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

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 185844

Back on Thursday of last week in post 185790, Carol 
wrote:  
"All of this experience makes him better prepared 
for public humiliation
  

He responds to the first Potions lesson with cheek and to 
the deduction of a point with resentment."

I wrote a reply disagreeing with this view. Unfortunately, the 
message disappeared into one of Yahoo's black holes. I 
was away from home over the weekend visiting my son near 
Oxford and for some reason was unable to access the group
from his computer.

***

However, yesterday, montavilla47 made a similar comment in 
post 185821 and wrote:
"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."

***

In reply, how on earth can it be suggested that Snape 
is not singling out Harry as a celebrity and, in the same 
breath, point out in contradiction that Harry is the only 
pupil so treated?

Does he make any remark – either good or bad – about
Draco, or Ron, or Seamus et al? No.

I taught for over thirty years dealing mainly with teenagers 
and I know that cheek comes from those pupils who are 
confident, have a big idea of themselves and are prepared 
try it on with authority figures. Do any of these characteristics 
fit Harry? 

Let's have a look at canon:
`"Ah, yes," he (Snape) said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new 
- celebrity."
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered 
behind their hands.'
(PS "The Potions Master" pp.101/02 UK edition)

Snape pauses and quite deliberately emphasises the word 
`celebrity'. He doesn't check Malfoy and crew over their 
reaction. But he isn't picking on Harry
 Hmm.

`"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added 
powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"



Snape's lips curler into a sneer.
"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything".
He ignored Hermione's hand
.'
(ibid. p,102)

He then asks a second question, to which Harry cannot reply.

`"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, 
Potter?"'

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold 
eyes. He had looked through  his books at eh Dursleys' but 
did Snape expect him to remember everything in `One 
Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'?
(ibid. p.102)

Snape continues to concentrate on Harry. note that **no 
other pupil** is being asked questions. Harry then makes his 
reply about asking Hermione. To be cheeky? No. To try to
protect himself and get Snape off his back. OK, a few 
people laughed
 But Harry wasn't trying to score points; 
he was trying to get away from the interrogation.

And to then accuse Harry of trying to make things look 
good by letting Neville mess things up was ludicrous, biased 
and a disgrace.

But he isn't picking on Harry
 Hmm.

I would never have dreamed of treating a pupil in a class 
of mine in such a demeaning way. 

In my opinion, anyone who sees that exchange as being 
cheeky on Harry's part has no conception of the concerns 
and insecurities which go through a boy's mind in a new 
situation such as see here... I can recall being a new 
boy in grammar school at the same age as Harry was here, 
sitting in a class suffering the same sinking feeling in the 
stomach because of a teacher who had the same dismissive 
attitude to our feelings and lack of knowledge.