Another Observation about Harry's First Potions Lesson

[terri-testing.livejournal.com]

It’s been pointed out before, it’s very easy to read the series of questions in Harry’s first Potions lesson as Snape’s attempt, having pulled Potter up sharply for making faces with Ron (and given the whole class the salutary lessons “do the reading” and “I won’t favor someone even if other teachers are fawning over him”) to let the boy save face by getting an answer right. Others have commented before that the questions get progressively easier, more general, and more likely for a Muggle-educated child to know.

But I just noticed something else. Look closely at what happens after Harry fails to answer the second (bezoar) question.


“Thought you wouldn’t open a book before coming, eh, Potter?”

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked thought his books at the Dursleys’, but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?



Severus is a Legilimens, and Harry’s meeting his eyes.

But, of course, the set text for Potions is Arsenius Jigger’s Magical Draughts and Potions. Harry’s thinking about his Herbology text. Maybe the kid would do better with a botanical question?

Comments

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

And because of this I had assumed 1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi was a second book for potions class... *smacks forehead*

But I'm pretty sure you're making a very valid point here. Besides the fact that a bezoar would never have been in the book in the first place (since it isn't an herb or fungi), Harry doesn't do any better with the Monkshood question which should have been covered.

I have never understood just why this Q&A session is considered to be so 'humiliating' for Harry (and therefore 'mean' on Snape's part). As far as Harry is aware, only Hermione knows the answers. This may not be the truth of the matter, but Harry only knows that Hermione is the only one attempting to get a chance to answer. It certainly isn't as if Ron immediately tells him after class that those were answers everyone knows. So why should it be humiliating?

Especially when one considers that Snape asks the class why they are not writing the answers down, once he has given them. Snape apparently did not expect the kids to actually know the answers. IF they did, then why would they need to write it down?

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

Why is it humiliating? Because anyone who dares to treat Harry as if he were an ordinary student instead of the extra-special Boy-Who-Lived Gryffindor Chosen One Hero-of-a-Seven-Book-Series Christ Figure is a MEANIE!

This would be fine if the author didn't agree with Harry 100% and thereby cause the readers to agree as well. I have no problem with eleven-year-old Harry thinking a strict and demanding teacher is mean, but instead of growing out of it as he gets older, he becomes convinced that a strict and demanding teacher is Evil Incarnate. And again, the author (and therefore the readers) agree. Sigh.

[night-axe.livejournal.com]

Well, for one, Harry hates being made to feel stupid. His dislike of Draco began when Draco innocently expected him to know about Quidditch and such. This is more of the same, except that he assumes Snape's doing it on purpose. From Harry's POV it's obvious after he flubbed question #1 that he's never going to know the answer, but Snape keeps asking do you know this, do you know that, with sarcastic comments on Potter's ignorance. The point (as Harry sees it) must be to make him look foolish in front of the class. It's not that Harry thinks the other kids know more about potions, but he resents being put on the spot like that.

[josephinestone.livejournal.com]

This is an interesting take on this.

(You keep making me what to write these scenes from different points of view.)