Snape's first day of class

[happyjoeysmiley]

No: HPFGUIDX 185925

>Marion Ros wrote: 
>First Potions lesson, when Snape keeps a whole classroom
mesmerized, Harry and Ron pull faces at each other (they look at each
other and pull up their eyebrows, which, in British mime means 'who is
this weirdo?').

>Alla wrote:
>So, the look that they give each other **after** Snape's speech on
page 137 of my book (Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised
eyebrows), which you interpret as who is this weirdo, I interpret as a
a surprise of the kid of why this teacher singled me out,

>Catlady wrote:
>It seems to me that the raised eyebrows are only about Harry and 
Ron's reaction to Snape's speech. After a speech like that, they may 
not even *remember* that Snape snarked at Harry's name in the class 
roll. And it is just *before* Snape calls 'Potter!' to ask questions.

>It always seemed to me that Harry and Ron's reaction, as conveyed by
their eyebrows, was somewhere between 'This wizard *really* loves his
subject" and "Do you think it's *true* that he knows how to brew glory
and even stopper death? Wow!"

>Thus, it seems to me that Harry would feel that he was being
particularly unfairly treated to be punished for not paying attention
when he was in fact paying intense attention, spiced with a half drop
of admiration.

Joey:

IMO, Harry and Ron raised eyebrows because of the phrase "if you 
aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." It 
would have sounded menacing and discouraging to them, especially for 
a fist-day speech by a teacher. Also, IIRC, Harry and Ron had already 
preconceived negative notions about Snape (due to different reasons 
and in varying degrees, of course) even before the class had started. 
So, as such, whatever Snape said would have sounded haughty to them. 
And, a statement like this can only worsen things! Hermione, being a 
very studious person with respect for most teachers in general, took 
this in a different stride.

JMO.

Cheers,
~Joey :-)