Professor Snape's role

[maa-dee]

No: HPFGUIDX 99971

Jo Ann wrote:


> Unless he blamed both father and son for the mother's death. 
Voldemort was 
> after James and Harry specifically at Godric's Hollow, correct? 
Reason enough 
> for Snape to loathe the kid.
> 
> Which doesn't preclude him also feeling a strong impulse to protect
him.  
> Emotions can be complex and contradictory things.  A fact which no
doubt would 
> drive poor Severus (who, as a Potions Master and a notorious Rules
Lawyer, must 
> like things fairly orderly and predictable) 'round the twist, just
trying to 
> figure out what he really thinks...
> 
> Then again, in contemplating the Snape/Lily theory, it has also
occurred to 
> me that Snape might hate Harry because the kid is James Potter's son
*and not 
> his own.*
> 
> Or because he's a constant reminder that Severus failed to save both
the man 
> he owed his life to, and the woman he loved.

Maddy writes:

While I've never really bought the Snape loved Lily theory, but your's
is the only line of thinking that could make me believe it. Even if he
did love Lily (which I'm not too convinced about...more on that in a
bit) I think his hatred of Harry would be because he's Lily and
James's son, not Lily and Snape's. Continuing that "if", maybe Snape
hates James even moreso because he died, and somehow Snape blames
James for Lily's death as well. And maybe he even blames Harry (and
also James because if it weren't for James, Harry wouldn't exist) for
Lily's death. Both Lily and James died trying to protect Harry.

Before OotP came out I might have believed it possible for Snape to
have loved Lily, but the pensieve scene in OotP, I think, dispelled
that possibility. Snape clearly hated Lily (at that point in time at
least) almost as much as he hated James and Sirius. Perhaps his
prejudice against Mudbloods and Gryffindors were the main cause, but
he obviously didn't like her.

However, there's still the possibility that he's got a million
possible covers, walls, masks, or whatever you want to call them, to
hide his *true* thoughts and feelings. But I think his disgust with
most people is somewhat genuine. Although he may have gotten used to
being hateful and hated that it's just become his way of life for him.
But maybe that was caused by being really emotionally hurt, possibly
having his heart broken by a girl. But somehow I don't think it was
Lily. Here's a random thought, what if he was in love with Bellatrix
Lestrange/Black?

Jo Ann wrote:

> Or--and here I'll throw the whole Severus/Lily thing out the window
a for a 
> minute, and take a different tangent--maybe he's just tired and
bitter and 
> lonely, stuck in a job he hates, disliked and distrusted by both
colleagues and 
> students, doing some nasty stressful undercover work for the Order,
constantly 
> fearing for his own life/health/sanity and the future of the Wizarding 
> World...and he simply doesn't have the wherewithal to deal
gracefully with a ghost 
> from his own unhappy past while simultaneously making sure Neville
doesn't blow 
> up the school.
> 

Maddy writes:

I never really took Snape to be a worry-wart, but perhaps you have a
point, here. Maybe he's resentful to Harry because he's done things
that have helped him, yet Harry doesn't show gratitude, really. But I
think that can only be part of it.

You might be right though, it's quite possible though Snape has a lot
on his plate to worry about. While somehow, I think Snape would only
worry about the fate of the Wizarding world if it would directly
affect him. I know that makes him sound selfish, but, again, I think
he's the type of person who has to have good (and by that I mean,
logical, convincing, etc) reasons to risk his own skin for others.

And I think his reasons have to do with the yet untold story of how he
became a Death Eater and what made him turn around and help the Order.

Jo Ann wrote:

> Makes me wonder how long it will be before we see the guy well and 
> truly 
> crack under the pressure.

Maddy writes:

I'd love to see Snape crack. And by crack, I don't mean going
completely insane with rage and unreasonable (as we sort of saw in
PoA), but break down and show some emotion other than disgust and
hatred. It would be nice to see a different side to Snape.

I feel a little heartless saying I want to see him break down, but I
think it's got to happen sometime. Besides, I think we all want to
know more about him.


=)
Maddy