Neville's accident in his first potions class.

[terri-testing.livejournal.com]

It seems clear that Neville's cauldron- and shoe- melting reverse-effect potion was the result of a strong surge of magic as well as merely adding porcupine quills a little soon.  But what emotion could have prompted such a surge?  Fear, presumably, that's what normally seems to inspire Neville's outbreaks to date.  But what could have prompted a surge of fear--strong fear, maybe panic--right at that point in the class?


It obviously wasn't anything the professor was doing, he wasn't even near the boy, He wasn't hovering over Neville making him nervous, or insulting Neville's technique.  Canon tells us that Snape was across the room, "telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs, when..."

Unless, of course, that was the trigger.

Neville had spent years being terrorized, nearly killed, by his family to "force some magic out of me."  But they were satisfied by ANY display of magical power.  Snape?  First Snape makes the dunderhead comment, then he demonstrates that he expects his students to remember what they've read, and now he makes it absolutely clear that only "perfection" counts as a satisfactory performance.  Algie, Augusta, Enid, can be pacified by a random magical outburst; the professor demands absolute competence as well as power.

Of course Neville freaks, and proceeds to demonstrate instantly that yes indeed, a panicked random magical outlash will get him in trouble in Professor Snape's class (and maybe in school in general), rather than getting him off the hook as it did at home.  To an abused kid who expects to be killed for nonperformance, all of a sudden school (or at least this class) is more dangerous than home--the bar is higher, insurmountably high.

Insight courtesy of potionpen/nightfall rising.

Comments

[oryx_leucoryx]

Quirrell is first described as 'a pale young man' when Harry meets him at the Leaky Cauldron. Later at the feast Harry spots him from where he was waiting to be Sorted 'Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron.' I'm wondering if Quirrell's mannerism gave him a younger appearance.

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

Maybe Quirrel has a baby face. Snape, on the other hand, seems to have the opposite of a baby face. He probably looked like he was at least in his mid-thirties ever since he filled out enough to stop looking like a scrawny teenager. Neville's reaction to Snape is emotional: a demanding grown-up wizard wants him to do magic. He's not going to be making fine distinctions as to exactly how grown up the wizard is. It's: threat, panic, produce magic.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

I understand what you mean, but it's surprising to me that Neville picks potions as being magically-demanding - especially after Snape's intro speech about 'foolish wand waving'. It makes it sound as if one doesn't need magic at all (not that I see that as accurate - it just doesn't require a wand)

Of course Flitwick isn't exactly threatening looking and Quirrel's stutter makes him seem harmless - so Snape is really the only male teacher appropriate to fixate on. And it is MUCH safer for Neville to fix his fear on someone outside the family.

But I have always wondered why Neville didn't feel put a little at ease by Snape's 'aconite' question?

[jana-ch.livejournal.com]

Maybe Neville didn't develop his interest in plants until he started taking Herbology and learned he had a talent for it.

[hwyla.livejournal.com]

/I think that Snape could've pranced in that classroom in a purple polka-dotted tutu, smiling madly and strewing daisies over the children, and Neville would *still* have been terrified of him./

Uh...I must admit that 'I' would be terrified by that sight! 'snicker'

I'm not sure I would agree that this is a canon scenario (Slytherin Hate), but it does seem quite plausible. Presumably, if Slughorn had still been teaching then HE would have scared Neville just as much.

Not too sure how much Augusta would know about Snape since we have no idea what ages Frank or Alice might be and it seems unlikely that it was well known that Snape was a DE (Bella was pretty peeved that he didn't need to 'participate').

That said - I agree that it is possible for there to be a fear for ANY and ALL Slytherins.