OOP: What's up with Harry and Snape?

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 63361


Kelly: <snip the recap through the series>
 
> 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.
> 

Me:

Again, Snape says to Harry, "You're nothing special or important" 
just before we get into this satisfaction.

Well, either Snape doesn't know about the prophecy (which is 
possible, considering he might have been a full-fledged DE when it 
was made) or he knows and this is his way of trying to "help" Harry.

Why hasn't Snape been told since? He might have just been told "Keep 
Harry safe" (which I've argued before he hasn't done all THAT good a 
job at doing, but of course, this is from Snape's point of view, not 
Harry's) and not told why. 

We've seen D-Dore withhold info from Harry that maybe he should have 
gotten. It's possible Snape resents having to work to protect this 
kid and not even know why.

But now that Harry knows the prophecy, my guess is he won't take 
the "you're not special nor important" garbage lying down any longer. 
Perhaps that's why Snape's attitude changed. He knows he's lost a 
hold on the kid.

One thing that bothered the hell out of me is Snape presuming to 
demand Harry stop using "Voldemort" after D-Dore (in PS/SS) told 
Harry specifically to use the name. Harry's defense was 
only "Dumbledore does" which gave Snape the opening.

I'd love to have seen the look on that sallow face had Harry 
said, "Prof. Dumbledore told me to use the name. Are you overriding 
his order?"

And considering that Harry has escaped from Voldemort three times in 
various forms, I couldn't care less what Snape thinks Harry should do 
or shouldn't do in regards to a name.

Darrin