Harry Potter Communication Skills, Open AU Idea

[Prince Charon]

Instead of Dumbitch, the Defense Professor in Harry's Fifth Year is a man who believes that all conflicts can be resolved through good communications skills (well, conflicts between beings that can think, anyway - he's not so daft as to think you can talk a dragon out of eating you), and thus, he tries to teach the kids to communicate better, rather than teaching them to fight. This isn't so useful for the OWLs or NEWTs, so the DA still happens, but the students learning to communicate better does lead to other changes (like, say, Harry opening Sirius's present, and using the damn mirror). Another difference is that while he doesn't think Voldemort is back, his reaction to Harry insisting on it is to play amateur psychologist during detentions, and perhaps eventually becomes convinced that a would-be Dark Lord is trying to use Voldemort's infamy to his own advantage (which at least gets him to believe that there's a threat out there, even if he still thinks that talking will solve everything).

Was thinking that the teacher (who really needs a name) dies at the end of the year, due to trying to talk the person he thinks is a fake Voldemort out of starting the War up, again - or trying to talk Bellatrix out of attacking, because she's one of Voldemort's Dragons (WARNING: TV Tropes link). Whether he realizes that it's the real Voldemort or not doesn't really matter; if he isn't killed, he'll end up in a bed near the Longbottoms. Still, as misguided as his approach was, he at least managed to get Harry and his friends to realize that communicating better with your friends and allies (and potential allies that aren't currently enemies) is a good thing (even if communicating with your enemies appears to be useless), and instill in them the skills to do so. This can lead to some quite large changes in canon, no?

 

[jaredstar]

im not sure that would work the only reason umbridge got away with the crap she pulled was because she had fudge backing her.

If parents in the magical world are anything like those in the real world they would be after this guys head. that kind of communication stuff might be good for first and maybe second years but would be worthless for those getting ready for their O.W.L's or NEWTS. From where i sit it is just a non malicious version of what umbridge was doing

 

[Prince Charon]

im not sure that would work the only reason umbridge got away with the crap she pulled was because she had fudge backing her.

If parents in the magical world are anything like those in the real world they would be after this guys head. that kind of communication stuff might be good for first and maybe second years but would be worthless for those getting ready for their O.W.L's or NEWTS. From where i sit it is just a non malicious version of what umbridge was doing

Given all the other DADA teachers, I'm pretty sure you're wrong. Also, who says he doesn't have Fudge's backing. All it requires is Fudge deciding on a different strategy, trying to get a different annoyance out of his hair, while using a different method to prevent Dumbledore's potential 'army' from learning (and the fact that he seriously believed that says really sad things about canon Fudge's intelligence)..

 

[daniel_gudman]

I'm with jaredstar that, from an "actually learning how to handle Dark Stuff" perspective, this guy is basically worthless.

OTOH, the whole premise seems much more palatable to Dumbles: I mean, this guy is pants at fighting Darkness, but at the same time, he's not actively divisive like Umbridge would be, and even if it's worthless inside the classroom itself, his lessons would be good as a lifetime skill, so I can see him being accepted as a compromise candidate by both Fudge and Dumbledore where they can both back him without either of them "losing" in the process.

Harry would have no truck with the class, because in his experience teachers don't listen when it counts, and I don't see him thinking that's a problem with his speaking skills, but instead a problem with their listening skills. Well, assuming the teacher isn't secretly working for Voldemort like DADA 1 and 4 were, or doesn't completely loathe him for external reasons like Snape.

I see Hermione buying what this professor is selling 100%, and I also see Harry feeling betrayed by that because it's like she's trivializing his assertion that Voldemort is a fucking psycho killer.

I think Harry would get in a lot of arguments about whether or not this guy's teaching ridiculous bullshit, to the point he'd get labeled an intractable problem-child.

I think...

This story should almost be the opposite of Book 2?

I mean, I think the professor you're talking about is better compared to Lockehart than Umbridge; someone fundamentally unqualified as a DADA professor who only has good marketing skills.

I would probably write this as a story where his idealistic naivete is shaken by Harry's experiences, but in turn his willingness to listen to Harry and be convinced restores Harry's faith in adults.

 

[Prince Charon]

I'm with jaredstar that, from an "actually learning how to handle Dark Stuff" perspective, this guy is basically worthless.

That's pretty much exactly the point.

OTOH, the whole premise seems much more palatable to Dumbles: I mean, this guy is pants at fighting Darkness, but at the same time, he's not actively divisive like Umbridge would be, and even if it's worthless inside the classroom itself, his lessons would be good as a lifetime skill, so I can see him being accepted as a compromise candidate by both Fudge and Dumbledore where they can both back him without either of them "losing" in the process.

Harry would have no truck with the class, because in his experience teachers don't listen when it counts, and I don't see him thinking that's a problem with his speaking skills, but instead a problem with their listening skills. Well, assuming the teacher isn't secretly working for Voldemort like DADA 1 and 4 were, or doesn't completely loathe him for external reasons like Snape.

I see Hermione buying what this professor is selling 100%, and I also see Harry feeling betrayed by that because it's like she's trivializing his assertion that Voldemort is a fucking psycho killer.

Lolwhut? In Book Five? Wow, you have an indescribably low opinion of her. I mean, in the early books, or while she was crazy in Book Six, I could maybe see it, but not in Book Five, or Four. Three is iffy.

I think Harry would get in a lot of arguments about whether or not this guy's teaching ridiculous bullshit, to the point he'd get labeled an intractable problem-child.

I think...

This story should almost be the opposite of Book 2?

I mean, I think the professor you're talking about is better compared to Lockehart than Umbridge; someone fundamentally unqualified as a DADA professor who only has good marketing skills.

I would probably write this as a story where his idealistic naivete is shaken by Harry's experiences, but in turn his willingness to listen to Harry and be convinced restores Harry's faith in adults.

OK. Not what I was thinking, but could be interesting, if you don't include the weird idea about Hermione.

 

[daniel_gudman]

Nah I can describe exactly how low my opinion of her is.

Book Five is the one where Hermione confronted Harry about his "saving people thing" even though she's one of like, five people that would have died if he didn't charge in full speed ahead.

(And the one where she keeps nagging Harry to take his training with Snape clearly, without acknowledging that it's basically just Snape using Mental Torture on Harry).

It's like...

She applies common sense and thinks rationally, about a situation where a psychopathic undead wizard-monster has declared a blood vendetta against her best friend.

I was thinking she'd buy into the argument that "it's better to talk someone into not fighting you, rather than trying to win", whereas Harry is like, "...I'll worry about that once Voldemort isn't breathing down my neck."

And her habit of picking authority figures' arguments over Harry's arguments never really goes away.

I guess my point is, if Ron's sometimes a bad friend because he's jealous, Hermione's sometimes a bad friend because she's arrogant and assumes she knows better.

So to describe how low my opinion of her is, is that because she's a know-it-all, sometimes she's a fool in her ignorance.

I mean, Harry's better off with her than without her, but it's not like she's perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Prince Charon]

I just think that by the start of Book Five, she's had her trust in authority figures beaten down enough, and has seen life in general enough, that she wouldn't believe something so obviously stupid. Book Three or earlier, I'd agree with you.