Lupin's resentment : An inside to Snape's resentment

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 94465




Hi, Carol!

In my earlier post I was trying to rebut the argument that Snape's 
behaviour with his students (well, with Harry and Neville as 
representatives of his non-Slytherins) students is just an act. I was 
saying that his failure to resume lessons left me in a doubt.
 
We can argue whether Snape did the best job in teaching Harry. 
Personally, I think that Steve argued pretty persuasively that he did 
not, but since we don't know what is the right way of teaching 
Occlumency according to canon, it is up for grabs, of course.

We can argue whether Harry practiced or not . As Annemehr earlier 
argued - he definitely practiced some, but I'll concede that probably 
not enough.


But that is not the issue for me. The issue is whether Snape had any 
RIGHT reasons for not resuming Occlumency lessons.

> You said in another post that if Dumbledore knew that Snape had
> stopped the lessons, then you would consider not blaming Snape for
> letting Harry have the dream that sent him to the MoM. (Forgive the
> bad paraphrase--if that's not your meaning, please correct me.)

Well, not exactly. I guess I just wanted to emphasize that 
Dumbledore  has a lion share of blame for this mess, IMO. Sorry for 
being unclear.

> Dumbledore *did* know, as he tells Harry after the battle at the 
MoM:
> 
> "Snape stopped giving me Occlumency lessons! Harry snarled. "He 
threw
> me out of his office!"
> 
> "I am aware of it," said Dumbledore heavily. "I have already said 
that
> it was a mistake for me not to teach you myself. . . ."
>

Yes, he did know, but I am still not sure when he learned. There is 
no evidence that Snape went to him right after Pensieve incident. It 
could be that he learned after the fact. really, with him confessing 
to  making so many mistakes should we be surprised that he made 
another one?


Let's go to start of the Occlumency, shall we?

" "Well, then why do I have to learn Occlumency?"
Snape eyed Harry, tracing his mouth with one long, thin finger as he 
did so.
The usual rules do not seem to apply with you, Potter. The curse that 
failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of the connection 
between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, 
when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable - when you are asleep, 
for instance - you are sharing Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. The 
headmaster thinks it is inadvisable for this to continue. He wishes 
me to teach you how to close your mind to Dark Lord" (OoP, p.531)

After reading this much discussed paragrapth, I think it is safe to 
assume that Snape knows a lot about  the reasons for the lessons to 
start, right? 

"Snape stared at Harry for a few moments, still tracing his mouth 
with his finger, Whenm he spoke again, it was slowly and 
deliberately, as though he weighed every word.
It appears that the Dark Lord has been unaware of the connection 
between you and himself till very recently. Up till now it seems that 
you have been experiencing his emotions and sharing his thoughts 
without his being any wiser. However, the vision you had shortly 
before Cristmas. ... "
(OoP, p.532)

Snape is pretty well informed, isn't he? 


What am I getting at? Nothing new, I am afraid. He knew pretty well 
how harmful will be to allow Voldie to enter into Harry's mind 
consciously.


I guess I just don't see any reasons for the Light Side to be happy 
with the end of the lessons and PLENTY of reasons for Voldie to be 
happy at such development.

Yes, it is a complicated chain of events which lead to the mess at 
MoM, but I am afraid Snape played mighty big part in it.


I don't even see the end of the lessons as LESSER evil to choose. I 
just see it as EVIL, period.

> "I trust Severus Snape," said Dumbledore simply. "But I forgot. . .
> that some wounds run too deep for the healing. I thought Professor
> Snape could overcome his feelings about your father--I was wrong." 
(833)
> 
> Note that the abandonment of the Occlumency lessons does not 
diminish
> Dumbledore's trust in Snape. Nor does he apparently blame Snape
> stopping the lessons. Dumbledore could have ordered Snape to "get 
over
> it" and resume the lessons, but he didn't. Why not? Might it be that
> *Snape* sensed that they were doing more harm than good and asked
> Dumbledore to let him abandon them? Was there something in that
> Pensieve that it would have been extremely dangerous for Voldemort 
to
> see in Harry's mind? 


I a afraid I don't place much faith in Dumbledore's trust anymore. 
Sorry! As I said before I am not so sure that dumbledore knew about 
the end of the lessons right away.

You said that it would be dangerous for Harry to see another memories 
which Snape put into Pensieve. Could you clarify, please?
Do you think that Harry would have wanted to look into Pensieve 
again, if the lessons were continued?

I would think that he would not want to have anything to do with 
those for a long, long time.

 
> JKR has told us to watch Snape carefully and not to judge him by
> appearances. The Occlumency lessons and their abandonment are 
examples
> of the sort of scene into which we can easily read too much--or too
> little. Even if Snape is wholly at fault (and I don't think he is),
> his decision to end the Occlumency lessons no more caused Harry to 
go
> to the MoM than Harry's going to the MoM caused Sirius's death or 
his
> saving Peter caused Voldemort's return. It is one event in a complex
> chain of events, one decision among many. And it should also be
> weighed against Snape's other actions and decisions. One mistake--if
> it was a mistake--should not be grounds for condemning a character 
who
>  in other circumstances shows great courage and loyalty to 
Dumbledore.
> At the very least, we should reserve judgment until the end of Book 
7.
> 
> Carol


Yes, it is one event and of course I can change my judgment about 
Snape plenty of time (and I suspect I may), but it is just too big of 
the event for me not to draw negative inferences, so to speak.

It is the reason, why I am not even sure I'll buy "Snape as a drill 
sergeant" argument anymore. See, intent is very important to me and I 
think that the drill sergeant when conducts his training has his 
soldiers survival in mind (we are back to "toughen up")

I now think quite often that Snape does not think about his students 
(again I am talking about Harry and Neville most of the times of 
course) survival, but only about how to cause them as much pain and 
humiliation as possible. Maybe survival will come as extra bonus, 
maybe not.

I will be very very happy to be proven wrong. Usually Snape type hero 
is my favourite character in the book, that is why I still have some 
hopes for him, but my patience is running thin. :o)


Alla