Snape & Harry

[Mandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 101358

> Kneasy wrote:
> I've suggested before that Snape is playing a part, or maybe 
exaggerating his feelings. It wouldn't do for Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle 
et al to send an owl home saying Snape was soft on Potter. It might 
compromise his secret missions (whatever they are) if he were 
suspected of back-sliding from the Slytherin ideal. Harry truly 
hating Snape is a bonus so far as Snape is concerned. It adds to his 
cover, gives him an excuse to sneak round and keep  a close watchful 
eye on Harry.


Mandy here:
It goes far deeper than having to fool just Malfoy. Snape had to fool 
LV. He even has to fool everyone, all of the time! 

Snape is a sadistic bastard toward Harry, seemingly unnecessarily so 
at times. But if we are to believe that Snape is spying on LV (and 
the DE) for DD,  we have to consider that he is, as Kneasy said 
above, playing a role, a role that his life depends upon. A role 
where one mistake, one slip up, one wrong action, thought or feeling, 
about Harry Potter, and Snape will end up dead and DD severly 
crippled in his fight against LV.  

Snape is the one who has to go back to the Dark side and be able to 
pass whatever vicious scrutiny LV, or any of the DE would inflict 
upon him.  Snape's role from LV point of view is working for DD but 
really spying for LV. (Whether or not you believe LV believes Snape 
or Sanpe is playing double agant, that's for another post.)  It is a 
role Snape has to maintain every minute of every day and night. Not 
only doesn't Snape know who's watching or listening to him, he is 
also (whether he likes it or not) storing up all these memories, 
feelings and emotions about Harry Potter inside his own head that can 
be looked at and examined by anyone skilled enough to do so.  We know 
Snape to be an expert Legilimens and Occlumens, he has to be, but we 
don't know how good LV is.  At least, as good as Snape, if not 
better, imo.  Snape has to be able to show a consistent hatred toward 
Harry right from their first meeting to be able to pass whatever 
scrutiny LV puts him under. Snape cannot risk having one good thought 
about Harry, not one tiny supportive thought, feeling or emotion as 
it would blow his cover.   

So what about the times he has saved Harry? There is a difference 
between memories and feeling and emotions. Although they are 
connected and at times inseparable.  A memory can create emotions and 
feelings about a person that are separate from the event that caused 
the memory in the first place.  The pensive seems to be able to take 
within it one's memories.  But it is not possible to remove all 
feelings and emotions about one particular person, when you remove 
that memory. Emotions and feelings run far deeper than memories ever 
could.  If Snape is able to empty his mind of a physical memories 
about Harry, i.e. Saving the boy during the Quidditch match in PS/SS, 
and put that in a Pensive, I believe there will be residual emotions 
and feelings concerning the reasons why he had to save Harry still 
floating in his subconscious. That is what Snape has to be careful of 
controlling.  

If Snape's agenda is to ultimately destroy LV, and Harry is the only 
method of doing so, Snape has to constantly battle against 
subconscious desires to see Harry succeed and replace them with the 
desire to see Harry fail.  Just one grain of desire to see Harry 
succeed buried in the back of Snape's subconscious mind could be the 
one found by LV, which would be disastrous.

Snape's behavior discussing, but absolutely is necessary. Necessary 
for Snape to be able to do what he does.  Walk back to the Dark side, 
stand in front of LV (or Lucius depending on what theory you like) 
and stay alive long enough to gather as much information as he can 
for DD.

Cheers Mandy