I have to say, I hate this chapter, and even more, this scene in the movie. Of course, that has rather less to do with plot or character reasons than it does with my intense arachnophobia, but that's beside the point.
I'm sure that Hagrid meant no harm in sending them to the Forest after the spiders, but this really shows how he just doesn't *think* about the monsters he loves. He makes an assumption that because he is okay around a given animal, everyone else must be, too. This is the most basic reason that he absolutely should *not* be teaching Care of Magical Creatures; any disobedience aside, how is he going to teach students the caution necessary around creatures when he doesn't think they're at all dangerous?
Chiming in my agreement with those who think Snape and Draco like each other. I agree there's naivety about politics that Snape finds amusing, but I think it has more to do with Draco consistently overestimating his father's (considerable) influence than with Snape only liking him as part of a broader plan. I also read it as a rare moment when Snape is genuinely flattered. We so rarely see him around anyone who actually likes him. McGonagall seems to, but this is played through rivalry; Hagrid respects him, but it seems to be a byproduct of his loyalty to Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts him and probably likes him, but I suspect that the personality difference is such that most compliments would come across as very shallow or patronizing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-31 07:26 pm (UTC)I'm sure that Hagrid meant no harm in sending them to the Forest after the spiders, but this really shows how he just doesn't *think* about the monsters he loves. He makes an assumption that because he is okay around a given animal, everyone else must be, too. This is the most basic reason that he absolutely should *not* be teaching Care of Magical Creatures; any disobedience aside, how is he going to teach students the caution necessary around creatures when he doesn't think they're at all dangerous?
Chiming in my agreement with those who think Snape and Draco like each other. I agree there's naivety about politics that Snape finds amusing, but I think it has more to do with Draco consistently overestimating his father's (considerable) influence than with Snape only liking him as part of a broader plan. I also read it as a rare moment when Snape is genuinely flattered. We so rarely see him around anyone who actually likes him. McGonagall seems to, but this is played through rivalry; Hagrid respects him, but it seems to be a byproduct of his loyalty to Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts him and probably likes him, but I suspect that the personality difference is such that most compliments would come across as very shallow or patronizing.