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

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 185755

Pippin:
> > As Dumbledore says, he has no power to make men see the truth.
> > Threatening Snape will not make Snape see Harry any differently.
 
Alla:
> No, but it can make Snape **behave** differently towards Harry even 
> if his feelings remain the same.  

Pippin:
> > Dumbledore does not seem to see anything wrong with humiliating 
> > people who actually *are* overconfident, so he wouldn't reprimand 
> > Snape for that.
 
Alla:
> Well, this does not earn Dumbledore any  brownie points with me 
> and, I find it irrelevant, since Snape does not humiliate any 
> overconfident person on that first lesson, he humiliates eleven 
> year old who has very little clue about new world he arrived in.


SSSusan:
This has been where I've always come down on the Snape "fault" as 
teacher of Harry (and Neville).  I essentially have been where Alla 
is on all that I snipped.  Snape couldn't be forced to see or believe 
the truth, but DD could have applied pressure on Snape to behave in 
certain ways (or not in certain ways).

My long-argued position has been that, since Snape knew Harry was 
potentially The Prophecy Boy, he really needed, if he was going to be 
an effective teacher, to set aside his petty grievances and his 
biases and his anger and resentment and MAKE SURE this kid learned 
all that he was capable of, that he reached his full potential.  It 
was, after all, *vital* that Propechy Boy be as prepared as possible 
to face down Voldemort.

It's here that I have always felt Snape failed as a teacher -- in 
*not* being willing to adapt his methods and in *not* being willing 
to set aside his own dislike/hatred of the kid/the kid's dad enough 
to be able to not be a prick to Harry.  I'm thinking, to start with, 
of that very first lesson Alla referred to, as well as to times when 
he was downright unfair & hateful to Harry.  (And, no, I'm not saying 
Harry was blameless -- please, no -- but just that Snape could have 
done so much more, and DD could have done more to guide Snape in this.

**However**...


Pippin:
> In any case, Harry's celebrity meant he could never be shielded from
> public mockery. By the time he had to face Rita Skeeter, Harry could
> take it in stride, unlike Hagrid who completely withdrew, or 
> Hermione, who embarked on a dangerous and ultimately senseless 
> course of revenge.

SSSusan:
I think this is the first time I recall seeing this position 
expressed.  If you are arguing that Snape was attempting to bolster 
Harry's ability to persevere and face those who ridiculed him or 
mocked him, then that's interesting and, indeed, a benefit.

Then again, to give Snape credit for this would require me to believe 
that Snape knew this public mockery would be coming and that Harry 
would need to be able to take it in stride & handle it *and* that 
Snape's goal was to HELP him do so.  I'm not positive I can believe 
that to be the case.

Are you arguing that Snape was intentially doing this... or merely 
that it was a beneficial outcome from the way Snape happened to treat 
Harry?

Siriusly Snapey Susan