[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape as Neville's teacher / JKR's sexy men roll call

[melissa]

No: HPFGUIDX 168624

 Montavilla47: 
> I realize this is IMO and your mileage may vary, but I think Snape cares
> too much, if anything.  Not about his student's egos, but about whether
> they learn potions--or learn enough to stay away from them if they don't
> have the patience, aptitude, and precision to do them right.

I agree with you here. He doesn't care about their feelings, but he does care whether
they are competent or not--or perhaps a better phrasing is that he cares about
competence. I guess that you can say that he was threatening his class to pass their
owls because he only cared about his reputation, but, to me, I think he does get some
satisfaction of knowing they all passed. I mean, of all the things to threaten someone
to do, that's hardly bad--they should be aiming to pass anyway. I really see Snape as
'all bark and no bite.'
And I take his speech (can't remember which book) on how he can get Neville to learn
something through his thick head as *genuine*. The phrasing isn't nice (I tend to
equate his use of 'dunderhead' and 'idiot' etc. with people who swear every second
word--it's annoying, but it's not necessarily done purposely), but I think he truly
*was* frustrated and truly *didn't* know what to do with him. To me, that's someone who
wants to teach it, but can't figure out what he's doing wrong.

cnmnluvr