What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 101154

> 
> Alla:
> 
> Eh, Pippin. I am always glad to give Snape  a little credit where 
its  due, but in many of the situations on your list, we actually 
have no  idea whether Snape's motivations were rushing to 
Hary's aid or  something else.<

Pippin:
> > 1) The troll (PS/SS)

Alla: 
> I think he arrived when all the fighting was already done by the 
Trio<

Pippin:
It was, but the fact is that when Dumbledore needs a team to 
deal with a dangerous situation he calls on McGonagall, Hagrid 
and Snape. They are, as far as we know, the only three faculty 
members who agreed to join the Order, or who were trusted 
enough to be admitted. Neither of the other two have ever dared 
to confront a Death Eater unless Dumbledore was with them. 
Snape has.


 It's true that Snape flubbed up badly at the Shack, and with 
Occlumency, but the other two have also had their failures. 
McGonagall didn't take Harry seriously when he warned her 
about the threat to the stone in PS/SS and Hagrid blew it by 
passing  secret information to Voldemort. McGonnagal 
blew it again when she let Barty get kissed. And Dumbledore 
himself failed to teach Harry Occlumency or tell him about the 
Prophecy in time.



> 
> > 2) The broomstick (PS/SS)
> 

Alla:
> I guess, together with Hermione. 

Pippin:
As I said in another post this evening, if Hermione had done 
what she meant to, Harry would have died.


> > 4) Confronting Quirrell (PS/SS)
> 
Alla:
> Snape could have plenty of motivations confronting Quirrell. 
helping  Harry? How?<

Pippin:
"I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because 
he felt that would make him and your father even." --Dumbledore, 
PS/SS ch 17 

Snape made it clear to Quirrell that he knew Quirrell was behind 
the broomstick hex and asked for an explanation of  "your little bit 
of hocus-pocus."  PS/SS ch 13. Of course Harry thinks this is 
Snape trying to find out about Quirrell's enchantment, but that's 
not the case since Snape wasn't trying to steal the Stone. Does 
anybody think Snape couldn't have found his way past the 
obstacles if he'd wanted to? 

Alla:
> > 5) Guarding Harry  when no one else thought the boy was in 
any  danger (PS/SS)<<

> 
> I guess we are talking about broomstick again. You cannot 
count it  twice. :o)

I am talking about after the broomstick attack. "Harry didn't know 
whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to be running 
into Snape wherever he went. At times he even wondered 
whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his 
own. " PS/SS ch. 13 US hardcover p 221 I accept Dumbledore's 
interpretation that Snape was trying to keep Harry alive.

> > 7) Keeping him away from the one-eyed witch (PoA)

Alla:
> Even though I reread PoA recently, to my shame, I don't 
remember this one. Could you give me the page, please?<

Pippin:
US hardcover p 277. Harry knows that Snape suspects there is 
something about the witch and this later  kept  Harry from going 
to  retrieve his invisibility cloak from beneath it, even before the 
extra security precautions were introduced.

> 
> 
> > 8) Entering the willow after he found Harry's cloak and knew 
he  might be inside with a suspected Death Eater (PoA)
> 
Alla:
> Sorry, I think he was operating in the mode revenge first, 
children's  safety - later.

Sorry, but I don't follow. If he didn't think he was going to find   
evidence that Lupin was endangering the children, then there 
wouldn't be any way to get revenge, would there?

 
> > 9) Taking care of unconscious Harry (PoA)

Alla:
> What other choice did he have? I think Dumbledore would have 
killed  him, if he would not have brought children to  the castle.<

Pippin:
How would Dumbledore know? There were no  witnesses, 
except for TT!Harry, whom Snape did not see. Snape is a good 
enough Occlumens to lie to Voldemort--he could have deceived 
Dumbledore if he wanted to. In fact, aren't you saying that 
Dumbledore *must* be deceived if he trusts Snape? You can't 
have it both ways <g>.

> > 10) Confronting Mad-eye, whom he fears, on the stairs  to 
> > ensure Harry's safety (GoF)

Alla: 
> If you mean near the end of GoF, together with McGonagall and 
> Dumbledore then I agree. If not, then you got me puzzled.

Pippin:
I meant ch. 25, when he says that Harry needs to be stopped 
from wandering around the school for his own safety.

Alla:
> > 13) Searching a forest full of hostile centaurs when Harry 
was  missing (OOP)

Pippin:
Oops. You're right there's no evidence Snape went into the 
forest. Perhaps he couldn't--he was the last Order member at 
the school, after all. But he did deduce where Harry had gone 
and notified the Order. 

Pippin
who should know better than to cite canon without giving chapter 
and verse <g>