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

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 79749

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

<snip> Snape has EVERY right to 'demand' to be called "sir" 
> or "professor". He IS "Sir". He IS "Professor".

The *words* can be demanded (and that will result in tremendous 
success, I'm sure), but the respect the words imply must be *earned*; 
something Snape seems oblivious to or bent on ignoring.

<snip>
> What would you have him do? "Well Harry, we're here in private, we 
> can drop the act, call me Sevvy. Want a beer?" Sheesh. This is 
> STILL a student/teacher relationship.

And how do you expect the student to remember that this "is STILL a 
student/teacher relationship" when the teacher side of that pair has 
consistently stepped outside of appropriate behavior *for that 
relationship*?  Snape has behaved like a schoolyard bully, drawing 
lines in the sand and daring Harry to step over.  (I suppose now 
you'll say he learned that from James.  No matter; it isn't JAMES 
he's retaliating against.)

> Snape does not change his manner of address to Potter.

Good point; generally one-on-one interactions *are* less formal than 
one-to-group (if I remember some of my foreign grammar correctly, the 
terms for "you" plural and "you" formal are same/similar, while the 
words for "you" singular and "you" intimate/family are also).  And 
children learn what they live; you want respect from them, you show 
it TO them (as demonstrated by the staff who (Umbrage excepted) 
use "mister" and "miss" with all the students, not just those whom 
they favor).

> <snip> This "abuse": Harry is now FIFTEEN. <snip>

Not old enough to vote, shave, soldier, drive, apparate, compete in 
the Triwizards tourney, leave school, live independently, or bear an 
equal share of the responsibility in dealings with (supposed) adults, 
especially those in a position of authority over them.

> We have to stop seeing him as ELEVEN. <snip>

Snape (dam*ed if *I'll* call him by any title) set the tone for 
what's followed when Harry WAS eleven.

> He did not throw things "at" Harry, he threw ONE jar OVER his head. 
<snip> 

Not clear; Snape's probably just a lousy shot.  (*Canon* says the jar 
exploded over Harry's head, *not* that Snape didn't aim lower.)

> NO, it was not a mature grown up thing for a teacher--any adult to 
do. <snip>

My understatement alarm (now added to my formerly shrieking dark 
detectors ^-^) is blaring now.

> But I am tired of this argument sounding like Big Huge Severus beat 
up on ickle innocent baby Harry AND took away his lolly. <snip>

The historic wrongs Snape did Harry have not been resolved.  To me, 
Snape will be a baby-bashing thug until they are.

> There was NO excuse for Harry to look in that Pensieve. NONE. I 
> don't care if Snape was baiting him. I don't care if he'd hung a 
> big blinking sign over it saying "Don't look in here, Potter! 
<snip> 

No excuse needed.  Just human nature.  (OT note:  statistics show 
that a large percentage of guests peruse hosts' medicine cabinets out 
of curiosity; kids are even snoopier because they are still trying to 
discover "the truth" behind how people in their world work.)  
Admittedly bad manners on Harry's part, but not even approaching the 
low level of same he has been conditioned to expect from "Professor" 
Snape.

> He should NOT have looked. Oh no, Potter wasn't looking for 
> Potters, he was looking for more "Fun with Snivellus" and we all 
> know it. <snip>

"More" fun? Harry didn't even know the name "Snivellus" before he 
looked in the pensieve; ergo, he could not have been "looking for 
more fun with" anyone by that name.  (So, no, *we* don't "all know 
it.")

> Melpomene, digging that hole deeper and deeper.

"msbeadsley", tossing dirt in after (and, oops, on top of digger) 
<just trying to help>

P.S. Possible epiphany tucked in here:  if, as I have read a theory 
stating, Harry is actually carrying a part of Voldemort around with 
him behind his scar, could it be that Snape's abuse of Harry is 
intended as an object lesson (from BOTH perspectives) for that scrap 
of Voldemort (as well as Harry, and, uh, us)?  (That no matter what 
happens to you, no matter how much you have to put up with, deciding 
on murder and mayhem is not the appropriate "choice" to make.)

"msbeadley"