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

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 168514

Dana wrote:
<snip> No, he actually enforces this behavior in Draco by letting
Draco openly amuse himself at Harry's coast. And why do you think that
is? Because Snape is a personal friend of the Malfoy's and if Snape
would ever got it in his head to treat Draco in the same way he does
Harry then Lucius would be in his office so fast, Snape would not know
what hit him. <snip>

Carol responds:
Can you provide evidence that Lucius Malfoy would act this way? When
we see him at Borgin and Burke's in CoS, he seems to hold Draco
responsible for his own marks, expecting him to be ashamed of being
beaten in every class (which would include Potions) by "a girl of no
wizarding family." The teachers have nothing to do with it. And what
do you mean by "Snape would not know what hit him"? If you mean that
Lucius Malfoy can outduel Snape, I rather doubt it. If you mean that
Malfoy could pull rank and get Snape fired, I doubt that, too. He's
off the board of governors after CoS, and Dumbledore would never let
Snape be fired for giving Draco a detention, nor would the board of
governors consider any such request.

Snape does on occasion speak sternly to Draco. In GoF, he points at
Draco, not even addressing him by name, and says, "Explain" (GoF Am.
ed. 299). Even in HBP, where he has to avoid giving Draco detention
because he's posing as a loyal DE (my interpretation), he still speaks
sternly or angrily to him: "'Keep your voice down!' spat Snape," and a
bit later, "Now listen to me! You are being incautious," etc. (Now,
yes, this is a supposed DE speaking to another DE, but it's an adult
in authority speaking to a novice. The conversation breaks down when
Snape starts to consider Draco's *feelings.*) As for the one incident
in which the supposedly injured Draco insists that Harry and Ron help
him with his potion, Snape could have ordered Draco to work with his
fellow Slytherins, but he's probably enjoying the moment. Petty, to be
sure, but perhaps he spoke to Draco after class about faking his
injury. We just don't know because we see from Harry's point of view.
Note that Draco doesn't usually act up in front of Snape (or any other
teacher). He makes sure that Snape's back is turned before he flashes
his Cedric Diggory badge, for example.

At any rate, Lucius Malfoy in Snape's office is highly unlikely. He
seems to respect Snape's abilities as a teacher and to leave him
entirely alone. He doesn't show up at Hogwarts when McGonagall assigns
Draco detention in the Forbidden Forest in SS/PS. He doesn't even show
up when Buckbeak injures Draco, though he does try to get Hagrid
fired. And in CoS, when he still has some power as a member of the
board of governors, it's Dumbledore that he's after.

Exactly what the relationship is between Snape and the Malfoys,
especially Lucius Malfoy, is still not clear (though the "lapdog"
comment seems to refer to their school days when Lucius was an
upperclassman and Severus a little kie). But the idea that Snape would
be terrified or upset in the unlikely event that Lucius Malfoy showed
up in his office strikes me as contrary to canon. Whatever their
relationship, it does not seem to be based on intimidation, nor is
Snape likely to be intimidated by any wizard, even Voldemort, to whom
he lies without detection. (Note Snape's attitude toward Bellatrix, as
deadly a DE as they come. And even Fenrir Greyback seems to be afraid
of Snape.)

I'm also not sure what you mean by treating Draco as he treats Harry.
If he'd asked Draco those questions in SS/PS, Draco would probably
have gotten at least one of them right, and if he didn't, snape might
well have said that he expected better of Lucius Malfoy's son. Draco
doesn't toss a firecracker in his class so that, say, Pansy, can steal
potion ingredients from Snape's stores. Draco doesn't talk back to
Snape, at least not until HBP. And Draco doesn't make careless
mistakes, like omitting key ingredients (Harry leves out a Bezoar when
he's making an antidote because his mind is on the Yule Ball, for
example) or invade Snape's privacy by entering a memory that he's
placed in a Pensieve for safekeeping. So there's no reason for Snape
to treat Draco as he treats Harry, even if it weren't for the James
connection and Snape's expectations for the Prophecy Boy.

Carol, wondering where this idea of Lucius Malfoy storming into
Snape's office or exerting some sort of power over him came from