Twitchy, prowling Snape?

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 86174

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, IAmLordCassandra at a... wrote:
> In a message dated 11/30/2003 12:28:12 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
> silent_ghost227 at y... writes:
> 
> > Hmmm, I believe that Snape was nervous as a teenager, used to 
> > suffering curses and hexes, as opposed to casting them, when he 
> > reached adulthood. He wasn't well liked, and perhaps that didn't help 
> > the 'twitchiness' at all. Though one wonders, in regard to the theory 
> > of the death-eaters effect on him, what, besides the obvious reasons, 
> > drew him to Voldemort? He regrets it now. What did Voldy offer him 
> > that he thought so important? 
> > 
> > Back to the topic at hand, I believe he is more sure of himself as an 
> > adult, hence the change in the way he moves.
> 
> Me (Cassie):  
> 
> I've been thinking about this a lot.  Well, actually, I've been
thinking 
> about Young!Snape crying in the corner--but this is in the same vein XP 
> 
> I think this adds to my own theory.  Ever since I read the passage in 
> Occlumency where Snape describes weak people I've wondered if he's
speaking from 
> personal experience.  An awkward outcast crying in the corner would
seem like the 
> weak people he's so venomous towards. 
> 
> ~Cassie~ 


IIRC he was about five years old in the memory where he's cowering in
the corner as his father abuses his mother, though perhaps the cruel
nickname Snivellus indicates that he still cried at age eleven or so
when the Gryffindors bullied him--until the gang of Slytherins came to
his defense. We see him as an awkward outcast after his friends have
left the school, but no longer a crybaby at that point. I think you
may be onto something, though, in that he made himself strong out of
resentment of the abuse he received as a boy. However much anger he
still harbors, there is no awkwardness in him now--and no
"snivelling." Regarding his treatment of Neville, whom he probably
perceives as weak, maybe he thinks that such treatment will make him
stronger. It would be interesting to see an increased mutual respect
between them in the later books, but I doubt that it will happen.

Carol

Carol