Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban Ch 19: The Servant of Lord Voldemort

[nikkalmati]

No: HPFGUIDX 190735



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nerona" <nerona12 at ...> wrote:
>
> > Pippin:
> > Remember who Hermione's boggart is? McGonagall bullies her
> students just as much as Snape. Does that make McGonagall an
> > every day evil person too?
> 
> Nerona:
> I agree Pippin, but McGonagall never favors a student, she gave
> points to the Slytherins when they deserved it, she never removed
> homework as if it didn't exist. (When Harry in book 5 when Snape
> dropped his potion and told him, "Another zero, Potter.") Although
> she bullied Neville couple of times but she was fair at the same
> time.
> 
> Snape on the other hand did his best to humiliate Harry and his
> friends, ex: when Malfoy jinxed Harry but it hit Hermione and her
> front teeth got really big, Snape looked at her and said he sees
> no difference at all (book 4) and then sent Harry to detention
> and probably gave Malfoy point for it.
>
Nikkalmati

I certainly would never suggest that Snape and McGonagall are equivalent, but I think she falls on the stricter side of the teachers.  The first year she does not punish Harry for flying his broom without a teacher there and instead gives him a position on the Quiddich team (favortism?). I see no evidence that she changed toward Neville; I also am not sure it was "fair" to critisize Neville so harshly for losing his list of passwords.  And, when did she give points to the Slytherines (maybe she did, I just don't recall).  

We have discussed the potions incident before.  If you read carefully, there is nothing to indicate Snape is responsible.  Jo wants us to think that, of course, because she wants us to dislike and be suspicious of Snape. For me the significant point is that Harry and Hermnione both believe that if she had not vanished the remainder of his potion, he could have turned it in with no problem.  Lots of people think Harry got poor grades in Potions under Snape, but there is no proof of that either.  Snape of course did not grade the OWLS, so Harry's grade there was not up to Snape. 

Yes, he was nasty to Harry and his friends.  The teeth incident was absolutely painful.  It has been pointed out that in a fight of Slytherines vs. Gryffindors it was more than Snape's life was worth to show any favor to Gryffindors.  (That remark about giving Draco a point is just imagination). 

Nikkalmati