snape is a dufus

[ftah3]

No: HPFGUIDX 32638

Oh dang, I'm laughing too hard.  Snapey Fife!  LMAO!

You do make some good points!  I don't see Snape as *bumbling* per 
se, in the manner of Barney Fife.  But I've always felt that Snape is 
somewhat of a blockhead.  At this point, I don't see that Snape has 
been anything conspiratorial ~ i.e., pretending to be a hiding-out 
Death Eater for eleven years, only being nice to Draco Malfoy as part 
of some grand conspiracy, whatever ~ because to me the text doesn't 
support that, even though the mysterious directive put upon him by 
Dumbledore at the end of GoF implies upcoming conspiracy.  

But similarly, I think he has only come round to the potential to 
*not* be a day-late blockhead as of GoF.  I'm going to ditto you, jo 
ellen:

jo ellen wrote:
> Based strictly on previous 
> canon from the four books, Snape is always a "day late and a dollar 
> short" so to speak. He has always missed the point, or misses 
> integral parts of conversations such as the confrontation at the 
> shreiking shack. Snape is notorious for jumping to the wrong 
> conclusions based on just a few facts , instead of having all the 
> variables to consider in a situation. And Snape isn't interested in 
> hearing all the facts, as evidenced by his treatment of Harry when 
he 
> confronts him sneaking around the castle late at night. 

Yep.  He's been an obnoxious, mean-spirited, close-minded twit from 
his first appearance in the books.  He did it with a margin of 
finesse at times, yet still he was rather lunatic about it at others 
(cf spitting all over himself and anything in his near vicinity in 
the shack in PoA).  And I really, really think you have a great point 
here:

>With these 
> personality traits so obvious in all four books, I can see how 
Snape 
> got drawn into being a death eater and previously following 
> Voldemort. 

The books have never given me, at least, any reason to believe that 
he has been other than an elitest snob since his younger days, and 
until text proves otherwise to me, I do take at face value that he 
believes Draco Malfoy and Slytherins ~ and possibly, by extention, 
purebloods ~ *are* better.  I can see where his world view, as 
evinced by his reactions/opinions/expressions, indicate that he would 
have been all for a 'pureblood club' like the Death Eaters in the 
past.

On the other hand, I think he's *only* 
an elitest snob, as opposed to a racist bloodsucker like Malfoy Sr. & 
Voldemort, et al, so I don't think he'd condone violence or rule-
based prejudice against mudbloods/squibs.  Which causes me to think 
that if Voldy was referring to someone we 'know' when he spoke 
of 'one who has left [Voldemort's supporters] forever' I think it was 
Snape, because I think he *would* rebel at true violence. And, I 
think he is sincere in any aide he has given Dumbledore against 
Voldemort/trouble at Hogwarts, and will be sincere about it in a 
broader scope in the future.

I do think that Snape's attitude has been nice in the past books.  
He's been a domestic itch for Harry, given Harry a nicely challenging 
but relatively harmless antagonist to keep him on his toes.  However, 
Snape's blockheadedness has, *I* think, served it's purpose.  Any 
more of it in future books would start to make him seem like a total 
lost cause.  I do think he's in for a change of character, if the 
mention of his rather more even-minded glance at Harry at the end of 
GoF is any indication.  And I look forward to it.  

Rambling.
Mahoney