What if Snape does not have to maintain any cover?

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 101551

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:

> Now, if every Death Eater kid knows already that Snape is a 
traitor  and Snape does not have to keep appearances, would 
you still feel  that what Snape does to Neville and Harry is 
justifiable?


Justifiable? No. I've never thought it was justifiable. I don't think 
I've ever argued that it was fair or appropriate, though I've tried
to show why Snape might think it was. Understandable? 
Possibly.  Forgivable? Yes. If whatever Snape is doing for the 
Order ends up saving Harry's and Neville's lives then he 
deserves to be forgiven. Since I think it's a given that will happen, 
unless Snape turns out to be ESE!, I've forgiven him already. And 
if Harry and Neville don't forgive him, then they'll be, well, 
Snape-ish.

People aren't Chinese menus--you can't order a Snape special 
with  extra cunning, resourcefulness and bloody-mindedness, 
hold the resentment and sarcasm, please. :)

Let me ask a question in return: if you were convinced that 
Snape had made an honest effort to put his grudge against 
James aside and done all that he knew to teach Harry 
Occlumency, would you forgive him for stopping the lessons? 

Because on consideration, I think I can show that he did.  Once 
the lessons begin there's not one reference  to Harry's father, till 
Harry looks in the Pensieve. Snape puts his worst memory of 
James where  it couldn't  possibly color his thoughts. And what 
did Harry do? Went and fetched it out again. There's no way, 
now, that Snape can escape it, because now it's part of Harry's 
memories, too. 


That, plus re-read what happens in the lesson in chapter 26. 
Just after Harry makes his most successful effort at repelling 
Snape, just after he breaks into Snape's mind, Snape tries 
legilimens again--and Harry has a vision *he's never had 
before*!!!! That's no memory--that's Voldemort, in real time, 
manipulating Harry's mind right in the middle of Snapes !@#$% 
office. And Snape knows it, because Harry tells him he's never 
seen that before. No wonder Snape tells Harry he isn't working 
hard enough. And Snape is right--Harry made no effort at all to 
block the vision.

Pippin