Snape's DE past

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 111469

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> I was responding with the argument that Snape was so wrapped up in 
> his old wounds that he was willing to let Harry be possessed by 
> Voldemort and probably die. It is more than "casual" situation to me.
> 
> Snape snapped knowing what would happen if Occlumency lessons stop. 
> I understand why he did it, but I take exception to the argument 
> that he can draw a distingshion  between Harry and James . Sounds 
> more than casual to me.

Perhaps we are misinterpreting the situation with all this guff about
confusing Harry with James - after all there is minimal canon 
evidence for this.

Perhaps he's confusing him with someone else entirely - Voldemort.
There is canon evidence that Harry has been on the receiving end of
Voldy's powers and there is heavy speculation that there may be
even more to it than that. As an ex-DE who shows extreme reactions
to just the mention of Voldy's name Snape would be hyper-sensitive
to any Voldy connection. As an Occlumens/Legilimens perhaps Snape
sees more of Harry's mind than we give him credit for.

An email from Lyn Mangiameli reminded me that it was Snape who
almost certainly got Malfoy to provoke Harry into revealing that
he's a Parselmouth - a Salazar/Voldy/Tom Riddle attribute. What
else has Snape seen in Harry's head?

Those who tend to castigate Snape for his attitude generally regard
Harry  as a somewhat stubborn, slightly rash, adventurous youth.
Impetuous but very definitely on the side of angels. Not necessarily so. 
They ignore the fact that he could turn into something much, much 
worse. He could be Voldy Mk II. Doesn't the Prophecy say "..his equal.."?
Nothing in there about being his opposite, or is my copy of OoP faulty?

This is what DD fears could happen, too. The "..in essence divided.."
bit. The transplant into Harry has not grown and flourished - yet.
There is still time for it to do so. Harry's personality shows signs of
change; he's more or less permanently angry, even with friends that
wish him nothing but good; he acts as if his wishes over-ride all others,
even to the extent of ignoring clear instructions from DD; he's deliberately
uncooperative - and anti-Snape to the point of obsession. 

His anti-Snape stance can be explained, if you're willing to make enough 
excuses (though it shows him to be an ungrateful little snot after Snape 
saved him from injury or worse in PS/SS), but his behaviour generally 
would probably meet with the full approval of Tom Riddle. All through 
OoP he acted like a nasty little tyke getting ready to blossom into a 
complete shit.

Or I may be doing him an injustice - perhaps it's the Voldy in him that's 
obsessively anti-Snape. Voldy does have reason to be, what with Sevvy 
getting his little chums banged up in chokey.

Harry has not yet proved that he is 'good'. 
Oh, yes, he's battled with Voldy, but that's personal, between the two of
them, and Harry has been purely on the defensive anyway. He's the one
that's been attacked - and he hates Voldy for killing his parents. Entirely
understandable, but just the fact of being an orphan does not make you 
pure - Tom was one too. 

Harry is in the 'good' corner by default - he's had little or no choice in the
matter.
Maybe Snape can see what Harry could turn into if he did have a free
choice and that is what he's reacting to.

Kneasy