More insight into Snape/Snape's challenge

[catherinemckiernan]

No: HPFGUIDX 68658

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "homicidalpixie"
<homicidalpixie at y...> wrote:
> Cassie said:
> > Did anyone else get the feeling Snape was speaking for experience 
> > here?  That it was once he who had been weak and had to Master
himself? 
> 
> I think it makes a wonderful sort of sense that Snape was once
weak, 
> wallowing in his icky feelings and whatnot and that weakness
resulted 
> in or contributed to his becoming a Death Eater. It wouldn't
surprise 
> me a bit if his vehemence in that exchange stems from his personal 
> and deep-seated knowledge of how easy it is to be subsumed by one's 
> own negative emotions.
> 
> 
> Nitro

Oh I love this passage. It just leapt out at me on the first reading
as a terribly clear example of Snape's self-berating guilt, a neon
sign over his head flashing 'issues'. He was weak, he was miserable,
he let the Dark Lord get to him, and hey presto, one Dark Mark. That's
why nowadays he represses his emotions so much (see his CoS
chair-gripping); he knows he's got an airport full of baggage, and he
doesn't dare let it out. Well, we've seen what happens when he does.

But I think there's something else important in this scene, too. Yes, 
Snape's temper is unpredictable, but why does he suddenly start
yelling at Harry like that when 2 pages ago they were almost having a
civilised, if snarky, conversation, and on the previous page he was
actually asking "softly" about the identity of the dog that chased
Harry. Why does he suddenly fly off the handle? 

I think the answer lies in what he has just seen in Harry's mind; the
GoF first task dragon, Harry's mother and father waving in the Mirror
of Erised, and Cedric's body. Bang! The sympathy disappears and
suddenly Snape is 'pale and angry,' key word, *pale*.

At every other moment in the books when Snape is pale he is
suppressing some sort of violent emotion (not nec. the same one,
Porphyria did a great post on this and glittering eyes back in
November). The other pale moments in OotP are after Harry has seen
into Snape's own memories via the Shield Charm, and then via the
Pensieve (suppression doesn't go so well there). They are moments when
Snape feels something personally, when he is reminded of unhappy
things in his past. But what was personal about the vision Harry's
just had? No evidence it's the dragon. Not Cedric, either - the Death
Eaters aren't mentioned. So that leaves Harry's parents. James - or
Lily. James is clearly not a happy memory for Snape, but Snape's usual
response to James is to snap at Harry about arrogance. He could do
that here, because Harry isn't actually trying very hard, but he
doesn't. He says nothing about the vision, but launches into a
'savage' tirade about weakness and sad memories. I can't believe this
isn't another subtle clue for LOLLIPOPS, that anything connected with
Lily causes Snape great emotional pain. In response, he lashes out at
the cause of that pain, Harry and himself. 
Damn it, it's canon! The flamingo floats! 

Catherine McK