Snape's treatment of Draco/ Snape's Motivations

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 47322

Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, says:

> Snape was never "outed". He was obviously accused but somewhere along 
> the line it was "proven" (to the benefit of *both* sides) that Snape 
> was not and never had been a DE. (Hence Fudge's shock when Snape's 
> Dark Mark was revealed?)
> 
> This attempted public outing would have therefore become a public 
> affirmation and would have buttered *both* sides of Dumbledore's 
> bread.
> 
Eloise:
I'm afraid it's more complicated than that. In the Pensieve, Dumbledore says

"Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However he rejoined our side before 
Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He 
is now no more a Death Eater than I am."

Which does make the WW's apparent ignorance of his past harder to explain. I 
wish it weren't!


Jazmyn:
>Well, one can note that Draco's mother never showed up at the DE meeting
Eloise:
We don't actually *know* that, do we? Voldemort didn't address everyone in 
the circle by name.

Shane:
>Wendy wrote:
>>Actually, I'm not sure we can conclude that Snape does actually favour 
>>Draco
>
>Agreed.  I don't believe that any intelligent reading of the canon could 
>conclude that he does.

Eloise:
Ooh dear! (it's OK, since writing, I've read your latest and I'm not 
offended.) 
Well, what do you make of the Potions class where Draco makes his dramatic 
re-entry after the Hippogriff incident and Snape plays long with his obvious 
deceit so fully, getting Ron and Harry to prepare his potions ingredients for 
him. Plus, as has been noted, JKR *tells* us that he is the only student 
Snape seems to like.

If there isn't a lot else, I think it's because Draco isn't particularly well 
fleshed out yet.
Take JKR's assertion that compared to Draco, Dudley was a kind and 
considerate boy (or words to that effect - I can't find the quote). I don't 
think the books really bear that out as yet in examples of their behaviour, 
but JKR says it is so. I think she also *implies* even if she doesn't give 
many concrete examples that Snape favours Draco.
.................
Now - Snape's motivations - my very own de-lurk subject!

Shane:
>We know nothing about his childhood or how he grew up, but it seems to me 
>that his behaviour, his inability to make deep lasting friendhsips and his 
>cruelty towards those over whom he has power (his students) is 
>characteristic of an individual who has experienced an insecure attachment 
>to a parent or significant adult, or who has suffered abuse or even neglect 
>during the formative, developmental years. 


I agree very much with what you say, except for the 'inability to make deep 
lasting friendships.' Of that, IMHO, we do not have evidence. People often 
characterise Snape as a loner, but we know that he hung out with a gang of 
Slytherins, the rest of whom are either in Azkaban, or dead, as far as we 
know. And we have no evidence that he doesn't get on well with the rest of 
the staff. We don't see them treat him, for instance, with the contempt with 
which they treat Lockhart. I would say that with Dumbledore, he does have a 
deep, lasting friendship which is one of the thing that makes the 
'Dumbledore's Head' scenario so poignant.

But for the record, my own Snape backstory does have him coming from an 
emotionally deprived background with a cold father (and an ineffective or 
absent mother) for whom nothing was ever good enough and his turning to 
Voldemort at least in part in the search for an adequate father-figure, 
Dumbledore having apparently failed him. 

<No! Down Prank! Down!>

~Eloise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You think that just because it's already happened, the past is finished and 
unhangeable? Oh no, the past is cloaked in multi-colored taffeta and every 
time we look at it we see a different hue.

(Milan Kundera, Life is Elsewhere)


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