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

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 93760

Potioncat:
>  I think you may  have hit on it, 

Eloise:
Thank you. <blushes>

Potioncat:
>the smile isn't about 
> the cat.  It's hard to understand how he can be amused though, given 
> how serious the Chamber of Secrets is.  

Eloise:
I know. Worrying, isn't it? I can only imagine that he *doesn't* know at this 
stage the seriousness of the situation. Either that or Sue's right and he 
knows about (and is colluding with) the plot.

Potioncat:
> I've wondered if he didn't use some form of legilimency and was 
> letting DD know that he saw deception in Potter's mind.  I think he 
> added the quidditch restriction because Snape will use any means to 
> win quidditch. He may have been angry at DD's apparant dismissal of 
> the dishonesty issue rather than the quidditch restriction.

Eloise:
I think Legilimency needs, or at least benefits from eye contact. I'm sure 
that there *is* Legilimency in this scene, but not from Snape.

>>Dumbledore was giving Harry a searching look. His twinkling light-
blue gaze made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious. So did Filch.<<

You could be right. But I suspect Snape's angry because a) he's been proved 
wrong and b) he isn't getting his own way. Quidditch is also a good way of 
twisting the knife in Harry as it's the thing he cares most about. 

He hoped that Harry was going to be found culpable (I doubt he thought that 
Harry was actually to blame) and instead, Dumbledore diagnoses a condition that 
Harry *couldn't* have induced. So he changes tack. If Potter didn't harm the 
cat, then he was certainly up to something - but Dumbledore thwarts him again. 
At this point he gives up on Harry and directs his anger at Lockhart:

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master
at this school."

thus retaining a shred of dignity in the situation.

~Eloise






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