First lesson WAS: Re: Marietta, was Slytherin's Reputation

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185690

Alla wrote:
<snip> 
> And if he truly genuinely worried that Harry could be next Dark
Lord, again, why not do that extraordinary thing and just **watch**
him without antagonizing him? See how he interacts with kids, see how
much magic he knows during **several** lessons, and then, THEN make
your conclusions.

Carol responds:
Later, he does exactly that. Watch him in the Duelling Club scene in
CoS. Whether he suggests Serpensortia to Draco or not, he certainly
observes that Harry speaks Parseltongue to the snake. He gives Harry a
scrutinizing look but says nothing and then Vanishes the conjured
snake. (We don't see it, but he undoubtedly reports to Dumbledore
immediately afterwards.)

> 
> Montavilla: 
> > Neither James nor Lily would be indifferent to that type of
adulation.  James would have reveled in it, and it might have turned
even Lily's head. <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I do not know if we have any evidence that Lily would have liked it
one way or another.

Carol:
But we *do* have a pretty clear indication of how James would have
reacted. And, given what Harry will ultimately have to do, an arrogant
Harry is *not* a good idea, which, IMO, is why DD was perfectly
content to have Snape prick Harry's celebrity bubble before his head
grew as large as James's had (figuratively speaking). Whatever Snape's
*intentions*, the consequence was that Harry was clearly not regarded
as a genius or prodigy by his schoolmates (who would have found out
quickly enough, in any case, that Harry was no better than they were
at anything except flying). Snape's treatment of Harry, again,
regardless of his intentions, causes the Gryffindors in the class as
one of them and the Slytherins in the class to see him as neither a
threat nor a potential Dark Lord, all to the good in terms of making
"our new celebrity" just another kid in the class to everyone except
Snape, who, as he later says, doesn't take cheek from anyone, not even
the Chosen One.

Carol, not defending Snape so much as pointing out that actions, as so
often in the HP books, have unintended consequences, in this case,
good ones