Needs to Hate (was: Re: Death Eaters: Etymology--& Dark Mark & Snape)

[Nadia Kennedy]

No: HPFGUIDX 80482


Nemi:
>>Anyways, what you said, Snape /Needs/ Harry to Hate him, well, what if
it's he other way around?  What if Snape /NEEDS/ to Hate Harry, which is why
he doesn't follow up on the opertunity the Occulmency lessons provided to
understand him.<<

Tamee:
> Actually this makes perfect sense to me, as recently I've been developing a
theory that the reason Snape hasn't been able to get past his hatred for
James and co. is that he's been using that emotion to maintain his cover.  I
think that a truly successful Occlumens must use some emotions or perhaps
obsessions to cover their deceptions.  It keeps them from having obvious
blank spots and can distract the Legilimancer.  Snape himself says, "Only
those skilled in Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and
memories that contradict the lie, and so utter falsehoods in [Voldemort's]
presence without detection." (US OOP 531).  So I think when faced with
Voldemort, Snape has always used his hatred and resentment to deflect
attention away from his deeper motives.  It seems a simple enough manuever
for him.  He did hate James and Sirius with a passion; they were openly
siding with Dumbledore;  Dumbledore blatantly favored Gryffindors and MWPP
in school (in Snape's mind); they were responsible for all his misery; why
would he help them in anyway.

I think the distractions used depend on the personality.  Snape is a bitter,
miserable man so he uses that.  He makes his hatred useful to him, and yes,
I think Snape wants Harry to hate him as much as Snape hates James and
Harry, especially, if Snape is doing any kind of spying that leads him close
to Voldemort. <<<


Hello!

Great post, Tamee! I've been thinking the same thing myself. After paging through OOTP, I found some canon proof for your theory. It's on pg 591 (US edition).

"A hundred dementors were swooping towards Harry across the lake in the grounds...He screwed up his face in concentration...They were coming closer...He could see the dark holes beneath their hoods...yet he could also see Snape standing in front of him, his eyes fixed upon Harry's face, muttering under his breath...And somehow, Snape was growing clearer, and the dementors were growing fainter..."

Seems like Harry has replaced the dementors with Snape in the Thing that He Fears the Most, as a result Harry throws Snape out of his head. Hmmm, I feel an interesting theory forming...

Nadia