Snape-Harry Detente & Dumbledore (was: Worst is yet to come, etc.)

[junediamanti]

No: HPFGUIDX 80985

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "msbeadsley" 
<msbeadsley at y...> 
> wrote:
> > Me then:
> > <snip>
> > > > "I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, 
> > > > sir."
> > 
> > Matt:
> > <snip> 
> > > Two things about the sentence struck me when I read it and 
might 
> > > have struck Snape when he heard it, as rather unlike the old 
> > > Harry. First, Harry almost always forgets to address his 
teachers 
> > > with honorifics when he is interrupted in the heat of the 
moment. 
> > > Especially Snape.  Here, however, Harry remembers to 
say "sir."  
> > <snip>
> > > Harry has enough distance from his emotions that he is not only 
> > > able to remember to address Snape respectfully, but also to 
come 
> up 
> > > with a *subtle* put down of Malfoy.
> > 
> > 
> 
> Geoff:
> I saw this as Harry being rather tongue-in-cheek and having a quiet 
> little "dig" at Snape..........

I don't think I saw this as any evidence of burgeoning mutual 
respect.  Only just earlier in the book (if my memory serves) we had 
from Harry's pov that 'he would never ever forgive Snape' or always 
hate him, or some such (posting at work so not with books).  None of 
that sounds much like mutual respect to me.  In addition, Snape gets 
immediately back into character by deducting points (non-existent I 
grant you).  The only thing I think might be possible from this 
exchange is that we might just be betting a teeny weeny insight into 
Snape's real attitude to Malfoy (father and son) as he doesn't lay 
into Harry with his usual sharpness in front of Draco.

June