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

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 189373






> 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>

Alla:

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.

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.

JMO,

Alla