[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's Treatment of Draco

[heidi tandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 47361

 
> Real-To:  Anne <annemehr at yahoo.com>
> 
> Actually, Snape's treatment of Draco has bothered me
> very much ever since we seem to learn that Snape is on 
> Dumbledore's side.  This is because I fully believe that 
> Snape knows that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater. 
> Although I can't find any canon on this, I never fail
> to read the books this way (and I ask for anyone's
> input on this!). 

I had thought similarly until the end of Goblet of Fire, where Snape
grips his arm in a startled manner upon hearing Harry mention Lucius'
name as one who was at Voldemort's circle that night. At that point, I
actually did think that perhaps Snape did believe Lucius when he said
whatever he said to avoid prosecution or public disparagement for being
a Death Eater.

However, that doesn't mean that Snape thinks Lucius is an all around
nice guy. While there seems to be an impication in the books that the
general student population does not know that Ginny was posessed by an
incarnation of Voldemort, and that she opened the Chamber and let the
monster loose, I think the staff does know it, and because of this, at
least in Books 3 and 4, Snape would then know that Draco's father was
perfectly willing to let loose something at Hogwarts that could kill
students - even possibly his own son. 

So when Anne says,

> At the very least, Snape must know
> that Lucius is *not* a good man, and he therefore
> knows that Draco is being raised by an evil father. 

I agree. 

However... 

> And how does Snape treat Draco?  He indulges him in
> every way, every time we see any interaction at all! 
> He seems to treat Draco much the same way the Dursleys
> treat Dudley -- he can see no fault in him.

This is a bit of a "yes, but..."

First of all, if Draco really is more-than-competent at stewing his
slugs or cutting his ingredients, then what's wrong with making an
example of him? When Hermione gets points for doing things well in
class, we never think anything negative about it - why shouldn't Draco
get the same "benefit" if he really is doing well?

Snape tries to modulate Draco in a nonconfrontational way in Book 2,
when Draco suggests that Snape become headmaster:
<<"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a
thinlipped
smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the
governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough.">>

In one way this could be described as indulgent in comparison with his
usual tone towards Harry, but he's also not giving Draco any public
encouragement on this matter, which would be what someone who was fully
indulgent would do. 

I also wouldn't describe their interaction at the Dueling Club as
indulgent - it's more like Snape is using Draco to try and test and/or
unnerve Harry (hence the snake spell that Snape teaches Draco on the
spot while Lockhart is being incompetent with Harry). 

We've really only seen a tiny smidge of Draco's interaction with Snape -
we don't know what Snape's reaction was to Draco losing points and
getting detention in Book 1, or being transformed into a ferret in Book
4 (although given Snape's feelings towards Moody, one could guess that
he might not blame Draco entirely for getting on Moody's bad side), or
even regarding the Buckbeak Incident in Book 3. We just don't have that
level of information, so to say that his treatment of Draco parallels
the way the Dursleys treat Dudly, I think, makes Snape look like a bit
of an idiot. 

> 
> If Snape were really on the good side, and even if he
> has to keep some sort of cover, he would still have
> the duty to Draco as his student to set *some* kind of
> example, or at least treat him with a strict
> neutrality in regard to the other students.  As it is,
> he is encouraging this boy, who has had very little
> moral guidance ever, down the path his father has set
> him on, where who *we* are and what *we* want is of
> paramount importance.  It is this which makes me the
> most suspicious of Snape, and keeps me from leaping
> into the Redeemed!Snape camp even though I'd like to.
> 

Why are you so sure that he's encouraging Draco to think the same way
Lucius does about Muggles and Mudbloods? Because of what Draco said on
the train on the way back to London at the end of Book 4? Or something
else? 

Couldn't you say, just as intensively, that Dumbledore has an obligation
to ensure that all students have groundings in the ethical use of magic?
So far, we haven't seen any effort by the headmaster to educate any of
the students, in a structured setting, about the truly dark days when
Voldemort was on the ascent, or about what magic should and should not
be used for, except possibly his speech about Cedric at the end of
Goblet of Fire. And may I point out that when he asked everyone to raise
their glasses in Cedric's memory - Draco did so, as did every other
student in the school. 

(Anne - I am snipping the rest of your post about Lucius "caring"
towards Draco, but I do pretty much agree with it entirely, hence the
snipping, as I'd only be leaving it to say, "me too!")



Heidi