Question for Snape Bashers

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 102010


> 
> Del replies :
> But Snape doesn't seem to care much about respect either. He goes
> around looking like he's slept in a dustbin and doesn't know where 
to
> find a bathroom (slight exxageration ;-) so it doesn't seem like he
> wants to be respected that much. And the only time we see him
> insisting on being called "Sir" is when he's trying to annoy Harry.
> I don't think Snape ever got much respect, and maybe in return he
> doesn't care about giving any. Maybe that's why DD insists on harry
> calling him Professor Snape ?
> 
Potioncat:
There is a piece either under fastastic posts or at the Lexicon that 
addresses Snape's appearance.  The gist of it is that it doesn't 
appear to be lack of hygiene.  There is never a mention of either 
body odor or bad breath. Even though he's been close enough to spray 
Harry with spit when angry.  His robes are not described as soiled or 
shabby or wrinkled.

The time I recall him insisting on being called sir was in Occlumency 
lessons, when Harry did not call him sir.  It seemed to me that Snape 
was making expectations clear.   And it was consistent with the way 
adults correct children in the Southern US where children are 
expected to use sir and ma'am. So I don't think he was trying to 
annoy Harry.

Back to appearance.  We once had a thread about why there are so many 
witches and wizards with bad teeth if there are spells that can 
repair teeth (such as Hermione's) or spells that can clean.  It 
crossed my mind that Harry cannnot get his hair to stay neat and even 
when it was cut, it returned to "normal"  Do you think some wizards 
are cursed with an unchangable appearance/feature just as Tonks is 
blessed with a changable one?

Potioncat