Snape's Attitude towards the Students

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 108394

Dzeytoun wrote:

Yes, but he HAS done lots of things that violate the values
Dumbledore professes, which makes his tolerance of Snape puzzling at
best and reprehensible at worst. And I don't buy the whole
Dumbledore bound by the rules of his society explanation. The rules
of wizarding society have never seemed particularly constricting on
Dumbledore in other cases, why should they be in this case?

Besides this brings up another HUGE problem (not with your argument,
necessarily, but with the logic of canon). Hogwarts has a large
number of muggleborns and half-bloods who are members of a society
with VERY different rules. Why aren't they screaming to high-heaven
about Snape?

vmonte responds:

I agree with you Dzeytoun. It seems to me that part of Dumbledore's 
personality requires that he give people a second chance. I believe 
that he is giving Snape a second chance to redeem himself. I think 
that the reason that Dumbledore (and Molly for that matter) correct 
Harry when he doesn't speak of Snape in a respectful way is more 
about DD realizing that Snape needs to feel respected, he corrects 
Harry out of respect for Snape.   

I also think though that Dumbledore might also have Snape at the 
school so that he can keep an eye on him, and because he believes 
that the children will learn a valuable lesson from Snape either 
indirectly or on purpose.  Snape doesn't seem like the kind of person 
who really wants to help people or really cares about teaching 
children.  I previously mentioned that perhaps Dumbledore has Snape 
at the school to show the children what the DE mentality is all about.
Like the 2500 year old treatise THE ART OF WAR: "Keep your friends 
close, but your enemies closer."  

I don't think that Dumbledore is using Snape, but I think that his 
failsafe (if Snape turns out to be unloyal) is that he can keep and 
eye on Snape, while the children learn about DE weaknesses.  If the 
war is going to seriously begin in book 6, perhaps Harry will be 
forced to control his emotions, or rather get a grip (I'm not saying 
anything bad about Harry. I believe he has appropriately responded to 
all the garbage that's been thrown on him--but I do feel that he will 
have to control his emotions for the safety of himself and all 
around).  If so, he may start to distance himself from Snape's 
rants/comments and begin to realize that it's really a sign of 
weakness on Snape's part.  (Snape is very much like Petunia in that 
way--they cannot for the life of them let go of the past. Even if 
it's in their best interest to do so.)

vivian