[HPforGrownups] Re: Sirius and Snape thoughts

[Horst or Rebecca J. Bohner]

No: HPFGUIDX 20894

> I didn't say he WOULD go over to the Dark Side; I said everyone would
> THINK that he had because of the depth of his emotional upheaval.
>
> Actually, I like Rebecca's suggestion that he would suffer in silence
> and Harry would misinterpret and hate him for it.  But only if
> Dumbledore dies in a later book than Book 5 because I don't think
> Snape is mature enough (literally, to me he's an adolescent in an
> adult's body) to fake it that thoroughly.

Well, this is all in the reading, but I personally think a good deal of the
"immaturity" we see from Snape in canon is an act.  Not to say that he
doesn't have bitter, vindictive, nasty feelings towards people, but rather
that he deliberately gives his nastier feelings free rein, and restrains any
impulses toward decency and kindness, for reasons only he and Dumbledore
fully appreciate (i.e. "deep cover").

I don't think Snape is like a child throwing a tantrum, unable to control
his emotions; if anything, I suspect his "default mode" is more calculating
and cold-blooded.  He *may* have totally lost it at the end of PoA (or not,
only time will tell how much was genuine fury and how much was exaggerated
for effect) but I'd say that was an exception.

All of which is to say that I think Snape could, right now, with no
additional "growing up" needed, make it appear as though he were indifferent
to Dumbledore's death even though he was going crazy inside.  I don't think
any of us have an idea (yet) what Snape *really* feels about anything.
--
Rebecca J. Bohner
rebeccaj at pobox.com
http://home.golden.net/~rebeccaj