Let's hear it for good old Snapey!

[marigoldevans]

No: HPFGUIDX 87801

Devin (in response to Kneasy) writes:

> Oh, the fault I find with Harry for looking in that Pensieve.  Oh, 
> the lost progress in the Snape-Harry relations.  It seemed to me 
> Harry had earned a modicum of Snape's respect and a smidgeon of 
his 
> understanding (which says a lot for Snape because Harry didn't 
really 
> seem to reciprocate).
> 
> But I don't know if Snape didn't whine or moan.  I'll bet he did--
> once, before he recognized it was useless--and then went on.  And 
> Snape simply did not have as high-minded a cause as his pupil's 
lack 
> of effort on his mind when he threw Harry out.  He had him out as 
a 
> gut reaction to Harry's BETRAYAL (it's like reading a diary, only 
> about a thousand times worse).  That, coupled with the reinforced 
> father-son similarity thanks to the memory relating to the father, 
> was too much for the man.  Oddly, I think Snape's behavior towards 
> Harry after the Pensieve incident reads more like embarassed than 
> angry, though he is vindictive on at least one occasion. 

I am having a bit of trouble with the idea of betrayal in this scene.

Please pardon me if this idea has been broached in previous 
postings, but in all of the Snape/Harry/pensieve bun-fighting, no 
one seems to have wondered about Snape placing his thoughts in the 
pensieve IN FRONT OF HARRY.  Honestly, to continue the diary 
analogy, it would be like Snape slapping his diary on his desk under 
Harry's nose, face up, showing the title "Snape's very super private 
diary:  Do not touch!  (Especially you, Harry Potter!)"  Really, who 
could resist?  (Okay, don't jump all over me.)

Personally, if I had super top-secret private thoughts that I didn't 
want Harry Potter to know about, I would have removed them into the 
pensieve and HIDDEN IT before Harry ever showed up in my office.  
So, why do something so provocative?  Is it possible that Snape 
possibly wanted Harry to see that particular memory?

Marigoldevans, who had only one English teacher parent to her credit 
and so apologizes for lack of grammatical accuracy, and who also 
hopes that---for crying out loud---she is no longer being moderated!