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

[rtbthw_mom]

No: HPFGUIDX 189332



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
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> > Nikkalmati
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> > I think Potioncat means we don't know if Harry said anything in class about his method of defending against Dementors.  He just notes Snape's method is different and he expected to get a low mark on his essay because he disagreed with Snape.  To me, that says he put his opinion in the essay. DH US hardback p 448. 
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> Alla:
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> Oh. Yes, of course, I agree that Harry described his method in the essay, he may have talked about it in class, but this is something we do not know about, so may as well never happened. What I do not understand is how it is relevant to what I was saying that Snape should have given Harry high marks on his essay despite the fact that Harry was disagreeing with Snape. Sorry for being unclear and I do not mean to be snippy but I truly do not get it.
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> To me Harry disagreeing with Snape be it in written OR oral form pretty much equals Harry challenging Snape. We KNOW that Patronus method is effective in fighting Dementors, we saw it, in fact we know that Patronus can fight a whole lot of Dementors.  I think that grade that Harry deserved is Outstanding. Oh wait, I see. Are you saying that since we never know what grade Harry actually got it is not a given that Snape gave him a low grade? If that's what you are arguing then I disagree, but could you please clarify if you are arguing something different?
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> I think that IF Harry received a high grade on that essay that would have been a really big deal for him and he would have shared it with Ron and Hermione. He did not, so to me that meant that his prediction was confirmed and he got a low grade and completely undeservingly so.
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> JMO,
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> Alla
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Pat here:
To me, it was apparent that Snape had discussed another method of resisting Dementors.  This means that there is more than one way to fight them.  Harry's method, the Patronus charm, is certainly one way, and most of the time he is quite successful in using it.  But it doesn't always work, even for Harry.  POA shows us a time when Harry was trying to save not only his own soul, but also Hermione's and Sirius'.  Hermione definitely wasn't able to conjure her Patronus (we have no evidence that she had ever tried before this time), and, most importantly, Harry himself was unable to produce a Patronus.  If it hadn't been for the whole time traveling thing, all three of them would have perished that night.  

As for Snape's role in all this, it seems to me that, excellent wizard that he is, he also realizes that conjuring a Patronus isn't always possible: there are times when people just don't have the requisite positive feelings.  If Snape knows of another method of neutralizing a Dementor - something that will also work, and doesn't depend on positive feelings - then teaching it to his classes seems like a really good thing to me.  Possibly the Patronus charm works best, but if there's another, more easily worked charm that will work, just maybe not as well, then I would certainly want to learn that for times when I was unable to do the Patronus charm.  In addition, Lupus tells Harry outright that it is a very advanced spell: it seems that most wizards don't attain that level and aren't ever able to produce a patronus.  So, any alternate method would be good!

As to the issue of Harry's essay: he exhibits a little rebellious streak here.  If Snape is teaching something, Harry will try his best to disagree with it.  Snape is offering something that Hogwarts students can accomplish; Harry likes his own method because someone he likes taught it to him, as opposed to someone he doesn't like teaching him something in opposition to Lupin's method.  Is it any surprise that Harry won't even consider Snape's method?  Not to me.  But I think this scene puts Harry into a bad light, not Snape.  Snape has offered a method of resisting Dementors that any Hogwarts-level student should be able to learn.  Lupin himself says that the Patronus charm is too advanced.  It is not taught at Hogwarts (except to the DA.)  Snape was, as usual, being a good teacher; Harry resisted what he had to teach because of who that teacher was.  Just too much emotional baggage carried by Harry to be able to learn from Snape. (and yes, Snape has his own heavy emotional baggage where Harry is concerned, LOL!)

~Pat