Snape, trying very hard not to smile? Or is he just allergic to cats?

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 93741

> Carol:
> I think there's definitely a difference in rank (wizard vs. Squib,
> teacher vs. caretaker) that Snape may subtly exploit when he's not
> angry about having his office broken into at three in the morning, and
> there's definitely a difference in their preferred methods of
> discipline (Filch has no subtlety. He's all for medieval torture
> chambers rather than sarcasm, deducting points, and detention.)
> There's a huge difference in intellectual and educational level that I
> think would prevent them from being close friends, but there is or was
> also a common bond of trust in Dumbledore that made them allies in the
> first three or four books.


Eloise:
Well, you know, I'm sorry, but much as it pains me to say it, I think that 
probably Snape is simply using Filch. As you say, there's a huge difference in 
intellectual and educational level as well as in status between the two. I 
think the thing that makes them allies is less their common bond of trust in 
Dumbledore as their common dislike of and contempt for students and (later) of 
Harry in particular. Snape dislikes them because they're stupid dunderheads, Filch 
dislikes them because they set off Dungbombs and drip mud all over his clean 
floors. We know from PS/SS that Filch was under orders to tell Snape if any 
students were wandering the corridors at night. Filch is an extra set of eyes 
and ears for Snape (in fact with Mrs Norris, two sets of eyes and ears which 
again begs the very question under discussion here) and Snape gives validation to 
Filch's snooping and persecution of the students even if, as you point out, 
his own methods are somewhat different. Not that I think dear Severus is 
*terribly* subtle in his methods, just less physical in his brand of cruelty. I'm 
afraid he *is* a bit of a sadist.

Carol:
> But, as you suggest, Filch's devotion to Umbridge in OoP while Snape
> (as far as we can tell) remains loyal to Dumbledore is a definite
> parting of the ways. 


Eloise:
Yes. Again, he is relating to someone who shares his sadistic dislike of 
students and, moreover, his preferred methods of dealing with them. I doubt his 
loyalty or motivation goes deeper than that.


Carol:
>I wonder if Filch will prove a traitor in Book 6
> or 7. Fortunately, he doesn't seem very bright, but he's sadistic, and
> he could prove dangerous in his way.


Eloise:
You don't need to be bright to be dangerous. The fact that he's dense but 
sadistic could easily make him a weapon in the wrong hands.


vmonte:
> > I do know that that cat is very nosey.  If I wanted to wander about 
> > the halls of the school without anyone finding out -- that cat would 
> > be the first thing on my list to go!
> > 
> > I can understand why Snape would find the situation funny.


Eloise:
Well, yes. If that were the case.  As I pointed out above, though, in a way, 
Mrs Norris was an extra pair of eyes for Snape. We know Filch was co-operating 
with Snape in PS/SS. We know less about what was going on between them in CoS 
but we have no concrete grounds for thinking that he wasn't. 

I think he's amused because Harry *is* in the wrong place at the wrong time 
and he hopes to take advantage of it. Perhaps he's also amused because he's 
standing in Lockhart's office with portraits wearing curlers dodging out of 
sight. He can witness Lockhart making a prat of himself and exploit the situation 
to his own advantage against Harry. Or so he hopes. 

The smile he is trying to suppress develops, once he starts to speak, into a 
sneer:

>>"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the
wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he
doubted it.<<

and from there into a full blown smile as he finally catches Harry et al out:

>>"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across
his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people
at their parties."

"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge
rumble.

Snape's nasty smile widened.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful," he
said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges
until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should
be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be
honest." <<

The smile disappears as soon as Dumbledore refuses to blame Harry and Snape 
and Filch are once more united:

>>Snape looked furious. So did Filch.<<

So in summary, I think that Snape doesn't care about Filch or any pain he 
might be in but simply uses him when it suits him. His hatred for Harry far 
outweighs any loyalty he might feel to his ally against studenthood in general. The 
smile which is being suppressed is merely an anticipation that which 
accompanies his attempts to get Harry into trouble.


Sue chiming in really late to add:
> 
> I always felt that Snape knew exactly what was happening with the 
> Chamber.  He is, after all, spending a lot of time in "Malfoy's 
> lap". 


Eloise:
That's a reference to Sirius' taunt about his being Malfoy's lap dog, yes?

I have yet to be convinced about exactly what Snape's relationship with 
Malfoy is. I am far from convinced (based on the "sudden movement" in GoF) that at 
this point he *knew* that Malfoy was a fellow DE. If he knew all along of the 
plot and that this was a basilisk, then he doesn't seem to have shared that 
knowledge with Dumbledore, but then you aren't entirely convinced of his 
loyalty, are you? ;-)

Sue:
> I just thought he was amused that this is where the Basilisk 
> started, with an obnoxious cat (I don't think any of them knew what 
> was in the Chamber, not even Malfoy, BTW).  

OK. So he didn't know *exactly* what was going on.

>Snape is quite flattered 
> at the young Malfoy's suggestion that he become headmaster after DD's 
> departure.  He certainly didn't protest the idea or defend DD.

Eloise:
Could the smirk be because this was confirmation that he had Lucius Malfoy 
exactly where he wanted him (is *Lucius* actually the lap dog?) If he wants to 
maintain his reputation amongst the Voldemort supporters, then it's to his 
advantage to play the card that Draco put into his hand.

Sue:
> I also wonder if he was wearing a mask at the QWC, and flipping 
> Muggles as an earlier post suggested.

Eloise:
Err...wwwhat? <splutters uncontrollably>
I didn't hear that right, yes?
Who suggested that? 
I'm speechless!

Well, if he's been playing double agent, then now I think about it, then yes, 
he could have been among the DEs there. But I don't believe that all the DEs 
know each others' identities, so the group of them there may not even have 
known who they all were, which means he needn't have been there to bolster his 
own cover. And I simply do not believe that he'd indulge in Muggle baiting, 
despite what he called Lily in the Pensieve. He's sadistic, but not that sadistic. 
That is to say, I think that sort of thing is beneath him and that he 
wouldn't regard it as fun, but as pointless, childish and the sort of thing destined 
to give a good Death Eater a bad reputation. ;-)


> Potioncat:
<snip> Having him go to Filch rather than Poppy 
> made his actions look more suspicious....but why did he do it?  (I 
> know which one I'd rather have tending a wound!) 
> 
> So, he must have been working on his own without DD's knowldege (a 
> lot like Harry, isn't he?) If he went to Poppy, DD would find out.  
> (Does Snape really think he can keep this sort of thing from DD?)  
> But why then did he choose the teachers' lounge?  Wouldn't his own 
> office be a better place?

I don't think it's to do with fear that Mme Pomprey will report what's he's 
up to. Mme Pomfrey isn't one of Dumbledore's inner circle. At the end of GoF, 
although she hears the same revelations as Fudge (including that Snape was a 
DE), Dumbledore is very careful to make sure that she is well out of earshot 
before allowing Sirius to regain his human form. I doubt very much that she knew 
about the Philosopher's Stone. I doubt that any did, other than those who were 
directly involved in its protection. Filch was part of the protection in that 
he had a role in guarding the corridor. Why tell anyone else? 

As for why he chose the staff room? Good question. I did wonder if it were 
all JKR's fault. imperio'ing him to do it there so that it was easier for Harry 
to find him, but then I suppose he could as easily have found him in his 
office, though I guess the door would more likely have been locked.

~Eloise
(hoping yet another post hasn't been added to this thread whilst I wasn't 
looking


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