DADA profs & Snape / behavior changes

[arcum42]

No: HPFGUIDX 41687

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "coriolan_cmc2001" <coriolan_cmc at h...>
wrote:

> I've always secretly cherished a theory that it is Trelawney, not 
> Snape, who has hankered after the DADA professorship, and that it 
> will be she, not Figg, DeFleur, or Granny Longbottom who will
> shatter the DADA glass ceiling.
> 
>
I've personally been speculating that Snape is indeed after DADA, and
is fully qualified for the position, but needs to find a replacement
for Potions before he can leave the position, and hasn't been able to
find anyone he considers qualified for teaching Potions, and perhaps
is extra hard on students when he feels they wouldn't make a worthy
successor.

I've also noticed a significant change in Snape's behavior between
CoS and PoA. In PS/SS and CoS, Snapes nastiness is primarily directed
towards Harry. The worst he does to Hermione in that period is ignore
her (because he was busy being nasty to Harry), and while he's nasty
to Neville, he's not not nearly as nasty to him as books 3 and 4.

"Idiot boy!" ... "I suppose you added the porcipine quills before
taking the cauldron off the fire?" ... "Take him up to the hospital
wing."

We have one jab as Neville, an explanation of what caused the
problem, and he actually sends him to the hospital wing. This after a
cauldron has melted, and an acidic potion is all over the flood
destroying things. Snape is practically being nice, as Snape goes, to
Neville in this scene.

Come PoA, though, he's harassing Hermione, trying to poison Treavor,
and, come GoF, trying to poison Harry, and generally being nastier
then usual. I'd put this down partially to Sirius escaping, and being
around Lupin, rekindling old grudges, and also, because of the
increased activity with Voldemort, I suspect he is trying to use his
position to identify possible DE's per Dumbledore. 

Given his behavior, and the way he acts near the end of PoA, I'm
personally speculating about Severely Stressed!Snape at this point.
Oh, and he seems to keep a fairly tight rein on his supplies. Perhaps
he suspects Hermione of stealing the boomslang from him, given the
"furry face" mishap, and Lockhart's note, and that's colouring his
atitude to her?

--Arcum