Snape and Harry 2 (Was: Get yer piping hot Snape Theory...)

[magsthomas]

No: HPFGUIDX 85453

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Sydney" <sydpad at y...> wrote:

[SNIP]

> If there was one thing that really took me aback in OoP, it was 
> this:  that Snape really DID want the DADA job, in fact applied for 
> it every year, and that Dumbledore kept turning him down.  I had 
> been cozily confident that the rumour was just that, a rumour,

[SNIP]

> I listened avidly to the webcast of the Albert Hall reading, and 
> found the answer to the question, "Why won't D-dore let Snape teach 
> DADA" intriguing and puzzling.  JKR hemmed and hawed, then said it 
> would be a spoiler, then said that Dumbledore feared it would bring 
> out the worst in Snape,

[SNIP] 

> So what did Rowling mean by "bringing out the worst in Snape"?  


Am just getting back into reading HPFGU since the OOP release -- the 
group's enthusiasm (read: volume posting :D) overwhelmed me and I 
quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to follow the threads 
(even in digest form) or let my own mind ruminate over the plot very 
easily.  

But we've just been listening to Jim Dale's narration on the CD 
version and so I'm ready to dive in once more!  I've read the book 
2x, but am finding it awfully nice to have someone "read to me" -- 
brain fixes on different things when it's hearing vs. seeing :)

Have read all the responses to this post and would like to pose one 
other possibility.  Maybe we *have* seen at least part of the reason  
DD doesn't want Snape teaching DADA.  What immediately springs to 
mind are:

A) The very subject matter puts Snape in a compromising position wrt 
his status as a "double agent" for the Order.  What do you think 
Lucius Malfoy is going to report back to Voldemort if a "loyal DE" is 
busy schooling students in how to repel dark spells?  Plus it 
outwardly looks like DD purposely keeps his "suspect" faculty member 
out of a position that would indirectly enable Voldemort to 
infiltrate / affect the quality of the DADA education Hogwarts 
students receive.

B) Snape's inability to suppress his dislike for James Potter's 
offspring would interfere with the DADA instruction Harry receives at 
Hogwarts.  

We've seen how quickly Snape deviated from DD's orders once teaching 
Harry Occlumency became distasteful / uncomfortable / invasive.  His 
dislike for James runs deep -- deeper than even DD originally 
suspected.  From our very first exposure to Hogwarts, Snape has 
transferred both his hatred for James *and* James' personality traits 
onto Harry.  During the Occlumency lessons there was a brief glimmer 
that Snape started to realize there was more to Harry than he first 
suspected (am thinking of his inquiry about Aunt Marge's vicious dog 
and some of the other experiences that contributed to Harry's 
fears).  But Harry's trip into the Pensieve -- invading Snape's most 
private thoughts -- quickly shut down that possibility (at least for 
now).

DD knows that Harry must somehow become equipped with the knowledge / 
skills to perform DADA-related tasks (beyond his natural 
proclivities).  Why put a man whose hatred runs so deep into an 
authority position that would put Harry at risk?  While he trusts 
Snape, DD must also realize that there's a possibility Voldemort 
would try to manipulate DE Snape into influencing the quality of 
Harry's DADA education -- and that Snape's own hatred for James / 
James' son provides an easy ponit of access.

So there you go...am sure there's more to it (as I'm sure there's 
more to Snape's background and ongoing activities).

- Mags