Snape and Harry (was Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: Harry in NEWT Potions Class?)

[Derek Hiemforth]

No: HPFGUIDX 87642


>Alla said:
>See, to me Harry always be the wronged one and innocent one in their 
>relationship and whatever mistakes he made are nothing in comparison 
>to emotional abuse Snape put him through and continues put him 
>through.
>mom31 wrote:
>Joj:  I so agree with you.  I simply can't believe the way some list members (not bashing, just astounded by some of the things I read here)  make excuses for Snape and sugarcoat his abuse of Harry, Neville and others.

Derek:
Just to be clear, I'm in no way trying to excuse Snape.  He is absolutely
in the wrong in every way he's ever treated Harry.  The only thing Harry's
ever done to remotely deserve Snape's ire was the Pensieve incident, which
pales in comparison to the way Snape has treated him.

mom31:
>I hope Harry does apologize to Snape.  It will give us just one more example of how much better of a person Harry is than Snape.

Derek:
Yes, this is exactly what I was trying to get at.  Everyone in their life
has to deal at one time or another with someone they rightfully dislike...
an unfair boss, relative, co-worker, etc.  Sometimes, this results in
constant conflict that helps nothing.  But other times, one person (the
more mature one) figures out a way they can approach the relationship
that will make it useful despite their personality clash.

That's where I see Snape and Harry.  Snape has treated his students
inexcusably, and has generally been a dirtbag to Harry, no matter how
much he's also worked to aid Harry behind the scenes.  If Harry were
to choose to try and "mend" his relationship with Snape, it's not
because Harry feels he's the one who damaged it.  It would be because
Harry (the more mature one) would realize that (A) he has to deal with
Snape one way or another, (B) that being so, he might as well try to
see if he can make those dealings as conflict-free as possible, and
(C) despite Snape's flaws, he has knowledge, skills, and position that
would be useful to Harry.

So when I talk about one of them "swallowing their pride" for the sake
of mending fences, and speculate that it would have to be Harry that
does so, I'm not at all trying to say that Harry's in the wrong.  Quite
the contrary.  I'm saying that Snape is petty, and will never take the
high road, and that it might be useful and tactically wise for Harry to
have a better relationship with Snape, therefore if this is going to
happen, it would have to be Harry who was the bigger man (or the cunning
one, depending on how you look at it) and made it happen.

I'm saying that Snape's a big weenie who will never make any move to
better his relationship with Harry, so if the relationship will ever
improve, it will be Harry stuck with improving it.  :-)

- Derek