All of Snape's reasons - was Snape's cover

[Sydney]

No: HPFGUIDX 70025

Isadora wrote:

> What if Snape Wanted Hermione to hate him, so he took a "cheap 
> shot," of which he Knew would have an effect on her (although, as 
> we've deduced, he may have underestimated her, as she's 
> apparently "gotten over"  this "past-evil remark" of his). Why did 
> he want her to dislike him then? Maybe he felt Granger was a 
> liability. A liability because she wasn't as frightened, submissive, 
> or seemingly affected by his usual intimidating self. At this point 
> in the series (mid-GoF) Hermione has crossed Snape many times, and I 
> think he took the one chance he was offered to try and 
> dissuade/discourage her from humanizing him further. 
> 

I'm not sure if you're tying this onto the 'spy cover' theory or not,
but I think in any case it's an excellent point about Snape's
psychology generally.

I worked with a director once, who gave a performer one of the best
notes I've heard.  The actor was playing a very sarcastic, nasty
character, who got a lot of snappy put-downs.  He was really playing
it up, milking the jokes and getting a big laugh in rehearsal.  But
the director corrected him:  "he's not telling jokes to draw people
in," he said, "but to push them away".  With that in mind the actor
put in a completely different, and far more layered performance.

Spy or no spy, I definitely think that Snape views anyone trying to
understand him as a threat;  and as a general rule wants to preserve a
nice big circle of burnt groud between himself and the rest of humanity.  

Sydney, relieved to put the whole emotional-damage-lawsuit-thing
behind her...

> Isadora Moss
> [her first post ... hopefully clear, precise, and most importantly 
> Neutral to "both parties" where Snape is concerned]  no fear
Isadora-- great post!