Harry, Snape and Dementors WAS: Re: CHAPTER Chamber of Secrets Chapter 18:

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 189483



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
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> > Pippin:
> > We seem to be working from a different understanding of the idioms. I don't think you will find many English speakers who agree that "best" ever means "only". As Potioncat says, strictly speaking it ought to mean at least three things are being compared. Even colloquially, no one who said, "This is the best restaurant in New York" would be taken as implying there was only one. <SNIP>
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> Alla:
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> Ah but I agree about restaurant's example. You have to compare the foods in many restaurants to indeed decide which one is the best one and while it may sound ridiculous to you, I do not think you have to compare the methods of fighting dementors to say that they disagreed on the best one. Or let me put it this way, I think you do not have to do that if you are Snape, yes even if it goes against the correct way to intepret idiom of English language. I can totally see Snape NOT ever bring up any OTHER methods and call his the BEST one and expect his students to take it on faith. Simply because his arrogant highness deemed his method the best in my opinion.
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> After all when he came to take over Lupin's lesson he did not ask Lupin's students whose method of teaching the material was the best. He just took the werewolves out of order and deemed that this would be for the best. And no, I do not think that this is a direct analogy, I understand how it is flawed in some way, but to me it works in a sense that it shows to me his arrogant and superior way of thinking. He who supposedly knows everything. Never mind that Kappa of course.
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> JMO,
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> Alla
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Carol responds:
Belatedly jumping in here. Snape's essay assignments in DADA seem to follow the textbook, much as Lupin's did back in PoA. "Best" does imply that at least three methods were mentioned, if not by Snape than by the textbook chapter on Dementors. If the essay is as difficult as the narrator suggests, it certainly requires research, perhaps quoting evidence from experts (such as the text book author or library books from the Reserved Section) to defend the chosen method. If it were merely parroting back what Snape said in class, there'd be nothing difficult about it (at least, not for students who take notes or have good memories!).

Frequently, we get Harry's view of Snape only to find that Harry is wrong. Sometimes. though, as here, we get Harry's view and no confirmation or refutation. In those cases, the reader is left to judge for him or herself. Those who hate Snape and like Harry will assume that Harry is right, both about the best way of dealing with Dementors and about the grade Harry will receive on his essay will assume that Snape is in the wrong. Those who view Snape as a genuine Dark Arts/DADA expert who protects Harry despite hating him will give him benefit of a doubt.

I've always assumed that Snape, who is unaffected by the Dementor that Fudge brings into Hogwarts, uses some form of Occlumency to protect himself. Fudge, too, is unharmed by the Dementor, which accepts his authority to the extent that it enters the school with him, ostensibly to protect him, before it pounces on the helpless (but hardly innocent Barty Jr.). How did Fudge keep that renegade Dementor from attacking anyone else? Or did Snape or McGonagall both hit it with their Patronuses (DD not being present)? Or did Snape, who in Percy's words, "knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts"--so much so that DD wants Snape and only Snape to treat his cursed arm after he puts on the ring--use some method that we don't know about to dismiss or destroy the Dementor? We never find out. All we know is that Barty Jr. was its only victim. Personally, I don't think that Fudge or McGonagall did anything except scream at each other and alert Dumbledore--which means that dealing with the Dementor was left to Snape.

I have no doubt that Snape can either fend off or fight Dementors. If his method is Occlumency, no wonder Harry objects to it--and no wonder Harry expects a bad grade on the essay.

Others have discussed why Snape doesn't demonstrate his Patronus, and it's clear that the Patronus charm isn't taught at Hogwarts (which makes me wonder where Umbridge, of all people, learned it). The only reasons that Lupin taught it to Harry in PoA (setting aside a mutual desire for Harry to succeed at Quidditch), were his extreme susceptibility to Dementors and the fact that he's Harry Potter. And the only reason he succeeded, even given Harry's determination, was the lucky fact that they had a Dementor to practice on. Not even Hermione can sustain her Patronus against a Dementor, although Luna can (oddly enough, her natural optimism seems to protect her rather than making her a prime target for Dementors who would want, I'd think, to suck out those happy thoughts).

At any rate, if I recall correctly, Lupin mentions that there's more than one way to resist a Dementor, but he also admits to not being an expert on the subject. Maybe Snape *is*!

Carol, wishing she had time to look it up and apologizing for being so far behind on posting