[HPforGrownups] Snape's cover - part of the Hermione-Snape thread

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 69820

On 13 Jul 2003 at 3:19, darrin_burnett wrote:

> Man, I hate to question this portion of it, since Shaun has been someone who 
> I have generally agreed with on this thread, but here goes:
> 
> I wonder if Snape's cover was beginning to crack by this point, or, did he think 
> it needed extra glue?

Certainly possible - but if so, I think he'd have needed to do a LOT 
more than just this.

Basically, if he was in a situation where he needed to stress his cover, 
he would have done more, IMHO, and he had the perfect opportunity to. He 
had the perfect opportunity to punish Harry - and yet he only does so, 
after Harry and Ron swear at him - basically if he wanted to maintain 
his cover, he could have punished Harry for attacking Draco - without 
punishing Draco for attacking Harry. That would have been much more 
effective than his comment about Hermione's teeth. And he could have 
done both, for that matter.

I suppose it's possible he intended to do more to Harry than he did 
(Harry thinks Snape is going to poison him shortly afterwards and is 
saved by having to have his photo taken).

But basically, I think it's either more than is needed - or if his cover 
is slipping, he passed up the opportunity to be *truly* nasty.

I accept the cover argument has some possibility for validity - but not 
enough IMHO.

And if it is so, like yourself, I'd like to see some evidence at some 
stage, that he tells or has told Hermione this. There's a couple of 
books to go for that to happen in though.

Would Hermione understand? Yes, I think she would.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia