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

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 189376



Pippin:
I agree that Snape would not allow Harry (or any other student) to disagree
with him in class. But you do understand that if he called it the best, he
acknowledged there were other methods even if he refused to discuss them? JKR 
makes a joke about this feature of English in CoS.

"Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job--"
"He was the *on'y* man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of
treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin. "An' I mean the
*on'y* one." <SNIP>


Alla:

Do I understand that he acknowledged that other methods exist in his head if the word  *best* is being brought? Sure. Do I think that he brought those other methods  in class - no, absolutely not. Of course I understand that it could be seen differently by different people.

And my biggest question is how  Snape acknowledging in his head that other methods exist show that Snape was being fair to Harry? 

As an aside I also think that there is no way Harry would have discarded the method even to hold Dementors off, if it was any variation of what Sirius was doing. Simply because Harry knew it DID work.

No, I am convinced that in addition to knowing that his method worked, Harry discarded Snape's method because Snape did not convince him that it will be working first and foremost. IMO of course. But if Harry explained it in detail with good reasoning and all that, I think he should have gotten an Outstanding. I do not know yet what is happening in american schools, child in my family only starts school this year. But I am hoping that at least in lab lessons good teachers acknowledge results even if one arrived there by different method from what teacher required. 

And as to Snape's ego being the reason why in my opinion he would never brought up any other method, well on this we just have to agree to disagree.