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

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 185821

> >> Montavilla47:
> <SNIP>
> > Sorry to interrupt here, but I went back and read the relevant
> passage
> > and I'm not seeing a lot of anger or hatred in that first lesson.
> Snape
> > is being demanding, yes. But it doesn't seem that personal. <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> How is addressing Harry and his celebrity status in a humiliating way 
> is not personal, I cannot even understand. Seriously, even if we 
> disagree on how humiliating was what Snape did, he addresses Harry 
> and Harry only, he addresses unique circumstances Harry found himself 
> in. I think it is extremely personal, IMO of course.
> 
> We can of course speculate that Snape does that shpil every year. 
> However to the best of my recollection nobody ever mentions it. Not 
> Fred and George, not Percy who supposedly had Snape already and who 
> do talk about Snape to Harry at some point. One would think that if 
> JKR wanted to make a point that Snape does that to unlucky soul every 
> year, she would have made a point of mentioning it. She did not, so I 
> choose to think that Snape does not do it every year.
> 
> Even if he did do questions, adressing Harry's celebrity status is 
> something that to me makes it very personal.

Montavilla47:

It's not like other teachers haven't touched on Harry's celebrity status.
Flitwick got so excited by it that he fell off his chair when he said Harry's
name.  

All Snape does is mention that Harry is a celebrity.  It's annoying, but 
it can hardly be more humiliating than having your teacher fall off a 
chair.

This takes place during the role call of names--Snape is reading out
*everyone's* names.  He's not singling out Harry, although he doesn't 
call anyone else a celebrity.  After he makes that remark, he continues
reading the rest of the names on his roster.  So, any chagrin Harry 
might feel at being called a celebrity--something that's happened in
at least one other class--he's had time to get over it.

Then Snape begins the class proper by asking questions.  Once 
Harry has failed to provide the answers, he gives the answers and
chews out the rest of the class for not writing them down.  It's 
clear that Snape is concerned about the *information* he imparting
and not focussed on humiliating anyone in particular.

After the students start writing down the answer, he mentions that
he's taking a point from Gryffindor for Harry cheeking him.  Which
Harry did.  So, again, I don't see his motive here as taking revenge
on James for procreating or abusing Harry because he reminds him
of James.  I see a teacher laying down the rules of his classroom.