Snape's Reaction to Harry assuming that he is a DE spy

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 108569

> > Vmonte:
> > > 
> > > This scene has always bothered me. It is interesting that Snape 
> > tells 
> > > Harry that he is "neither special nor important." I mean what a 
> > drag 
> > > it must be for Snape to have to work with Harry if he really 
> feels 
> > > that he is a nobody and not important. 


> Jen: 
>Even though I hardly ever wonder about Snape (I know, hard to 
> believe), these two comments struck me--who exactly *does* Snape 
> think Harry is, if not special or important? He's so obviously both 
> of these things. Why does he persist on putting Harry in "his 
place" 
> and what is that place, exactly?
> 
> It makes me re-think why he specifically singles out Harry & 
> Neville. Maybe Snape was somehow involved in their parents death, 
> and Harry & Neville are his failures staring him in the face. Or he 
> was orphaned like them, and despises them for being like him, 
> instead of feeling empathy. Or it is just simply him trying to put 
> them in their place, keep them from getting big heads (lol, Neville 
> with the big ego). 
> 

Ally:
Actually, someone once broke down every single scene between Snape 
and Neville, and I was surprised at how much milder these scenes 
looked when you saw them all together in context.  Snape is almost 
always reacting to a potentially serious mistake Neville makes in 
class.

He does take some shots at Neville, but I'm not so sure he is quite 
as personally invested in Neville as he is with Harry.  So while I 
think your theory has some merit -- its one I've toyed with, too -- 
I'm not sure I see Snape's treatment of them as similar.

With Harry, its definitely personal and a unique situation.  I think 
Snape is very envious of Harry's fame and popularity, which he feels 
is unearned.  Just as he was envious of James, for whom everything 
seemingly came very easily.  With Harry, there is definitely a 
personal level of loathing that I think is much more intense than his 
feelings for Neville, who I think he just views as particularly 
incompetent.