Snape stalling Harry Re: What if other teachers behaved like Snape?

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 101558

 "jenny_ravenclaw" wrote:


> 
> However, Snape just *loves* to get Harry in trouble... or at least 
try to.  He 
> was the one waiting for Ron and Harry in CoS when they crashed the 
car into 
> the Whomping Willow.  He was very eager to see them both punished.


Potioncat:
Quite a few episodes between Snape and Harry can be explained 
differently than they seem.  I would have to say IMHO, it could have 
been like this:
Snape does not know why the boys took the car.  He most likely 
thinks they were showing off.  (There are a whole line of parenting 
books that pretty much take the stand that kids are evil and always 
have unpure motives)(I don't have canon to support that Snape's read 
any of them.)  But I suspect he was on the grounds as much 
to "greet" them as to make sure they arrived safely. Yeah, he chews 
them out and scares them with a hint of expulsion.  But they did 
break rules, you know.

Jenny: 
> The moment when I really hated Snape was when he would not let 
Harry find 
> Dumbledore in GoF when Harry found Crouch on the grounds of 
Hogwarts.  I 
> still cannot for the life of me understand why Snape not only 
delayed Harry, 
> but seemed to enjoy it.  True, Harry was not about to be punished, 
but Snape 
> was just plain mean here.

Potioncat:
I've brought this up in a recent post as well (probably because I'd 
read it here)  I think Snape was stalling Harry for DD.  Snape came 
out of DD's office and called Harry back to the door.  He's the 
ususal snarky self for a while and DD comes down to see what's going 
on.  

Reading the pages before and after, this is what I think.  Snape was 
reporting to DD (possibly about the mark getting darker) DD was 
using his pensieve to review the facts.  They hear Harry. DD sends 
Snape down to stall him.  DD finishes gathering his thoughts and 
joins them.  DD rushes off, but Snape does not.  That's the part 
that surprised me.  He usually gets into the thick of things.  I 
think Snape was going to prepare for the situation he and DD were 
dreading


Jenny: 
> Even in SS, when Snape first comes face to face with Harry in 
Potions class, 
> he seizes the opportunity to make a fool of Harry.  It's mean and 
uncalled for.

Potioncat:
Yeah it is.  The only explanation I can give is that we are told 
that students are whispering about Harry and staring at him.  I 
think there is something about his being famous.  Snape has no doubt 
heard these and is determined not to let Harry get big-headed like 
James.  Whether this is motivated by concern or jealously, I cannot 
say.

I do think he wants Harry to know about Draught of Living Death.

Potioncat who will credit Carol with most of these ideas.