Who's the bully was Re: Snape's Reaction to Harry assuming that he is a DE spy

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 108740

snipping
KAT/rxk wrote: 
> Try reading it this way: Snape thinks Moody isthe real thing.... I 
think Snape would still be afraid of Moody (although doing hid best 
to conceal it)....

Potioncat:
Yes, I get that idea too.  But given that Snape has been cleared by 
a court and has DD's support.  Why is  he afraid?

KAT:
 Snape would naturally be furious about the search of his office-he 
might well be frightened that something Moody found could be 
improperly construed as harmful evidence against him by a powerful 
Auror with a grudge. Add to that the distinct possibility that both 
men are trying to Legilems each other, and while perhaps notpicking 
up EXACTLY what's going on they may each detect a subtle overtone 
of "not what he appears to be". 

Potioncat:
Although Snape insists he doesn't think DD approved Moody's search 
of his office (the search Snape referred to) he doesn't seem too 
eager to go ask DD, does he?  So we have C!M searching Snape's 
office and teaching unforgivables and no one is telling DD!

KAT:
Of course Snape knows Harry is there-but he does have to back of 
since at least Harry would be with Moody and therefore safe (as far 
as he knows). Theremark about Harry's careless wanderingsand not 
being held responsible for any misfortune Harry meets thereby is 
certainly intended for Harry-but I think not so much to excuse 
gimself as to try to get Harry to THINK about what he does BEFORE 
acting on impulse, for a change. (We already know what a waste of 
time THAT is!)

Potioncat:
Again, I find this really interesting!  I always thought he did not 
know. But the fact that Harry is merely inches away from his fingers 
makes me tend to think you (and someone else, I forget who) are 
right.  I'll have to re-read yet again.  Particularly as his choice 
of words seems to be sending a message...one that Harry most likely 
didn't get.

KAT:
 Remember, wesee everythingthrough Harry's very subjective, not to 
mention immature, viewpoint. That is the biggest red herring in the 
deries, IMO.
 
Potioncat:
Oh, I agree!  I'm not at all sure the look Snape gives him from time 
to time is correctly interpreted.  On the other hand, I think Snape 
misreads Harry just as often.  (But I am not looking for an 
understanding hug at the end of book 7.)


> >Potioncat 
> > And I still find it very creepy that the "nice guy" is the bad 
guy 
> > and the "mean guy" is the good guy.
> >KAT 
> But this has been a pattern from the very first book!

Major Snippage (can we get JKR to use this name?  Could be a friend 
of Col Fudbuster or whatever his name is.)

Potioncat:
I agree again. But you know, on this list, both C!M and Lupin are 
given as examples of the type of teacher Snape "should" be.  (OK, I 
know Lupin is only rumored at being ESE!)  But certainly, it's 
clear, you can't always trust the nice guy. On the other hand, with 
Umbridge as an example, you can't trust the mean one either. 

KAT:
 No, by the end of the book, he's let himself be duped; violated 
Prof. Snape's huge (for him) leap of faith by trusting him to stay 
alone with te pensieve and respect his privacy; then manages to end 
up blaming Snape for Sirius' death. I can certainly foresee bad 
things to come resulting from that mindset!

Potioncat:
Not too many think it was "trust" that Snape was doing when he left 
Harry alone.  Many think it was a trick.  I think he left in a rush, 
trusting Harry to leave his office and was greatly offended that 
Harry had gone into the Pensieve. I think he would have been 
justified in being angry if Harry had seen nothing more than a 
grocery list! But I agree. Personally, I think DD should have 
punished Harry if only for messing around with an unknown magical 
device.

KAT:
> Oh, and BTW Potioncat-the Persues legend refereces: remember the 
king that snt Perseus to kill the monster snake? Notice in CoS, in 
the Duelling scene, Gilderoy the "false king" creates a situation 
where a deadly snake is conjured and which is destroyed by Severus?

Potioncat:
Well, I did some digging into Perseus...laid it rest beside good old 
Mark Evans.  So I know what you mean.  But remember, it was Severus 
that suggested the snake in the first place.

Potioncat