Why I Hate Snape - Volume 1

[pickle_jimmy]

No: HPFGUIDX 68256

Let me start once again by saying - 
 1) I don't want Snape's character to be wiped from the series
 2) I don't think the books would be the same without Snape
 3) I understand that people enjoy the complexities of his character

But... as a human being, I think he's a git and I don't understand 
why people put up their hands to defend his actions or treatment of 
any of the students.

So, I have decided to give some canon for Why I Hate Snape... If 
you "Snape Lovers" out there want to show me good cause to like him, 
go right ahead.

Below are about 30 instances which molded my dislike for the man - 
these are in chronological order from the first 3 books (hence it is 
only volume 1, I am willing to go through the last 2 books for more 
instances if I have to :-)

---------------------------
He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried 
nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except 
Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape

"You -- Potter -- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? 
Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's 
another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said 
Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was 
so horrible to Harry. Could Snape possibly know they'd found out 
about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could -- yet he 
sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.

Snape spat bitterly on the ground.

Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry 
also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, 
and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house 
(Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.

Snape's nasty smile widened.

Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-
blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. "Innocent 
until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.
Snape looked furious. 

Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the 
Gryffindors' work while the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively. 

When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught 
Harry's eye and nodded.

Snape was looking murderous. 

Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in 
his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Harry looked up nervously at Lockhart 
and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"
...
Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black 
snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and 
raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd 
backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.
"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight 
of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. 

"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the 
headmaster's job?"
"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-
lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the 
governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff 
table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted 
the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated 
Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. 
it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only 
too well; it was
the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.

Snape was head of Slytherin House, and generally favored his own 
students above all others.

A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went 
to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great 
fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse. His potion, 
which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned --
"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to 
splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see.
"Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of 
yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one bat 
spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice 
would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, 
Longbottom?"
Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the 
verge of tears.
...
"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of 
this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will 
encourage you to do it properly."
Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.

The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was 
cowering by his cauldron.
"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, and 
watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce 
a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't 
doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."
The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. 
Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small 
spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few 
drops down Trevor's throat.
There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then 
there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in 
Snape's palm.
The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a 
small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top 
of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.
"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles 
from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class 
dismissed."

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes 
billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and 
said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains 
Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with 
anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions 
in his ear."
Neville went scarlet. Harry glared at Snape; it was bad enough that 
he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of 
other teachers.

Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one 
was in any doubt why. The story of the boggart assuming Snape's 
shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his
grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. 
Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at 
the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying 
Neville worse than ever.

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was 
merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

Snape looked more menacing than ever.

They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. 
Try as Harry might, he couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to 
thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive 
pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero 
onto his notes before moving away.

"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting 
an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and 
twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he 
overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of 
rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight 
between
Black's eyes.
"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I 
swear I will."

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite 
deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks 
shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's 
face. 

But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Harry had never seen 
before. He seemed beyond reason.

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking 
madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved 
your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have 
been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your 
father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black -- now 
get out of the
way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in 
the room with him. When this gets out --"
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU 
CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS -- HAS -- 
SOMETHING -- TO -- DO -- WITH -- POTTER!"
"Severus -- be reasonable -- Harry has been locked up --"
...
"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"
"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been 
locked, we just saw --"
"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry 
and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.
"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID 
IT --"

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd 
watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order 
of Merlin hit him hard. So he -- er -- accidentally let slip that I 
am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."
---------------------------

Cheers

Pickle Jimmy