A detailed analysis of Snape's hatred of Harry (S.N.O.T.)

[Jim Ferer <jferer@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49058

Diana:"Let's start with Snape as a child in school. I imagine Snape is
very much like Draco Malfoy at that age. Sirius even says in PoA,
while explaining the "prank" they played on Snape to H/H/R in the
Shrieking Shack, that Malfoy was always sneaking around trying to
catch James, Remus and Sirius (and probably that rat Peter) doing
something against the rules so they would be expelled."

Snape's and Draco's actions may be similar, but that doesn't mean
their motivations are the same. Snape impresses as a much more overtly
angry person, hating and resenting others for everything from their
greater acceptance by their peers to their straighter noses and
cleaner hair.  Draco, OTOH, is much more comfortable with himself;
he's handsome (to many), he's got clothes, he's got money; Snape is an
angry kid, Draco's a "successful" sociopath. Snape has doubts about
his self-worth; Draco doesn't.

Diana:"Snape was jealous of James' popularity, skill at Quidditch and
his small group of close-knit friends, all of which Harry now has at
Hogwart?s. Even twelve years after James' death, Snape says,
sneeringly, "...a little talent on the Quidditch field..." with great
derision while interrogating Harry after Harry's head was seen by
Malfoy in Hogsmeade [PoA]. He even attributes "strutting" to James,
and to Harry, though nothing in canon suggests that James actually
strutted around the school."

See? Any sign of popularity, success, or confidence is hateful to
Snape.  Confidence, self-worth, comfort in one's skin is bound to look
like "strutting" to someone like Snape.

Your impressions of Snape's raging hot resentment and jealousy are
right on, IMO, but I believe Draco is coming from a different place. 
Draco resents Harry for having rejected him (he did offer friendship
at first, remember) and for his fame and success, but it doesn't eat
Draco's guts like it does Snape's.  Instead, Draco has a wicked smile
on his face as he takes every opportunity to hurt Harry.

Diana:"Snape hated Sirius and Remus, too, because they were James?
friends."

Here Snape and Draco are alike: they hate Harry because he *has*
friends, true friends, one of the reasons Snape hated James.  Draco
only has sycophants, his two bully-boy hangers-on, who have no true
love or loyalty to him at all. Snape probably was very much isolated,
even from his house and dorm-mates.  To the isolated, watching friends
being friends is a knife in the guts, envy, rage and grief all rolled
into one.

Actually, the seeds of Snape's conversion to the good side may be
right here. Albus Dumbledore may have been the first person to treat
Snape as a human being, as someone with worth, and thus earned Snape's
loyalty. (Although that didn't stop Snape from enjoying the moment
when Draco sucked up to him about becoming new Headmaster while
Dumbledore was suspended.)

Diana:"IMO, Snape will *always* hate Harry because Harry, exactly like
his father before him, is the person who gets everything while Snape
[and now Draco] gets the short end of the stick. Not only does Harry
get to do everything without ever seeming to get severely punished,
but Snape is obligated by a life-debt to a man he hated to repay that
debt by keeping Harry from harm."


Agreed, about Snape, anyway, but I still believe Draco's a different
person coming from a different place.  Their behavior may be the same
in places, but Draco is a much more dangerous enemy in some ways.

Diana:"Going by my theory above, Snape isn?t *truly* evil, not as
defined by the likes of Voldemort or Lucius Malfoy, for example.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville probably think he?s evil, but I don?t
think he?s evil, just extremely nasty, unlikable and full of boundless
amounts of envy."

You're dead on about Snape. He's on the right side but never will be
"nice." I'd add Draco to the truly evil list <preparing to duck>

Diana:"Harry hates Snape just as much as Snape hates him, but probably
hasn?t thought through all the specific reasons and parallels between
Snape and James at school and Harry and Draco at school. "

I don't think so. If Snape had an epiphany and started treating Harry
decently, Harry would be wary, for sure (I would!) but in the end
would not actively hate Snape.  I don't think you could say the same
about Harry/Draco.

Best,

Jim Ferer