A New (?!) Question re Harry and Snape

grey_wolf_c greywolf1 at jazzfree.com
Sun May 26 07:45:35 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 39074

Margaret Dean wrote:
> My (bright, articulate) twelve-year-old son came up with this
> one, and I found it intriguing, nor do I remember its ever being
> discussed before:
> 
> Would Snape like Harry any better if Harry had been Sorted into
> Slytherin?  (Presumably by choice or at least his own consent.)
> 
> Have at it . . .
> 
> 
> --Margaret Dean
>   <margdean at e...>

::Grey Wolf looks around::Since no Lollipops seem to be around, I'll 
take a shot at the answer which borrows few of their ideas.

_IMO_, if Harry had been sorted into Slytherim (appart from HP books 
being very *short* books), things would have changed quite a bit 
between Snape and Harry. It looks like Snape wanted a "protegee" (sp?) 
and choose Malfoy just because of the animosity between him and Harry. 
It would then follow that, had Harry been sorted into Slytherin, Snape 
would have chosen him to groom him. Why? There are two reasons I can 
see. The first is that Snape is *proud*, maybe too much, and he likes 
to win: his house, his mastery in potions, etc. Harry would have given 
his name quite a shine on the long run.

The scond reason is where Lollipops comes in. While not part of the 
main idea, several listees have mentioned Snape as a father figure for 
Harry, and some (the Lollipops crew) have even suggested that he was in 
love with Lilly and that he feels responsible for Harry. This, I don't 
buy, since he hates him too much, but IF Harry had been a Slytherin, it 
would had all clicked toghether, and Snape's dichotomy would have 
disappeared, leaving only the protective Snape Malfoy sees and knows.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf






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