Snape, Snape, Snape, Snape

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 185863

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> 
wrote:

Zara:
> > We know he asks a question following his opening speech on first days 
> > of school. We have, after all, seen two such scenes. IN the second, 
> > he was given a correct answer. Perhaps he asked addditional questions 
> > in the first case, because he was not.
 
Alla:
> Come now, don't keep us in suspense :-). I would love to read another 
> scene where he is asking questions **first** year students, who had no 
> homework yet whatsoever and for some of them no knowledge of magic yet 
> whatsoever.
 
> Because if you meant this one:

> "...you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal 
> spells. What is the advantage of nonverbal scene?"
> Hermione's hand shot into the air. Snape took his time looking around 
> at everybody else, making sure he had no choice, before saying 
> curtly, "Very well - Miss Granger?"
> "Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to 
> perform," said Hermione, "which gives you a split-second advantage."
> "An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of 
> Spells, Grade Six," said Snape dismissively (over in the corner Malfoy 
> sniggered), but correct in essentials..." - HBP, p178-179, paperback, 
> am.ed.
> 
> I do not see how the two can be compared closely.

Geoff:
Like Alla, I was also intrigued by your suggestion that there are two 
scenes where Snape asks questions of pupils and, in your own words, 
one where he gets a correct answer.

Now, I think that I am considered by the group to be something of a 
canon buff, but I could not pin down another scene like the one in PS 
which we have discussed.

If Alla is right and the scene you mean is the one she highlights from 
HBP, then I cannot agree with your assumptions about Snape and the first 
year. I had initially assumed that you meant another interaction between 
the two of them.

I agree with Alla that you cannot compare the two situations as they do 
not involve first years and therefore, I do not think that you can support 
your view of Snape's dealings with first years from canon. The two events 
are years apart.

In message 185850, Catlady wrote:
"It has been suggested on list that he normally starts each class with
those three questions, but to three different students, so no one feels 
singled out."

That isn't canon and I see no evidence from that source to support the 
suggestion that Snape is **not** deliberately picking on Harry.

In your post 185859, where Alla has asked you to specify the event to 
which you are referring, you seem to have craftily dodged the issue and 
produced a red herring instead.

A little further enlightenment would be gratefully received.
:-)