Snape's first day of class

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185929

Joey wrote:
> 
> 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.

Carol responds:

I don't know about "menacing" but certainly the "dunderheads" remark
would be surprising (and anticlimactic) after the build-up about the
class. I think that the boys were surprised but no more than that, and
more than one studious student might have been inspired by it. (I can
see Draco, who seems to have a bit of Potions talent, reacting as Tom
Felton does in the film.) But I agree with the rest of your
comment--certainly it sounded haughty, as if he (no doubt rightly)
considered his abilities to be far above those of his students,
especially (sigh!) first-years. But what's interesting to me is that
he doesn't distinguish between Gryffindors and Slytherins in his
remarks--the "dunderhead" comment is an equal opportunity insult.
Evidently, he's had to deal with the likes of Crabbe and Goyle before
and is not enticed by the prospect of more clumsy and ignorant
first-years.

Carol, who thinks that Snape would have been happier as a lone
researcher and author "married" to his work