Father figures revisited

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 27617

I spotted this thread during a tiptoe through the archives, and thought
I'd bring it back up since it's been rather a while, and new thoughts on
this might be fun.

This came up during a discussion of family-substitutes that Harry has
bonded to--Molly as a mother figure, of course, but the discussions of
father figure got interesting. Here, as I recall, was the rundown [his
own parents are in the mix, but only as ideals, not real people he
associates with]:

Hagrid--not really paternal. More of an adult friend; perhaps fraternal.
Harry's right at the age when children start having friends who are
non-related adults.
Dumbledore--father figure, but remote. Respected, loved, even revered,
but not terribly close. Nobody you ask for the car keys, if you know
what I mean.
Arthur Weasley--father figure, more intimate. Respected, but not revered
as Dumbledore is; the everyday, useful father, the advice-n-counsel,
have-a-beer-with dad.
Here was the one I got flak for, and would like thoughts on the most:
Snape. Father figure, mostly the negative connotations. The aspect of
father that you rebel against, the one who sets curfews, who doesn't
listen, who just doesn't understand, who doesn't even want to, the one
you come to appreciate only much, much later. Resented, but respected.
This is the sort of relationship where a bond grows, but when (sometimes
if) discovered, comes as a surprise, even a shock.

I thought that Harry has nicely covered all the aspects of father in
these characters, and by separating the different paternal functions
like that, is free to have stronger associations with these men--he's
not resenting one man one day, loving that same man the next--the
reactions to each aspect are separated; they are different men.

Thoughts?

--Amanda