Snape

[dzeytoun]

No: HPFGUIDX 114942


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "M.Clifford" <Aisbelmon at h...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
.
> 
> When Neville's courage and strength is displayed to Snape it will 
be 
> a victory of virtue previously inconceivable to Snape. If it's then 
> dismissed by Snape that would be an anticlimax so, I expect that, 
it 
> will bring forth an interesting reaction in Snape, something we 
have 
> never seen from him. Perhaps tears of joy or some wry expression of 
> happy relief. Maybe it will simply lead to Snape dropping one of 
his 
> guards and revealing a little more of his true self to us. 
> 
> Whatever the reaction I am positive that Neville as a catalyst is a 
> foregone conclusion. And I am armed to defend it so fire away 
> everyone ;D.

I would agree with this if Snape's projection were a *conscious* 
process -- i.e. if he were thinking,"this boy is too much like me for 
his own good, I have to fix that."  However, projection is an 
*unconscious* process.  Therefore I'm not sure that defying 
projection and expectation, even in a positive way, would necessarily 
provoke such a positive response as "tears of joy" or "wry relief."  
I am more inclined to think it would create confusion - which would 
fall under your definition of something we haven't seen before.  That 
is, I can readily see defiance from Neville at least momentarily 
leaving Snape afloat and not knowing what to do.  That can then lead 
in at least two directions.  It could undermine Snape's assumptions 
and easy confidence that he knows what he's doing, opening the way to 
change.  Or, in that having your assumptions challenged is an acutely 
painful process, it could simply lead to a massive negative reaction 
creating a downward spiral in Snape's behavior.

Either way, it would be interesting and extremely amusing to see.

Dzeytoun