Harry, Neville, and Snape

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 90311

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "frost_indri" <frost_indri at y...> wrote:

>    Except the son of his arch-nemesis and an rather convenient 
> punching bag to exert frustrations on, all in the same class.

Kneasy:
Arch-nemesis? What arch-nemesis? James was no nemesis to Snape,
let alone arch. Snape is alive and James isn't. Guess who thinks he's
a winner.
IMO too  many posters are under-estimating Snape and just looking
at him from Harry's point of view. That's too simplistic;  he is by far
the most complex character in the series and to  dismiss him as a
mindless bully is a mistake. We know  that he is playing a double or
even a triple game. He's an important member of the Order, possibly
the only one able to get information directly from the DEs, meanwhile
maintaining friendly contacts with his old chums without raising their
suspicions. DD trusts him absolutely and Harry does not have a clue
what Snape is really up to. Harry is little more than an ignorant child 
commenting on a very dangerous game being played by experienced
adults and thinking he knows best.
Harry  expresses frustration because no-one tells  him what's going
on. Why the hell should they? I certainly wouldn't trust Harry  with
vital information that he didn't *need* to know. He's too volatile;
he'd do or say something that could ruin everything, just as he did
at the end of OoP, where you'll remember he is so  certain that he is
right he takes the risk of exposing Snape as a member of the Order.
Meanwhile Snape keeps on walking his tightrope; one false step and
he could, quite literally, be dead. He taunts Harry and Neville in class
yet he's the one who's around to surreptitiously save Harry's neck. Do
you really think this is by chance? I certainly don't. He's under orders 
from DD to keep  an eye on Harry *and* to maintain his front.
Snape is cold, calculating and  intelligent. He probably did hate
James and with good reason it seems, but he'd never mistake Harry
for James. And he doesn't give a damn what Harry thinks of him, he's
got more important things to worry about. 

For a long time I've banged on about the role of our Sevvy, starting
with 69509 Snape - a very good hater, and then through numerous
other threads. I may be wrong about his motivation, but I'm dead
certain about his role.
   
> 
> Frost: 
>   Actually, I think there is a very good reason for him not giving 
> Potter or Longbottom detentions, if he really doesn't like them for 
> whatever reason.  Why on earth would he want to spend more time with 
> them.  Those who give detentions usually have to dish them out as 
> well.  

Kneasy:
Not so. He could easily hand them over to Filch. It's happened before.
Umbridge seems to  be  the only teacher that insisted that detentions
were under her direct supervision and she had an ulterior motive.
 
Look at it from Snape's point of view. How does Harry behave towards
him? And why does Harry act that way? Pure adolescent pique. Harry
wants what Harry wants and any curb or restriction is a personal
affront. He knows that Snape is important to the Order, he knows that
DD trusts Snape, he knows Snape has saved his neck, potentially on
more than one occasion, yet he persists in seeing everything in terms
of his own feelings. Snape is wrong, Snape is bad. 

It's about time he grew up.

Kneasy