Why write the *Defense* job as the cursed one?

[lynn-waterfall.livejournal.com]

Why did JKR make it be the Defense job that was cursed?  Having a cursed class did allow her to regularly introduce new professors, and I can understand wanting to do that, particularly since the action was mostly confined to the school.  But why the Defense job?

I can think of some unflattering reasons, such as not wanting to write a hero who can really *do* stuff, or not wanting to have to work out what kind of stuff such a hero would *do*. Or maybe she just wanted to ensure that readers would be interested in the class that happened to be cursed, and Defense would naturally get readers interested, particularly young readers.

Are there any really good reasons?  

We never saw Quirrell teach anything, and the book gives the impression that he wasn't teaching well. Lockhart didn't teach the actual subject at all. Lupin focused on Dark creatures, not Dark Arts; he could've been a replacement Care of Magical Creatures professor, instead of Hagrid. He still could've helped tutor Harry to fight dementors. Crouch and Umbridge's classes do work better as Defense classes, but Snape just needed to moved aside for Slughorn to take over Potions.

Frankly, JKR could've made the *History* class be the cursed one. It wouldn't've affected Quirrell, and Lockhart could still have plausibly talked about himself (as an important figure in *recent* history, of course!).

Lupin's only relevant Defense thing was tutoring Harry to fight dementors, which he could have done as a family friend even if it weren't relevant to his subject. It *was* out of class, after all. The boggart scene does contribute to the characterization, but it could've been included by, say, having Lupin premptively substitute for the Defense teacher, who would later substitute for him during the full moon.

Crouch!Moody could have focused the history class on the recent war with Voldemort, and made his class unusually interesting by demonstrating some of the spells used. (Assuming that the actual Defense class couldn't fill in that bit of background info.) He has the right personality for adding a bit of Defense to another class, and Dumbledore would still take advantage of the cursed position to have an Auror around to keep an eye on things.

Umbridge would probably still need to take over Defense, but things could shift at that point. The previous Defense teacher they'd had could have been forced to resign by the Ministry, and Binns could take over History if there was nothing else to do with that job.

And don't tell me that Voldemort wouldn't've been creepy wanting to teach history. Written by a good author, that could be as creepy as anything.

(If Voldemort actually wanted to teach, that is. The books don't make it sound like Voldemort had a very sincere interest in teaching Defense, although I do find that possibility intriguing.)

Not that it has to be History in particular, although that class would have had potential. It's amazing how little JKR did with the Defense class concept, though. It was practically only there to indicate that fighting is a part of the WW, and to excuse Harry from the need to spend time *outside* class training to fight Voldemort.

Comments

[sunnyskywalker]

I think Percy mentioned the curse rumor, but yeah. It's very weird that they don't have stories about the previous professors if it's true. It probably would have worked better if, after Harry's first three years, that's when they started wondering whether Voldemort cursed the job while he was there with Quirrell.

Or the curse could have been much less harmful before - they couldn't keep a DADA teacher beyond, say, three years, but they usually left for reasons like suddenly moving to Australia to be with family before. Then one of the reasons Dumbledore knows something's up is that suddenly the curse kicks into high gear and DADA teachers start dropping like flies.

The DADA professor before Quirrell

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

JKR:(giggle snort) I know what happen to the previous DADA professor, but it's just too horrible to speak of.

Or, at least that kinda sounds like something she might say.

Horrible could easily be the previous DADA professor was female, she got knocked up and had to leave and thats why nobody is talking about it. Cause sex is evil and you can't tell 11 year olds that the professor was doing the nasty with another professor.

(evil grin)

The rumor is, Snape wanted the job...that was code speak for he got lucky...really lucky.

Re: The DADA professor before Quirrell

[sunnyskywalker]

That does sound like her!

And Dumbledore couldn't have Snape moving on from Lily and maybe deciding he didn't want to work for Dumbledore anymore, so alas, it turns out Hogwarts has no maternity leave policy and they can't possibly get a substitute and hold her job for a year or two. Or open a daycare center for the staff's children (and, say, younger siblings of current students, so their parents can work).

Re: The DADA professor before Quirrell

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

Plus maybe pregnant women can't teach DADA, it's to dangerous to the unborn child.

I mean, there has to be a female teaching in somewhere along the way in those MANY years before Harry showed up.

Re: The DADA professor before Quirrell

[oryx_leucoryx]

Professor Galatea Merrythought taught the subject for 50 years. Before the job got cursed.

Re: The DADA professor before Quirrell

[karentheunicorn.livejournal.com]

Yea =)

But I meant while the curse was going on.

Re: The DADA professor before Quirrell

[sunnyskywalker]

Potions neither, probably. But yeah, Merrythought can't have been the only woman to hold the post ever, especially if they've had up to 30 DADA teachers since then.

[danajsparks.livejournal.com]

>>>>>>they couldn't keep a DADA teacher beyond, say, three years, but they usually left for reasons like suddenly moving to Australia to be with family before. Then one of the reasons Dumbledore knows something's up is that suddenly the curse kicks into high gear and DADA teachers start dropping like flies.

Yes! This would have worked very well. Or perhaps they're usually even able to keep profs for 5-10 years, but then each one ends up leaving under very strange, unfortunate circumstances, like terrible accidents, or something. Dumbledore is never quite sure if it's just a series of unfortunate events or if the position is actually cursed. It would be much less obvious if the profs generally lasted for a few years before something terrible happened.

[sunnyskywalker]

It would fit with that nagging dread Voldemort is Out There somewhere, especially after he's "dead" and yet one teacher still has a terrible accident. They can't prove it and hope they're being paranoid, but something's just not right.

[danajsparks.livejournal.com]

Ooh, perfect! And all she would need to change for this scenario to work is just that one line in HPB where DD says he can't keep a DADA prof for more than a year.

She could just have him say instead that each prof he has hired since has left under terrible circumstances.

[sharaz-jek.livejournal.com]

Or the curse could have been much less harmful before - they couldn't keep a DADA teacher beyond, say, three years, but they usually left for reasons like suddenly moving to Australia to be with family before. Then one of the reasons Dumbledore knows something's up is that suddenly the curse kicks into high gear and DADA teachers start dropping like flies.

I had a theory about this as well - mine rests on the supposition that close proximity to a soul fragment of the curse's creator increases its effects (poor Quirrell got a double dose, and card-carrying DEs Crouch and Snape both ended up suffering worse fates than the others).