Snape's bloody, violent death

[snazzzybird]

No: HPFGUIDX 71562

--- "oh have faith" <rshuson80 at y...> wrote:
> 
> I *am* a great fan of Professor Snape; but that aside:
> 
> Does anyone else think Snape may be inadvertantly predicting his 
own 
> downfall and/or bloody violent death, when he does his rant in the 
> Occlumency chapter of OOP?
> 
> "Fools who wear hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control 
> their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to 
> be so easily provoked - weak people, in other words - they stand no 
> chance against his powers!" (p473 in my ed)("Hello, Pot?  This is 
> kettle.  You're black!")
> <snip>
> Any thoughts?
> Faith's Girl

I too am a great fan of Professor Snape.  When I read that passage, I 
thought he meant to be describing Harry, but that it applied just as 
well to Sirius.  As a Hogwarts teacher he had to be aware of the 
problems Harry had been having with Umbridge; how despite advice and 
counsel from McGonagall he would allow her to goad him into talking 
back to her.  He knew he could avoid trouble by controlling himself, 
but he always ended up playing into Umbridge's hands instead.  This 
was the "outward" message Snape wanted to give Harry.

However, I thought he was also taking a shot at Sirius, whether 
consciously or unconsciously.  As a member of the Order he'd 
doubtless seen Sirius sink deeper into depression day by day, while 
imprisoned in the toxic environment of his hated childhood home.  
When he goaded Sirius about his "uselessness" and "hiding" in 
Grimmauld Place, Sirius immediately flew off the handle.

Lastly, when I read through the book a second time, this statement by 
Snape summed up the way in which Voldemort used Sirius to lure Harry 
into danger -- which in turn lured Sirius to his death.  It's all 
right there.

Is Snape also exhibiting a spectacular blind spot regarding his own 
vulnerability?  Possibly.  I don't really see him as wearing his 
heart on his sleeve, and he seems able to control his emotions pretty 
well in most instances.  The only exception is where Harry is 
concerned.  Perhaps he thinks that doesn't count; that his dislike of 
Harry isn't likely to make him vulnerable to Voldemort.  Or perhaps 
he really doesn't see that he's wallowing in sad memories when he 
nurses the old grudge against James Potter, and that this causes him 
to be easily provoked by real and imagined slights by James' son.

--snazzzybird