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

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 189357

Alla:
>
> If Snape would have given Harry an Outstanding for acknowledging his method
and still asked him to learn another one, different story. As it is, I am
doubting Snape's good faith.
>
> He did not even acknowledge Patronus in theory. I am not asking him to show it
in practice.
>

Pippin:
There is no canon for what Snape did or did not tell the class about the
patronus. <SNIP>

Alla:

Sorry, I was unclear. Yes, there is no canon as to what Snape told or did not tell class about Patronus in general. However to me Harry saying that he disagreed with Snape about his method of fighting dementors IS canon that Snape told class exactly nothing about the fact that Patronus can fight Dementors. That's what I meant, my bad.




Pippin:
<SNIP>
Now, Harry cannot be expecting
to change Snape's mind, so what is Harry's purpose in disagreeing with his
teacher? I doubt it's a compulsion to intellectual honesty: Harry certainly
wasn't troubled by that in his compositions for Trelawney!

I think Snape's fairness or lack of it is beside the point: Harry chose,
deliberately, to treat the subject in a way which he expected would annoy his
teacher. It's no different than poking a caged tiger with a stick, or charming
Goyle's toenails, IMO. The purpose is to provoke an angry reaction, one which
Harry knows cannot hurt him. He's not going to flunk DADA no matter what grade
he gets.

Alla:

Unless there is canon that Harry wrote this essay with the only purpose to provoke Snape, I think intellectual honesty is exactly why he did it. He does not give a flying fig about Trelawney's class so of course he will do anything to get a good grade in it. No, I do not think it is a good thing before anybody asks. But DADA is a subject which he KNOWS saved his life many times and would save his life probably again. He taught some of it by now. He knows that fighting Dementors with Patronus charm saved his life and his Godfather's life and we are surprised that he disagreed with Snape on some method unknown to him and untested in practice?

JMO,

Alla