[HPforGrownups] Re: The Overarching message - Caning + Mind Reading, of sorts

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 191668

On 1/2/2012 2:52 PM, Steve wrote:
> Responding to my own post, I forgot to summarize by asking the 
> question that is implied in my post - Can we assume that the level of 
> Harry's awareness of the intrusion is a measure of the depth of the 
> intrusion? In Occlumency, Harry is fully aware of the thoughts Snape 
> is reading. However, in the more common and general times when Harry 
> speculates that Snape or Dumbledore might be reading his mind, it is 
> no more than an suspicion. He has no awareness that specific thoughts 
> are being read. So, once again, does Harry level of awareness reflect 
> the depth to which he is being probed?

Bart:
     I would suspect that it is equivalent to the difference between 
reading people's expressions, and doing an EEG. Meaning that the brain 
puts out enough information that a talented leglimens can get useful 
information without having to actually enter the mind (like Morty can 
tell when someone is lying, and Snape is a good enough occlumens as to 
not even make Morty suspicious). By casting the leglimens spell, 
however, one can enter the brain, and get far more information. The 
occlumancy lessons, however, fell through from both sides, although I 
would place the blame 80-90% with Snape. Snape's means of motivating 
students who won't do the work in learning is to get them so angry that 
they resolve to prove to him that they can do it. However, in some 
students, like Neville, his methods backfire and stop the student from 
trying altogether, and it is clear that Snape is sufficiently 
contemptuous of such students that he just lets them fail. Because of 
his James/Harry associations, he is extra hard on Harry, so, while his 
methods would normally work on Harry (who did, after all, get an "E"), 
because he goes to far, he jangles Harry sufficiently, that Harry makes 
errors in his presence, at least in potions. Because of the one-on-one 
nature of the Occlumancy lessons, Harry can't tell if he is being taught 
or tortured, and therefore actively resists the training. Snape, in 
spite of his supposed skill at leglimancy, sees it as laziness 
(incorrectly) and arrogance (only partially correct), and, instead of 
changing his methodology, doubles down.

     Also, note that, to a great extent, Harry is the invasive one, by 
looking into the Pensieve. For example, in email services, you 
understand that the provider has the ability to look at your email, 
although you trust them to be professional about it (only looking when 
necessary, as far as necessary, and keeping personal information gained 
private). It is a far different thing if you try to spy on the 
provider's emails. Snape had the professional responsibility to act as 
if he never learned the personal information about Harry gained through 
leglimancy, but Harry had no similar obligation towards Snape. 
Therefore, given the fact that Harry gave permission but Snape did not, 
in terms of "mind rape", Harry is more guilty than Snape.

     Bart