Does Snape really favor Draco? (Re: Occlumency: Relax or resist?)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 117751


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...> 
wrote:
> 
> Kristen <kgpopp at y...> wrote:
> <Snip>
> 
> > So maybe Snape hopes to be a role model 
> > for Draco.   You known, steer him away from the death eaters, 
teach 
> > him to respect knowledge, to not be confined by your families 
> > expectations.   
> 
> 
> Well, this brings up a number of points.  This may be true of 
Snape, 
> but if it is we have seen no evidence of it in Canon.
> 
> That brings up a further point in the whole "Why Dumbledore lets 
> Snape act the way he does" debate.  One can argue that Snape is a 
> good lesson for Gryffindors, and to a lesser extent Hufflepuffs 
and 
> Ravenclaws, in dealing with difficult people.  But where does that 
> leave the Slytherins?  Aren't they simply being reinforced in 
their 
> belief that they are superior and should expect deferrence and 
> favorable treatment simply because of who they are?  Isn't Snape 
> abusing them in much the same way that JKR sees the Dursleys 
abusing 
> Dudley (i.e. he is preparing them for a world that doesn't exist, 
and 
> insuring a life of pain and disappointment)?
> 
> This of course brings up yet a further point about DD and the 
> Slytherins.  Up to this point we see no evidence that DD or Snape 
> tries to actively wean them away from the Death Eaters.  Now, it 
can 
> be argued that realistically there is little DD can do, as he 
can't 
> hope to successfully counteract the influence of their parents.  
> Therefore maybe his attitude is to have Snape keep a watch on them 
> and let the chips fall where they may.  If so, however, it means 
he 
> has simply washed his hands of the whole house, viewing them as a 
> lost cause.  
> 
> And, one might ask, even if DD did try to wean the Slytherins 
away, 
> how could Snape cooperate without "blowing his cover?"  After all, 
> DD's efforts could not be totally successful, and it would only 
take 
> one recalcitrant Slythering complaining to his parents for Snape 
to 
> be in very hot water indeed.  Does DD buy Snape's cover at the 
cost 
> of losing the Slytherins to Voldemort?


Potioncat:
Good points.  I agree. (Sorry List Elves, I had to pipe in.)