How should Harry deal with Snape? (was: Why Snape doesn't have to be human)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 107590

Neri:
> > But what should Harry do, how 
> > should he behave, in order to get from Snape a reasonable 
> > treatment?  What can Harry do that would actually work?

 
Alla:
> That is one of the problems. I am convinced that no matter what 
> Harry will do, Snape will not change his treatment of him. Why? 
> Because I am convinced that there is nothing Harry can do.
> 
> Snape's hatred of him is not caused by him breaking the rules, by 
> his "celebrity status", by his,... I don't know.
> 
> Snape cannot forgive that Harry is James potter's son. That is 
> something that Harry cannot change , no matter how hard he
> tries. :)
> 
> That is why the only solution to the problem, IMO, is Snape 
> changing his attitude.


SSSusan:
I like this question of Neri's, and I think it just might serve 
Harry well if he were to consider it very seriously.  I can 
understand your reaction, Alla, but I don't know that I agree with 
you.  We've seen very little indication that Snape is interested in 
changing.  So if a change is going to occur between the two, I think 
it just might have to come from an effort of Harry's.

What could it hurt for Harry to TRY this tack?  Not a thing.  The 
bigger question, I think, is:  Is it *possible* for a 16-year-old, 
filled with anger and frustration, convinced this man truly loathes 
him, to set all that aside and say, "NO. I will not feed the cycle 
by being a berk to him.  I will not give him reason any more to fail 
me, to sneer at me, to belittle me. I will show him that I 
understand we MUST work together."  

Is that possible?  I don't know.  But I do have an inkling that if 
Harry were truly able to *state* that he wants to call a ceasefire, 
if he were truly able to convince Snape he was willing to listen to 
him & work hard & learn from him, it just *might* get through to 
Snape.

Or am I crazy to even think this? :-)

Can you *imagine* the look on Snape's face if Harry were to state 
something like this, and then swallow his pride and do whatever 
Snape instructed him to do?  I can envision Snape's eyes narrowing, 
his finger running alongside his mouth, while he considers whether 
this makes any difference whatsoever.

Oh--and I think it goes w/o saying--that I don't think Snape & Harry 
would ever truly like each other nor that Snape's sarcasm would ever 
disappear re: Harry.  

Siriusly Snapey Susan