Knowing it was Snape (was: What has Snape seen)

[catimini15]

No: HPFGUIDX 118839


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman"
<susiequsie23 at s...> wrote:

Snip)
> I'm away from GoF right 
> now, but I believe it was the same kind of set-up.  Harry wasn't 
> speaking in the Yule Ball scene either; it was the narrator reporting 
> that Harry saw Krum and a girl he didn't know.  Just as the narrator 
> here [and thanks for the quote!] says Harry was unnerved that this 
> was the little boy he'd seen now standing there.  It seems to read 
> the same way to me.  
> 
> Hmmmm.  Then again, "It was unnerving to *think* that the little boy 
> he had just seen...was actually standing in front of him" [emphasis 
> added] actually makes it look a little MORE suspect than I'd 
> imagined....  This sends up a red flag kinda like "assume" and "as 
> if" in JKR's world.  Or am I missing something obvious?  Is there a 
> clear difference between the presentation of the two bits of 
> narration from GoF and OotP?  Somebody please let me know if so!
> 
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan, who wasn't a lit major and sometimes feels it 
> here!

Nadine : 
I haven't studied in litterature either and English is not even my
mother tongue as I said repeatedly on this list but I believe that the
two excerpts have been written in the same fashion : the narrator
describes Harry's perceptions. In the GoF example, Harry does not
recognise Hermione. She is dressed differently (like everyone else
that night - which is enough for Harry's head to spin), she has a
different hairdoo and it is so unlikely a situation for her to be
Krum's partner, that Harry recognises her only the second time he
looks at her. And his jaw drops. Fine. In the OotP scene, Harry is
practising Occlumency with his second to last favorite teacher
(another situation to make his head spin). In this passage, what
strikes me as important is the fact that Harry - right away - was
«SURE he had just broken into Snape's memories» and that it «was
UNNERVING to think that the little boy who had been crying as he
watched his parents - not two unidentify adults, not two teachers, not
his aunt and uncle, no ! his PARENTS ! - shouting was actually
standing in front of him with such loathing in his eyes». Snape has
loathing in his eyes because he knows that Harry has just seen a
painful (my interpretation) memory of Snape from his childood. Despite
what Kneasy thinks, I believe that Snape is the crying child, not the
shouting adult. If Harry had seen the memory of an adult Snape
bullying a woman in front of a crying child, Snape wouldn't care less.
This memory would be in sync with the present day Snape (whether it is
his real character or just one big great act, I leave it for you to
choose). What I mean is that he wouldn't loath Harry for having seen
him bullying this unidentified wowan. I am not sure I am making
sense... Oh well...

Cheers, Nadine