The Overarching message - Caning + Mind Reading, of sorts

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 191667

Steve:

Otto,

There is no much I can find to argue with in your post as it deal more with modern muggle society, that, if you will, fictional reality. 

But, I will repeat that Snape is merely reading Harry's thought. Yes, that would certainly be unpleasant for anyone, especially when private and embarrassing memories are pulled up. Now, in here somewhat PG writing, JKR doesn't touch on it, but I suspect there are many late night or long hot shower activities that a teenage boy would prefer that people didn't know about. So, yes, the potential for embarrassment is very high. 

But notice that when those extremely private and embarrassing memories apear, Harry can cut them off, he can stop them. So, while functionally it doesn't appear very effective, we do see that Harry does have the potential to close his mind. 

I think part of the problem is that Snape is teaching him. Certainly Snape is an expert at Occulmency, but he is very much the wrong teacher for Harry. Shaun explains this nicely. Certain students don't response well to certain teaching styles. In some cases, a firm and strong hand is the answer. In other cases, a firm hand is exactly the opposite of what is needed. I think Shaun explained this very well. And Snape is as wrong for Harry as it can get. 

I suspect, if Dumbledore had taught Harry, Harry would have learned and learned much quicker and the result would have been much more effective. But, Dumbledore explained why he didn't teach Harry. Dumbledore felt that Voldemort could use Harry's eyes and mind as a way of spying on Dumbledore, and, among other things, Dumbledore did not want Voldemort to know of his fondness for Harry. If Voldemort knew their relationship was more than Headmaster/Student, he could exploit that relationship. Dumbledore felt it was best to keep his distance from Harry. 

Further and finally, Harry does realize the Occlumency, if he can master it, would be of tremendous benefit to him. So, he consents to the unpleasant time he spends with Snape learning something extremely valuable, though by an unpleasant process. 

It was a mistake for Dumbledore to think that Snape and Harry could work together effectively on such an intimate process. This, in my view, was certainly a process that required a delicate and sensitive hand, something that Snape is NOT, very much NOT, noted for. 

Still the choices were Dumbledore or Snape, and Dumbledore had already ruled himself out, so that left Snape, probably one of the most gifted Occlumens in the world. To be able to resist the most powerful Legilimens in the world, he would have to be. 

Finally, when we discuss any fictional world, and despite our muggle prejudices, we discuss it as if it were real, and as if it did have a sound internal logic. Whether it be Harry Potter, Eragon, or Artemis Fowl, we treat what is logical absurdity as if it were indeed real, and as if there were an internal and consistent logic to that world.

Within the world of Harry Potter I suspect there is a protocol for the use and application of Legilemency, or any more slight variation of it. Further, if a person can tell, as Harry can, then in business, political, and social situations, the person performing the Legilemeny must tread very gently and carefully, maintaining only the most shallow depth of probing lest the person being probed become aware of it. With that gentle footprint, I think even a gifted Legilemens would have no more than an intuitive sense of the moment.

But that goes back to the underlying question I forgot to directly ask in my previous post. 

Can we assume that Harry's awareness is in proportion to the depth at which he is being probed? 

Steve/bboyminn