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

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 189333


Pat:

<SNIP>
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. <SNIP>

Alla:

But of course, if there is another method that works sure Snape could and should teach it to the class. Variety is a spice of life after all. What I take an issue with is Snape grading Harry low on the method that not *maybe* works, on the method that works for sure.  And I think it is interesting that the only method that we are *shown* that works is Harry's method. To me that means that writer implies that this is the method to deal with Dementors. Of course I am just speculating, but with Dementors playing quite an important role in book three, I think if another method was possible, it would have been shown for the reader. I think that Snape being petty and exercising his revenge on James's son again. But I can totally be wrong and maybe Snape graded Harry high and Harry was so not surprised by such peculiar occasion that he said nothing. I cannot buy Snape being fair to Harry though, ever.


Pat:
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. <SNIP>

Alla:

Are you arguing that Harry disagreed with Snape simply because he wanted to be disagreeable and because he liked teacher better? IMO regardless of what emotional baggage he had (and of course he did) and I maintain that ALL of such emotional baggage was inflicted upon Harry by Snape in the first place, in this instance Harry disagreed because he experienced practical results of his method and of course he would choose the one that he knew for sure would work.
To me it is like arguing that if  there is a spell that is a whole sentence that can stupefy people, that Harry should start using that spell instead of "Stupefy" simply because teacher says it should work.

I know I would choose the results of experiment that I conducted myself rather than what teacher would say should work and I would definitely insist on the highest grade for myself if this achieves the result teacher seeks.

JMO,

Alla