Snape's Insignificant Question During Occlumency

[Diana]

No: HPFGUIDX 77097

> I must say I completely disagree. I think the reason that question was asked 
was because Snape was startled, startled enough to actually ask a personal 
question (not something he's exactly known for).
> Seeing Harry experiencing being the brunt of cruelty at the hands of those 
whose were raising him and in whose care he was in seems very likely to 
have been the first time he saw what the reality of Harry's life at Privet Drive 
has been. Up until then, Snape-along with most of the magical community-
would have assumed that "The Boy Who Lived" was in the care of some 
doting relatives.
> Seeing that Harry was not only not with a family who spoiled or indulged 
him (as seems likely with James) was probably the first time it ever crossed 
Snape's conciousness that the spoiled brat who caused him so much misery 
at school was quite different from the orphaned child left behind.

Fascinating theory! In my mind, I always imagined Snape asking this in a 
sneering sort of fashion, as though he was highly amused by the idea of Harry 
being chased around by a great big dog. 

For some reason, I've always assumed that Snape already knew about 
Harry's past, but now that I think of it, if Snape had known, he surely would 
have baited Harry about it during classes.

> It likely showed him that although Harry may look like his father, and share 
some of his personality traits, Harry has suffered some of the very kinds of 
things Snape did. 

This was my first thought after having finished the book. I wonder exactly why 
Snape always dotes on Draco and prizes him so highly, when it's obvious 
Draco serves more of a parallel to James Potter than Harry ever has. There 
are, of course, huge differences between James and Draco, but the 
cockiness, the adoring fans from his house, the bullying and picking on 
people when they're doing harmless things -- all the traits of Pensieve!James 
that came as such a shock to Harry can be found in Draco. Is Snape really 
completely blind? I imagine so, he's carrying a heavy vendetta against Harry 
for his father's offenses, and we already know Snape is happy enough to turn 
a blind eye in the general direction of Slytherin house. But is it possible 
Snape has other motives for praising/prizing Draco? Besides the obvious 
(getting in Lucius's good graces, for one), does Snape have some 
psychological aspect, some feeling in his subconscious blinding him towards 
Draco's malicious actions? Perhaps Snape could realize the parallels 
between Draco and James and realize how easy it is to encourage a cocky 
teenage boy, and to aggravate the cockiness to new heights. 

*snerk* I, for one, would love a future chapter in which Draco sits, horrified, as 
someone recounts all the similarities between James Potter and himself.