Snape's DE past

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 111697

Kneasy wrote: 
> 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.

Potioncat:
I think you may be on to something.  In GoF Pensieve scene, DD sees 
a connection between Harry's scar hurting and Snape's Dark Mark 
burning.  There's been a discussion wheter the word burning 
indicated an actual sensation.  I'm going to presume it does.  And 
while I'm not sure there is canon for it, I wonder if Snape gets 
more of a jolt when Harry is around. Imagine Snape's reaction if 
Harry was something of an antena or amplifier for LV's 
energy/awarness/power.  Something along the line of Harry's reaction 
in SS/PS when LV was near.  Or along the line of Snape's mark 
hurting in GoF near Moody.

Kneasy:
> 
> 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?
snip
> 
>> 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?

Potioncat:
So now we have Snape not wanting Harry to be another James or Tom in 
behavior. Or maybe James is a red herring. It's Tom.  What else does 
Snape see?  A tendency, a latent skill?  A shadow of Tom/LV? Not 
only does he have bits of LV, but his own natural tendencies are 
similar.  I'm sure Harry's disreguard for the rules came from James.

Kneasy:

>snip 
> Harry has not yet proved that he is 'good'.
snip 
> > 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.
> 

Potioncat:
Some of the decisions Harry has made have had nothing to do with 
being good, but they look like "good" decisions.  The big one that 
comes to mind is "not Slytherin."  I still think that the main 
reason for that was that he didn't want Malfoy for a dorm mate.  
Heck, Nott and Zabini probably aren't too thrilled either.

But I disagree.  Harry has shown goodness...preventing Black and 
Lupin from killing Pettigrew is the big one.  Who really would have 
thought ill of any of them if Pettigrew had died?  On the other 
hand, he did give in to the temptation of using the Cruiatus Curse.

So I would argue against your comment of his not yet 
demonstrating "good." But I would agree that the potential for 
something else is still there. Particulary since JKR characters have 
very deep shades of gray.  And Snape is very familiar with gray.
Potioncat