CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 9: Grim Defeat

[AmanitaMuscaria]

No: HPFGUIDX 189695



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff" <geoffbannister123 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "AmanitaMuscaria" <amanitamuscaria1@> wrote:
>  
> > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "willsonteam" <willsonkmom@> wrote:
> > > > CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
> > > > Chapter 9: Grim Defeat
>  
> > > > Questions:
> 
> > > > 5. It wasn't till I was writing a version of book 6 myself that "teachers
> > > > taking over classes for others" became a problem to me – what do you make of the
> > > > class schedule for Hogwarts' students ?
> > > Potioncat:
> > > I think Snape took over Lupin's class for his own purpose, not that it was common practice. I don't think we ever see it done at any other time, or by any other teacher. But you'd think, with calendars and astronomy tools that Lupin's schedule would have been set up and substitute teachers arranged. Why oh why does the full moon always take the werewolf by surprise?
> 
> Geoff:
> I don't read this the same way as you do. Speaking as a former teacher, it was
> normal practice to have a "cover rota" by which absences by staff could be 
> handled by colleagues. The usefulness of this was that we knew that if a staff
> member needed to be covered, for a scheduled absence or for illness, we might
> be called in for certain lessons; outside this rota, if we had non-teaching time, it was
> protected for us to deal with duties other than actual teaching.
> 
> We knew that the Hogwarts staff knew about Lupin and, hence that he would be 
> missing on occasions and on this occasion, Snape was detailed to cover the class.
> 
> Harry was surprised to find Snape there because (1) he didn't know about Lupin's
> condition and (2) probably had never taken much notice if a staff member was
> away from a lesson and covered by someone else. The minor confrontation
> between them was a side issue triggered by Harry's somewhat aggressive
> questioning of Snape. I don't think anyone in authority was taken by surprise;
> only Harry.
>

AM now - You might be right - Harry is remarkably unobservant!
But Snape certainly takes full advantage to rubbish Lupin's teaching, complain about Lupin not leaving notes, and to jump to a lesson obviously past where the class has gotten.
Also, Lupin does get caught out later, having not taken his potion, and turning into the werewolf, so he can't be that good at keeping track of his schedule.
All in all, I suspect Dumbledore subscribes to a 'Summerhill' style of schooling.