What if Snape does not have to maintain any cover?

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 101754

 
Alla wrote :
> LOL, Susan! I agree with you, I think kids WOULD like if Snape would 
> lay off Neville. (HA! In my dreams. :o))

Del replies :
I think Shaun meant "if Snape lay off Neville but continued the same
otherwise". In that case, I don't think the kids would care much. They
might be puzzled that Snape leave Neville alone, but they wouldn't
believe he's changing since he's doing all the rest of his nasty tricks.

Alla wrote :
> Seriously, though, it will be a start. It will show that Snape can 
> grow and change as a human being.

Del replies :
I don't think Snape *cares* or *wants* to grow and change. I don't
think Snape sees a *need* for him to change. And I don't think he's
interested in becoming nicer : he doesn't seem to hold "nice" in great
esteem.

Alla wrote :
> Really, one of the reasons why I am so fed up with Snape's nursing 
> his old grudges after OoP is because his character started to be 
> come static. No change at all.

Del replies :
Snape is an adult, and adults don't change that fast, especially when
they don't try to and if they have no good reason to do so.
Personally, I would be annoyed if Snape changed for no other reason
than because most readers don't like him the way he is. It would be
totally out of character : remember, people like Snape don't care
about others' opinion of them.

Alla wrote : 
> I wanted to applaud  Snape, when at the end of GoF he showed his 
> Mark to Fudge. Futile gesture? Maybe, but so courageous  (true 
> Gryffindor ":o)) and supportive of Harry, who just went through 
> hell. I thought that would be a start of new beginnings for Snape 
> and Harry and Sirius ( No, not the beginning of the beatiful 
> friendship :o), but just new beginning)
> 
> And here we are in OoP, back to square 1. Grrrrrr.

Del replies :
I think your frustration comes from the fact that maybe you 
misunderstood the real motive for Snape showing his Mark. You seem to
think he was supporting Harry ; I never saw anything like that. The
way I see it, Snape was trying to support *DD* and his cause, but not
Harry. Snape doesn't like the fact that he has to work alongside Harry
any more than Harry does. Snape doesn't care about Harry. But he cares
about DD and about the cause. So for me, Snape showing his Mark was
perfectly in character and in the continuity of what Snape had done
before, and wasn't a sign of change at all.

Del