A strange silver instrument

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 86443

Carol wrote:
> 
> More likely he was only trying to scare Harry with the snake (having
> every intention of causing it to vanish after the initial shock) and
> it was only after he heard Harry speaking Parseltongue that he "put
> two and two togehter." That would explain the "shrewd and 
calculating
> look" (as opposed to a look of triumph) at that point. I think Snape
> was as surprised as anyone by this discovery, but being Snape,
> concealed his astonishment and drew some conclusions.
> 
> Either way, I can't see any truly evil motive beyond his usual 
desire
> to make his students uncomfortable. I seriously doubt that he really
> suspected Harry of petrifying his fellow students, but he may have
> wanted it to be true out of sheer spite. But if you're trying to
> somehow link Snape's ostensible desire to reveal Harry as a
> Parselmouth to Snape's somehow being an agent of Voldemort, I just
> don't see it.

Berit replies:

No, that's not at all what I am trying to say, Carol :-) I don't 
think Snape had an evil motive, and I don't think Snape thought Harry 
was the one "turning the monster loose". But I think Snape wanted to 
know exactly what Harry had inherited from Voldemort... I think Snape 
had come up with a theory, and wanted to have it confirmed. Surely, 
Snape, like Voldemort (and Dumbledore), was wondering what happened 
that fateful day Voldie tried to kill Harry. Like Voldemort, I am 
sure Snape noticed the similarities between Harry and Voldemort. So 
he is dying to know exactly how FAR that similarity goes. And he gets 
to know HOW far: Harry reveals he is a parseltongue; possibly the 
only one at Hogwarts besides Voldemort since Salazar himself... 
That's how exceptionally rare it is. Parseltongue is the very thing 
Salazar was famous for; the reason the snake is the Slytherin house's 
symbol.

So what am I saying? I (and the prophecy) are saying Harry is 
Voldemort's EQUAL. "One, but in essence divided". They share a whole 
lot of things (background, looks, powers, descendance?...), but not 
intent. They're divided; they're too different individuals with 
different goals in life.  I think there's canon evidence to suggest 
Harry has somehow "inherited" the position as Heir of Slytherin. It 
explains why one has to defeat the other. There can't be two of them 
at the same time. Now you've forced me to be specific in my 
theorising :-) I don't really want to do that, but since you 
misunderstood me and thought I meant Harry is going evil or 
something... Well well.

You might be right that Snape's shrewd and calculating look shows 
Snape didn't know what was going to happen and drew his conclusions 
afterwards. But his shrewd and calculating looks can also mean he's 
already speculating how Harry having inherited Voldie's Slytherin 
title is going to affect the up-coming war... It's just that my gut 
feeling says it was not just because he wanted to scare Harry that 
Snape happened to throw a snake at him. I believe he had another, 
more important agenda. It's the whole "feel" of the scene (and the 
book)... But that's just me, I can't prove it :-) 

Berit