
hunter, chess playing smarts to the mix.  And Charlie, who's a bit of 
a dark horse personality-wise, but he's got the rugged out-doors man 
thing down cold (and oh my gosh, those *arms*, with the *freckles* 
and the *scars*).
Would Arthur fit in here?  Kind of the quiet, unassuming father-
figure maybe?  Not really my thing, but I bet someone out there digs 
him. <g>

Kingsley Shacklebolt has tall, dark and handsome all sewn up.  Plus 
there's the calm, competent, good man in a storm vibe he's got going.

Regulus Black has definite possibility.  If he's RAB there's built in 
tragedy and nobility (that old hurt/comfort again, though a bit light 
on the comfort I guess <g>).  Plus, he's a Black so you know he's 
beautiful.  (Pale and golden like Narcissa and Draco, or dark and 
smoldering like Sirius and Bellatrix?  We eagerly await DH.)

And over on the evil side of things:
Lucius Malfoy gets the aristocratic, too much money, too much 
breeding, absolute English ass***e thing, which can, in the right 
hands, be so very "yes, please!".  Though there's the added bit now 
of possible tragic family man.  Does he love his wife and son as they 
love him?  Some substance with the empty calories.
We cannot leave out Tom "evil becomes him" Riddle.  This is the kind 
of guy that gets chicks writing love letters to imprisoned serial 
killers, with looks so stunning even Harry takes note.  At least 
until his nose falls off.  (And that kids, is why being an evil 
overlord is bad, mmkay?)

That's ten so far, only two more to go for a full calander spread.  

I cannot forget Dumbledore, sprightly senior with the at least twice 
broken nose and the sudden appearance of vitality whenever evil 
raises its ugly (noseless) head.  That's eleven, which leaves the 
final contender as...

> >>Sandy:
> I am amazed at the number of intelligent, well-educated women  on   
> this list who, if Snape were a *real* person, would be in love and 
> lust with  him and would fall straight into bed with him when they 
> wouldn't have two  words for the clean-cut guy who lives next door.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
...the Sexy Professor Snape!  I'm not sure I'd say I'm the type 
who'd "fall straight into bed with him", 'cause I'm not that kind of 
girl. ::bats eyelashes:: But he'd get an extra look or two.  Not 
because I'm ignoring the clean cut guy next door (who'd that be 
exactly? Charlie?) but because the intelligence and passion Snape 
exudes (and we see it in his very first lesson) is pretty darn 
attractive to my mind.

> >>Sandy:
> Even JKR has given some attention to this phenomenon.

Betsy Hp:
I know.  The little minx.  Like she doesn't know what she's writing. 
<g>

> >>Sandy:
> His physical description alone is a turn off, but  how in the world 
> can anyone be turned on by someone so mean and hateful? I 
> will  admit that he is mysterious and intriguing, but sexy?!

Betsy Hp:
Physically he sounds a lot like Sherlock Holmes or Sydney Carlton.  
Actually, character-wise he's a lot like both men.  And therein lies 
the sexy, IMO.

Betsy Hp (I pulled the calander thing out of order so it didn't come 
mid-Snape-discussion)