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

[jkoney65]

No: HPFGUIDX 185871

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> jkoney:
> > Snape obviously knew that Malfoy knew more than the average 
spells.
> It was just his way of trying to get Harry shown up in front of 
alot 
> of people. Is it petty, yes, but that is how Snape acted especially
> early on in the series.
> > 
> Carol earlier:
> > > I'm not sure about the Serpensortia spell, but it *may* have 
been
> Snape's way of testing to see whether Harry was a Parselmouth. It
> certainly served that purpose whether it was his intention or not. 
> And Snape easily Vanished the snake before it could do any harm.
> > 
> > jkoney:
> > I think you are missing the point entirely. Malfoy and Harry 
should
> have never been chosen to demonstrate. Why would you choose two
> wizards with almost no experience for a demonstration when you have
> the upper years also there.
> > 
> > No this was just Snape trying to embarrass Harry. His whispers 
with
> Draco telling him what advanced spell to use definitely let us know
> that. <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> 
> First, you're trying to have it both ways. You say that "Snape
> obviously knew that Malfoy knew more than the average spells" and 
then
> you say that "Malfoy and Harry should have never been chosen to
> demonstrate. Why would you choose two wizards with almost no
> experience." those two statements are not consistent. Either Draco,
> unlike Harry, knows "more than average spells" (in which case, it's
> odd that he's attending the Dueling Club to learn how to duel) or,
> like Harry, he's "a wizard with almost no experience." I think *all*
> the kids who attend have almost no experience, certainly none with
> real dueling. 
> 

jkoney:
I'm not trying to have it both ways. Draco knows more than other 
second year students. His casting of Serpentsortia shows that he 
knows more than other second year students.

But neither Harry or Draco are as experienced as the upper classmen 
who are also at the event. The notice was posted in the entrance hall 
for all students to see. If it was just second years they would have 
mentioned in one of their classes (such as DADA). When Harry enters 
the great hall he sees that "most of the school" was there and "were 
carring their wands and looking excited." 


Carol
> snip> 
> As you said yourself, he's an inexperienced wizard just like Harry.
> 
jkoney:
He's inexperienced, but was taught more spells (probably from his 
father) than Harry knows.

Carol
> After Snape casts Expelliarmus against Lockhart, Lockhart and Snape
> pair up the students, who are supposed to use Expelliarmus on each
> other, 
<snip>Lockhart decides to teach the
> students to block unfriendly spells. 
> 
> He initially chooses another pair of inexperienced second-years,
> Seamus and Neville. Obviously, "upper years" aren't needed for the
> experiment, and, in any case, none are available. Snape wisely if
> unkindly points out that Neville is not a good choice and chooses
> Harry and Draco instead. 

jkoney:
So Snape decides to pair up two students who don't like each other 
from two houses that don't get along. So Snape is either a complete 
idiot not knowing that this will get out of hand, or he is up to 
something.

When Lockhart chooses a pair of inexperienced students (probably 
because they were close to him and he thought he could impress them 
while an upperclassman would ignore him), Snape decides that two 
different inexperienced students should be chosen. Why does he do 
this? Either group of inexperienced students would do. But instead he 
makes Harry go up before the group, hoping he'll fail against a spell 
he doesn't know.


Carol:
> Needless to say, Draco is prepared and Harry is not and he can only
> stare when a snake comes out of Draco's wand. Snape tells Harry to
> hold still so he can Vanish the snake (which he does easily after
> Lockhart bungles the same spell and sends the snake hissing toward
> Justin Finch-Fletchley), 

jkoney:
"The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched aghast, as a long black 
snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, 
raised itself ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed 
swiftly away, clearing the floor.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight 
of Harry standing motionless eye to eye with the angry snake."

That definitely seems like a set up to me. One designed to embarrass 
Harry and make him look bad in front of most of the school.

Carol: 
IMO, if we disregard Lockhart's inept contributions, we're seeing DADA
> as Snape would have taught it. He might even have become Harry's
> favorite teacher if he'd kept it up. Alas, the DADA curse and the
> whole Snape/Harry plot makes that impossible.

jkoney:
"favorite teacher"???

Harry would have ended up hating DADA and that would have been a 
disaster for Harry and everyone else.