OOP: Snape, Neville, Draco

[rane_ab]

No: HPFGUIDX 62830

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I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find who it was that chose the 
quote:
"And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocates it 
will mean a lot of tedious paperwork and I am afraid I shall have to 
mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job." (p. 657, 
UK version)
as the funniest and remarked on the dig Snape makes toward his own 
house. I gave up trying to find it because there are just too many 
messages. My apologies.

My first remark on that quote is that it was the first genuinely nice 
thing Snape ever did for Neville. It didn't even strike me as such 
upon first reading it, but really, it is. Apart from not really 
believing Snape was worried for Crabbe, I think that if he would have 
been, there would be no need for him to use sarcasm like that. It's 
the first time I hear Snape say something sarcastically just to cover 
up his real intentions. Of course, part of the reason why he said 
this was probably to deflect the attention from what Harry had just 
said (about Padfoot being at the Ministry), considering he was just 
about to leave the room without saying anything at all about it, but 
still... I was surprised.


Continuing on the remark of whoever it was about Snape jeering his 
own house's stupidity, I was wondering if the part "if ever you apply 
for a job" refers to Crabbe being too stupid to apply for one, or to 
Crabbe being so rich he doesn't need a job. I'm with those who 
conclude from the Pensieve scene that Snape was rather poor, and this 
just made me wonder how, exactly, Snape feels about the students in 
his class. He seems to at least have liked Malfoy Sr. Many have 
argued he identifies himself in Draco, and I'm sure he's absolutely 
delighted at Draco's treatment of Harry, but I wonder how he really 
feels about Draco - if he perhaps feels some resentment for Draco 
being rich and spoiled as he doesn't seem to have been. 


Also, I remarked somewhere that I was a bit sorry that we didn't get 
to see Snape putting Umbridge back into her place, as that would no 
doubt have been hilarious, but really, re-reading that particular 
scene (Out Of The Fire, p.656-657, UK version), Snape actually *did* 
snark with her - and it was pretty funny.

<"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up 
again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as 
you can, please."
"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, surveying 
her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Surely you did 
not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."
Umbridge flushed. >
Skipping Umbridge asking him to make some more and remarking 
that "Surely (...)" sounded pretty disrespectful.
<"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon-
cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in a round a 
month.> (p.656, UK version)

His lip curling. He's really being disrespectful here, the only thing 
missing is him actually calling her an idiot. This is what baffled 
me. From Umbridge's later remark that Lucius spoke highly of Snape, 
I'm presuming she's a good friend of Lucius', or at least a favorable 
acquaintance. And Draco certainly likes her, considering all the 
powers she's given him. So, as a good DE spy (or whatever it is he 
is, exactly - apparently it involves staying on Malfoy's good side, 
anyway), he's supposed to act as though he's on Lucius' side, and I'm 
sure Lucius supports Umbridge, so why is he acting deliberately 
demeaning towards Umbridge with Draco actually in the room?

Skipping once again Umbridge's request for more Veritaserum, Snape's 
hilarious remark about using poison instead - but not really - and 
Umbridge not being happy about that, and Harry's attempt to tell 
Snape about Sirius without actually saying anything out loud, we have:
<"You are on probation!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, and Snape 
looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being 
deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always 
speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"
Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave.> (p. 657, UK 
version)

Eyebrows slightly raised? Ironic bow? This is the first time I've 
seen Snape actually being ironic to one of his superiors. It seems as 
though he's obeying, but at the same time mocking her authority. It's 
absolutely funny - I don't think I've ever seen Snape act so 
*lightly*, actually - but at the same time a little unexpected. 
Again, why act that way in front of Draco? Or does he simply think 
Draco won't pick up on it? (Possibly the other Slyths present really 
are too stupid to notice that much, but Draco? Though he admittedly 
swallowed that "remedial Potions" story a little too easily for my 
taste - that was really stupid. Of course, he does trust Snape and 
isn't expecting anything.) I don't really understand that bit, no 
matter how much I had to laugh. I'm wondering again if what we read 
is Harry's take on things, or the way things really are. I think 
Harry may be a little too agitated at the time to notice all Snape's 
little ironic gestures, though. 

This scene also certainly prooves Snape's acting skills. I've always 
been very much convinced that he really does hate Harry and dislikes 
Gryffs in general, and I still believe he does, but, as I said before 
in another msg, now JKR does have me wondering exactly *how much* of 
his dislike and hatred is genuine. Or his liking his students.

At the end of the book, where Harry is threatening to attack Draco, 
and defiantly tells Snape that he's trying to decide which curse he 
should throw at Draco, Snape isn't quite as mean as he could have 
been. Harry's question is defiant (something I would expect Snape to 
be furious about, especially as at this point, Harry must remind him 
more of James than ever before) and he's planning on attacking a 
student - a student, which some people suggest, Snape identifies 
himself with. And all he does is take *ten* points. Ten. I'd have 
first thought that Snape would start shouting at Harry, and then 
would certainly take away more than twenty points at least for such 
an offence. But he doesn't. His further comments on the lack of 
points from Gryffindor - well, that's just his usual behaviour, isn't 
it? Even when Harry *isn't* doing anything wrong, he acts like that. 
So really, I thought he was being pretty soft there. Especially with 
Draco and his cronies standing around.(I've already said that in 
another message, and I apologise for repeating myself, but it just 
seemed to fit in this post.)
So now I'm really wondering exactly how much he does identify with 
Draco, and what he feels for him.

Cheerful greetings,
Rane,
who notices the number of members is soaring...