Snape as a father figure (was: Re: Snape's "mind set?")

[theresnothingtoit]

No: HPFGUIDX 44335

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., eloiseherisson at a... wrote:
> Scene from PoA - One to One interview by Snape with Harry
<snip>
> I think one of the reasons Snape loses it with Harry, is that, 
detest him as 
> he does, he still has/feels he has an obligation to protect him.
<snip>
> Think about it. What is he doing when he meets Harry in the 
corridor before 
> he goes to Hogsmeade? He knows what Harry's like. He must know that 
if 
> there's any chance that Harry will find a way to get to Hogsmeade, 
he will 
> take it. He clearly *really* thinks he's up to something - look at 
the way he 
> stays to examine the witch's hump. 
<snip>
> So Snape warns him off. He doesn't want him wandering off into 
Hogsmeade with 
> Black around.
> But Harry goes.
> And then, surprise, surprise, who should come along just as Harry 
emerges 
> from the witch's hump after his exploits, but Snape.
> What a coincidence - Snape on the third floor corridor, well out of 
his 
> territory, at those two moments. I'm sure he does know there's a 
passage 
> entrance there, which is why he was keeping an eye out for Harry 
the first 
> time and why he got there so swiftly after Draco alerted him to 
Harry's 
> presence in Hogsmeade. Like Harry, Snape is 'rarely in a place for 
no 
> reason'.
> 
> And his reaction? Well, honestly in some ways I think it's 
parental. He's 
> furious with Harry for deliberately putting himself in danger. He's 
stuck his 
> neck out for him, even defended him in the presence of Quirrelmort 
and now 
> the stupid, arrogant boy thinks he knows best and that he can do 
just as he 
> likes.
> I'd be livid, too!

I feel that some of Snapes reactions are incredibly parental.  At the 
beginning of CoS when Harry and Ron did not catch the Hogwarts 
Express and flew the car to school I can imagine Snape being out of 
his mind with worry.  McGonagall probably found this terribly amusing 
but allowed him to wait for the boys while she did the sorting.  When 
the duo arrive Snape is not angry at the fact they missed the train, 
flew a car (and were seen), crashed into a tree and then insulted 
him.  No.  He is angry at the fact that the two boys made him worry.

I can see Snape as the type of father who will ask twenty questions 
before he would let his son out the door: where are you going, what 
are you doing, who are you going with and do I know them, when are 
you coming back etc. etc.

> And the trouble is that it's all so personal. 
> If we are to believe, as many do, that Snape was the one who warned 
> Dumbledore that Voldemort was after Lily and James, then he fears 
history 
> will repeat itself.
> Because he's right - James *did* die because he was too arrogant to 
believe 
> he might be mistaken in Sirius. He trusted Sirius' judgement 
(leading to the 
> fateful swap of which Snape is unaware), rather than Dumbledore's. 
But the 
> end result was the same, whether Sirius or Pettigrew was the 
traitor and it 
> depended on James trusting Sirius above Dumbledore.<snip rest of 
excellent post>
 
But what if Snape did know.  I think it would make an incredible 
stand off between Sirius and Snape if Snape knew.  Snape probably 
felt that Azkaban was the best place for Sirius and for all Snape 
knew Peter really was dead.  I feel Snape still sees Sirius as the 
reason that the Potters are dead.

Theresnothingtoit