Snape and Harry WAS Re: Pensieves objectivity AND: Dumbledore's integrity

[ellejir]

No: HPFGUIDX 79723

Melpomene wrote:>
> <snip> 
> This "abuse": Harry is now FIFTEEN. We have to stop seeing him as 
> ELEVEN. Should Snape have grabbed and pushed? No. But was it child 
> abuse? I think not. I think had Severus wanted to abuse Harry he 
> could have done a HELL of a lot better than that. He did not throw 
> things "at" Harry, he threw ONE jar OVER his head. 
> <more snipping>
> NO, it was not a mature grown up thing for a teacher--any adult to 
> do. But he retained enough control not to send it right through his 
> head, a feat I have no doubt he was capeable of.
> Am I making excuses? No not really. But I am tired of this argument 
> sounding like Big Huge Severus beat up on ickle innocent baby Harry 
> AND took away his lolly.
 
Me (Elle):
It is amazing to me how *far* the Snape apologists will go to excuse 
his bad behavior.  Snape basically threw a two-year-old toddler 
tantrum when he found Harry snooping in the pensieve ("but that's OK 
because he was mad", sayeth the Snape apologists.)  Why do so many 
people see him as either black or white?  IMO, Snape's complexity and 
contradictions are what make him so interesting.

I find SS an absolutely fascinating character, but that doesn't mean 
that I think that his behavior is correct or mature.  He verbally 
abuses Harry from Day 1 out of jealousy over Harry's status as a 
living hero and hatred of Harry's father (obviously things over which 
Harry had no control.)  He verbally abuses Neville from Day 1 
(presumably because he is such an *easy* target.)  He constantly is 
trying to humiliate Hermione.  Generally, he is a *super-nasty* guy 
with a streak of insecurity/immaturity a mile wide.  

Does that mean that there is no good at all in Snape?  *Of course* 
there is good in him.  He (apparently) is risking his life spying for 
the Order, he agrees to teach Harry Occlumency even though he hates 
him, he saves Harry's life in SS, he gets sassy with Umbridge (you 
gotta love that!), and he basically launches the rescue effort in OoP.

The glimpses that we were given in OoP into Snape's memories show us 
a lonely, awkward boy with a sad home-life.  It is not too hard to 
pity Snape for his childhood, but I do not think that the trials of 
his youth can excuse all his adult nastiness.      



Melpomene again:
> There was NO excuse for Harry to look in that Pensieve. NONE. I 
> don't care if Snape was baiting him. <snip>
> Why would it enter Snape's mind that Potter was looking in that 
> pensieve for information on James and Lily? Oh no, Potter wasn't
> looking for Potters, he was looking for more "Fun with Snivellus"
> and we all know it. 

Me again (Elle):
I think that Harry was just being nosey (as usual.)  If he were 
really looking to have some "Fun with Snivellus" to laugh about later 
with Ron and Hermione, he totally *hit paydirt* with what he saw in 
the pensieve.  But he never even told Ron and Hermione what he 
saw, now did he?

Elle (not a Snape-hater, not a Snape apologist)