[HPforGrownups] Re: OOP: What's up with Harry and Snape?

[Kelly Grosskreutz]

No: HPFGUIDX 63355

Jens wrote:

> I just finished a post about the idea that Snape's behavior when he caught
> Harry and Draco about to duel near the end of the book and Harry's "rush
of
> hatred" could be partly because Snape's cover had been blown sometime
during
> the book and he no longer had to be a spy. About 30 seconds after I sent
it,
> my mother came up to me all exited saying she had just read a part where
> Harry had stood up to Snape and he approved. I blinked at her blankly
> because I knew she wasn't that far yet. She then proceeded to point out an
> exchange on pg 591 (US)
>
> "'you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find
out
> what the Dark Lord  is saying to his Death Eaters.'
> 'No -- that's your job isn't it?' Harry shot at him.
> He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in a temper. For a
long
> moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far. But
> there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Snape's face when he
> answered.
> 'Yes, Potter,' he said, his eyes glinting. 'That is my job.'"
>
My interpretation of this section is a little different than Snape approving
of Harry standing up to him.  Think about it.  Snape is a guy whose
accomplishments have always remained in the shadows.  I've always pictured
him as being intelligent and being the type to study hard for tests like
Hermione, but here are James and Sirius, who do as well, probably even
better, than he does with little to no effort.  His efforts don't appear to
be acknowledged.  As a student, he was not respected or known as someone who
knew his stuff except when it came to Dark Arts, which did not help his
popularity.  He grows up and joins the DEs, in my opinion because he thought
he would get the respect he never got as a kid.  For whatever reason, he
turned against them and risked his life spying against the DEs for the rest
of the war.  I am in the camp that believes that Snape is the one who tipped
off Dumbledore about the Potters being in danger.  After all his efforts
here, he gets no acknowledgement or respect from the majority of the WW,
although I do believe he gets it from Dumbledore, which helps to explain why
he identifies so strongly with DD.

In PS/SS, Snape spends the entire book trying to keep Harry safe.  He
attempts to save him at the Quidditch match, but his efforts are thwarted by
Hermione.  Harry ends up taking on Quirrelmort by himself (with help from
his friends).  On top of it, Snape's protection against the Stone is
defeated in about 3 minutes by a first year student.  No respect or
acknowledgement for his efforts in this book is forthcoming.  Sure, he might
have gotten something from DD, but not a thing from Harry.  PoA comes
around, same thing.  He spends the whole book trying to keep Harry safe at
Hogwarts.  He is furious when he finds out Harry has been sneaking to
Hogsmeade anyway.  At the end of the book, after Sirius is apprehended,
Fudge wants to give Snape an Order of Merlin.  At long last, Snape is
getting respect and acknowledgement for something he's done.  This does
please him, but he does not get it at all from Harry, the person from whom
he most wants it.  If Harry will acknowledge that he, Snape, has done
something worthwhile, maybe he'll feel like he finally got one up on James
and/or has repaid his debt to James.  Instead, Harry sides with Sirius.  I
think we can understand his anger in the SS just a little better after
reading OotP.

Which brings me to OotP.  All this time, Snape has been wanting Harry to
acknowledge what he's done.  He wants Harry's respect, maybe even
admiration.  I don't know if he would admit that to himself, but I think
this is what he wants from Harry, maybe in payback of his having to give
grudging admiration to James for him saving his life.  And here we have a
scene where Harry, in a temper or not, has given him just the tiniest bit of
acknowledgement.  Sirius accuses him of still being a DE.  Harry, until now,
has not ever shown Snape that he thinks of him as anything but his hated tea
cher.  For the first time, Harry has recognized verbally to Snape that Snape
has done something worthwhile, that he is doing a job fraught with peril
that could cost him his life.  Hence, the curious, almost satisfied
expression.

> So, my theory is squashed although I'm still confused as to why Snape when
> from this to throwing things and shaking Harry over the pensieve incident,
> breaking Harry's potion, and then back again. Very confusing (not that I
> don't enjoy it mind you, so long as it gets explained eventually)
>
I think his reaction and why this memory is his "worst" are things I will
need quite some time to ponder.  Don't have an answer now.  Have only read
the book once and am trying to avoid rereading it for a little bit, although
I find I have reread certain scenes or chapters at least five times.  Yes,
you could have guessed, they are the Snape scenes.

Kelly Grosskreutz
http://www.idcnet.com/~ivanova