Snape / Temperance

[Heather Moore]

No: HPFGUIDX 30012

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., pigwidgeon37 at y... wrote:

> 2) Snape: Now don't throw tomatoes at me, I know that, at first 
> sight, he doesn't really seem overly restrained, considering that he 
> indulges certain weaknesses. But at closer inspection I'd say that my 
> POV is not entirely wrong. I think that, on the contrary, the man has 
> put himself under such severe restraint (which, OTOH, he is not able 
> to control, because after all he *is* a human being with very strong 
> passions and emotions) that sometimes he is not able any more to keep 
> the lid on the boiling cauldron.... 
 

  I know you're all nudging each other and saying, "Oh, yes, trust *her* to respond to this; how predictable." I swear on the grave of Lily Potter that I love everyone else in the Potterverse, too. Honest. Even Lockhart (*coughcoughkennethbranaghlemewlepantcoughcough*).

  I thank you for giving Severus so much credit! I've speculated on another list just how stressful his life must be:

 a) people and things *actually possessed by* Voldemort keep turning up in his vicinity
 b) they keep turning up because of Harry Potter's presence at the school, and Snape is among those with the duty to protect the brat
 c) the children of at least three prominent Death Eaters are in his House, and god only knows what sorts of conversations they have with their parents. Then the Malfoy boy keeps trying to impress him by promising to compliment him to Lucius, and it's prudent not to openly sneer at the brat, dammit. As if Snape cared for Lucius Malfoy's favorable attentions, don't think so. 
 d) the person who once tried to kill him on a lark is once again roaming about the world, thanks to *POTTER*
 e) his vicious and evil former boss, who surely wants to kill him now, is returning - oh, wait.. *has* returned
 f) he's stuck in this teaching position in a combined act of penance, "witness protection program," the need to be available to Dumbledore, early warning sentinel against the spread of Dark propaganda among the Slytherin students -- and he doesn't like kids
 g) there's probably no guarantee that in the backlash during this upcoming, renewed struggle against Voldemort, he won't still wind up in Azkaban for his past Death Eater activities
 h) damn that Remeus Lupin! 
 i) he flat out told one of the other former Death Eaters to buzz off and leave him alone
 j) those annoying brats managed to get through his Potion Key! Aurgh! And they're always sneaking about poking into things and stealing their elders' property, the hoodlums! And Potter hasn't done anything expellable yet!
 k) nobody ever sends him warm socks
 l) he *really* is going to crack if one more revolting little First Year Slytherin comes crying to him not having her... <shudder>... yet, instead of going to Pomfrey or one of the Prefects as he instructed the brats to do with their personal issues at the beginning of the year....
  m) oh yeah, and about all those people wanting to kill him or throw him in prison, again...

  This man cannot possibly be getting restful sleep. It's a wonder he hasn't split off an alternate identity and started "Harry Potter and the Fight Club." It's a good thing for everyone that he's so uncharismatic, given his chronic, deep unhappiness and his strength of purpose.

  - Uma  (conceding "Heather" to her better. ;>  Makes it easier in replies)