OoP: Phone booth and Snape (unrelated)

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 63695

Clio: 
>  
>  I thought the same. Harry and Snape have much more in
> common than they think themselves. Both have an unhappy
> childhood. Both were picked on by a bullying group in school. In 
Harrys case Dudley and gang, and in Snapes case MWPP.
>  And both fight back by goating the big bully when
> they are in a position of power. Harry tries to provoke Dudley in
> the dark alley before the Dementors come. He feels safe because he
> has a wand. Snape provokes Sirius whenver he meets him. He feels 
safe because he now is under Dumbledore's protection and maybe abetter
> duellist than Sirius.
>  
>  Both have overcome their victim position, and both
> try to get back at
> their nemesis the same way. Interesting, isn't it?
>  Also, did you notice how Hermione tells Harry in one
> or two  situations that he should stop snapping at his
> friends? Well, snapping at the people around when insecure? Sounds
> familiar. Snape snaps at people around him all the time.
>  


There are some similarities in the way they behave, but there is one 
difference that must be highlighted.

Snape is in his late 30s. Harry is 15. At some point, Snape needs to 
grow up. 

He has spent the last four years seemingly assuming that Harry would 
turn out just like James and treating him as such, which is a stupid 
assumption, since Snape would have to have some clue about Harry's 
childhood.

And I don't see where Harry has bullied those who haven't bullied 
him. He gets the better of Dudley and Draco when he can, but there 
are personal histories there and for the most part, provocation to 
some degree each time.

Snape, on the other hand, tortures Hermione -- cue Darrin's recital 
of the GoF scene where Snape insults Hermione's appearance in front 
of her peers (and funny, I didn't see either of the Drs. Granger, 
D.D.S. in that Pensieve scene.) -- and harasses Neville to the point 
of the kid having a breakdown (Nope, no Longbottoms there either.)

Snape is lashing out because he can. Sounds very much like what James 
did to him. Except James was 15 and Snape is in his late 30s.

It apparently hasn't occurred to Snape that Harry could be as much 
his mother's son as his father's and Lily showed Snape kindness, 
(which Snape spat on.)

Yes, they are similar, but I don't find it admirable for a nearly 40-
year-old man to have similar personality traits to a 15-year-old.

It is true that Harry refuses to accept that Snape, in his own 
twisted and bizarre way, could have his best interest at hear. But by 
the same token, I don't see that Snape has accepted that Harry has 
grown up to be something other than James.

And considering he has a 25-year head start in the wisdom and 
experience department, I'd say that's more damning for Snape than for 
Harry.

Darrin