OOP Snape, Sirius, Harry

[adamjmarcantel]

No: HPFGUIDX 63252

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barbara Bowen 
<.... 
> 
> As for Snape:  I think he set Sirius up.  When
> voldemort makes contact with Harry's mind, he tries to
> possess him--wills him to do things.  He doesn't try
> to delve into Harry's feelings or memories.  But Snape
> is far more subtle.  He looks into Harry's very being
> (and Harry is not allowed the privilege of removing
> things he'd rather not share!).  In the scene where
> Harry asks "which one (memory) was that"  (I
> paraphrase as my ten year old has the book in her
> clutches), and Snape replies "softly"  "no"--did
> anyone else get a creepy feeling?  As if he had just
> realized something...something to his advantage.  

I am also new to the group and a new Harry Potter fan.  My wife has 
been reading since the beginning, but I only started the first one 
last May..now I fear I am sadly addicted :)  Anyway, I just wanted 
to give you my opinion on one of my favorite characters (so far): 
Snape.  Snape may well have set-up Sirius, but can you blame him?  
Snape was the target of ridicule during his time at Hogwarts and 
seemed to have few friends (even Lily seems to stick up for him out 
of anger at James, not pity for Snape).  James and Sirius called him 
names, bullied, and humiliated him for their own amusement (at least 
the attack described in the book seemed unprovoked).  Given that 
Dumbledore says that "there are things worse than death," setting 
Sirius up to be killed may have given Snape a sense of revenge, but 
apparently, he could have made things worse had he wanted.  But all 
that was assuming, and I hope I'm wrong, that Snape did, in fact, 
set Sirius up.  I think Snape's problem with Harry goes back to his 
father, though not in the obvious sense.  Remember in Prisoner of 
Azkaban that James saved Snape's life and, once that happened, he 
was indebted to James, who had made his life miserable.  I think 
Snape allowed James to be killed by Voldemort.  Now, to pay for 
that, Snape is watching over Harry.  I've noticed that, except for 
the instance in the new book during occlumency, the only time Snape 
is especially evil and nasty to Harry is in the presence of Malfoy, 
Crabbe, and Goyle (who can, through their fathers, access Voldemort 
and Snape would be finished).  He must act as though he despises 
Harry to avoid suspicion.  He seems to always be in the right place 
at the right time to help Harry in some way...this is his debt to 
James.  I think we will find that Snape's intention is to protect 
and save Harry's life, though he must allow Harry to suffer if 
Voldemort is to be defeated.  Maybe, in the end, it will be Snape 
who tells Harry how to kill Voldemort...and then the suffering Harry 
has endured because Snape is a double-agent will be worth it.  Just 
a thought.

"adamjmarcantel"