Occlumens frame of mind

[frugalarugala]

No: HPFGUIDX 111422

Hello. I'm brand-new, so apologies if this message isn't acceptable 
or if the subject has already been kicked over, but it occured to me 
last night and its just aching to get out of my head! 

I was re-reading OotP last night with the tv on in the background. 
They were talking about the effects of child abuse and neglect--how 
the effects can be difficult to treat because the kid is MENTALLY 
CLOSED OFF for self-preservation. 

It popped into my head that two of the three occlumens we know had 
(presumably) crappy childhoods--Snape and Riddle. We don't know 
about DD. But maybe this is one of the reasons why DD wasn't 
inclined to step in and "rescue" Harry from the Dursleys--he had the 
Order keeping watch to keep things from getting out of hand, but was 
allowing the Dursleys to instill the frame of mind that would be able 
to keep Voldemort out of the kid's head?! 

If that's the case, maybe some of Snape's behavior in the classroom 
is not just a self-indulgent power-trip. Maybe his picking on Harry 
functions to keep Harry's mental gaurd up when he's around a DE 
(Snape), because of either what Voldemort can sense or do through 
the Dark Mark. Perhaps his over-indulgence of Draco is to lower the 
boy's mental defences. Not that I don't think Snape is a total git, 
I just think he might have various reasons for nearly everything--
sarcasm/hidden complexities, Snape?!--Oh, never!/sarcasm 

Thank you for letting me vent my brain --Arugala