[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry begins to act like someone I know...

[Mrs.) Lee Storm (God Is The Healing Force]

No: HPFGUIDX 99299

| Sherry Writes:
|
| I wonder, now that the comparison of the two scenes has come into my mind,
| if Snape saw any of the marauders being attacked by dementors,
| what would he
| have done.  Harry keeps trying to warn Dudley, even while he's looking for
| his wand, even after Dudley has just slugged him.  That's the thing that
| always struck me in this scene.  Dudley has tormented Harry all
| these years,
| but he still tries to protect him and does save him.  To me, that
| shows good
| stuff in Harry's character.  I don't know if I think Snape would
| have acted
| the same in similar circumstances.  And I'm not one who thinks Snape is a
| traitor or anything.  I find his character to be very complex and
| interesting.  I just think that Harry acted with compassion, and I don't
| know that Snape would have.  I guess it all goes back to Harry's desire to
| save people.

[Lee pokes out her head]:

In COS, Snape did move to save Harry from the snake brought forth by Malfoy
in the Dueling Club incident.  You're very right in the complexity of
Snape's character.  I think he, deep down where he hopes no one can see it,
has some love and/or compassion, but disguises it, perhaps even on a
subconscious level, to look like something else because he (1) doesn't want
to be perceived as weak and (2) just plain won't allow himself to believe he
has those qualities.

He seems to need/want the glory or power, I think, but perhaps that goes
back to his bad treatment as a kid, too...observe the fragment of memory
Harry picked up in the Occlumancy class in OOTP.

So, yes, in one way, Snape has the need to prove himself and it's a far more
surface thing; any compassion is as buried as it can get but will manifest
itself at the oddest times.  I don't think that his attempt to save Harry
from the snake was all tied up with either a debt to James or with the need
to be sure a student remained unharmed at the school.  I want to believe
there was something else in that action.

Lee :-)
(Ever hopeful.)

Do not walk behind me,     | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;    | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,     | n2fgc at optonline.net (or)
I may not care to follow;  | n2fgc at arrl.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.