Snape as a kid; Snape's dimensions; the legacy of Sirius

[Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 69140

Spoilers. I see a GOOD spot where Snape's charachter wavers, even for 
a moment.

Darrin:
> But I STILL do not see where Snape's attitude toward Harry has 
changed 
> much.

When McGonagall comes back, and wants to give Gryffindor House 
points, Snape says, "What?" but then he says, "Oh - Well - I 
suppose..."

Since when do we know Snape to give in so quickly to something he 
doesn't agree with? Which means, that he must have agreed with her 
about giving points. And there is no mention about wether he is upset 
about this. No "angry glare" or anything, other than that he was left 
behind with Draco.

We never see Snape again in the book after that scene, so we don't 
know whats going to happen next. 

Darrin:
> I am hampered by not having the book with me, but, as I recall, in 
the broom 
> scene in Snape's head, there was a girl laughing at a scrawny boy 
who was 
> having difficulties mounting the broom. 
> 
> If we assume the kid cowering in the corner is Snape, then it's 
likely the kid on 
> the broom was Snape.  So, how in the world did that get interpreted 
as Snape 
> doing a tricky counter-curse jinx???
> 

He may have been unsuccessful at broom riding as a child, but he's a 
grown man ADULT now, who is/was also a Death Eater at one point, and 
is a Professor. I'm sure Snape is quite capable of doing counter-
jinxes. As for shooting down flies, he may have been shooting them 
down with bursts of fire or whatever, or any number of spells like 
Incendio or anything. He may have been using Petrification spells or 
who knows. We can't assume just because he was killing flies that he 
was using an Unforgiveable. And if it was at home, why wouldn't the 
ministry of known? (back to that, is Pivet Drive a unique thing, 
etc...)

> Darrin:
> And I'm amused by all the rush of "No, he wasn't using AK to kill 
the flies!" 
> 
> Sheesh, is it so hard to believe this guy was neck-deep in the Dark 
Arts? 
> 


No its not hard to believe. He says so himself. He shows Fudge the 
dark mark. We KNOW he was a Death Eater. He was in the Dark Arts, and 
I agree that Dumbledor has good cause to keep him from the DADA job, 
but Snape himself may not realize his own folly. He may not realize 
that he'd be headed right back into the DE's if he gets that job. 
Dumbledor, like he does with Harry and nearly everyone else, is 
looking out for Snape's best interests.

I'm not saying he's all good, he has his faults, so does Harry, but 
you can't say he doesn't have some potential in him for good, or else 
Dumbledor wouldn't have forced harry to use "Professor" so often when 
reffering to him. In PS and OOP. Dumbledor has respect for Snape, and 
that says something about his character anyways. What that something 
may BE we'll have to wait and see.

Ah well, anyways, my two cents. ;)

Lee