Snape and Magic Dishwasher. Was: Re: DD and the rat:

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 115858


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> > Neri:
> > First, I'd like to thank Carolyn for enlivening the forum. It's 
> been a
> > long time since we had a response from Pip!squeak :-) . 
> 
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Yes, definitely. It was good to hear from Pip!squeak. 

Thank you both! :-)

Alla:
> I would like to use the occassion and point out one more problem I 
> have with MD. 
> It is based among other premises on Oscarwinning!Snape(love that 
> definition, no matter how strongly I disagree with the substance 
of 
> such premise). I think that even the possibility of Oscarwinnning! 
> Snape was destroyed after his raving and raging at Harry after 
> occlumency failure, which did lead to a disaster.
> 

Uh, now *I'm* confused. Why does Snape being in a genuine fury for 
once destroy the possibility of Oscarwinning!Snape?

One of the things that becomes canon in OOP is that Snape *is* a 
good actor. He's a good actor in front of Umbridge, in Chapter 32, 
for example. Umbridge has no suspicion that Snape's connected with 
Dumbledore-in-hiding, even when Harry's just been nominated for the 
Oscar For Most Obvious Secret Warning [grin], and Snape has just 
successfully stonewalled her over the Veritaserum. He's so 
convincingly unconcerned, that Umbridge actually orders him out of 
the office to send messages to whomever he likes [grin].

Also, I've missed the raving bit when the Occlumency lessons finish. 
OK, he is in a rage [grin]. He's white with rage. His lips are 
shaking. He shouts, telling Harry to get out. He's barely in 
control - shown by the fact that he grabbed Harry so hard he bruised 
Harry's arm.

He's not (interestingly) doing the same kind of screaming as in 
the 'Those Darn Kids' Hospital scene of PoA. There are no screams IN 
CAPITALS in OOP. There's no spit flying from his mouth in OOP. His 
face isn't twisted up. 

And, conversely, in PoA, Ch.22, there's no description of 
being 'white with rage'. 

So, strangely enough, the one time we see Snape in a rage that we 
can be reasonably sure *is* genuine - he doesn't spit or dribble, 
and doesn't shriek. In fact, he 'bellows', which is the general 
description of a deep pitched roar, the exact opposite of the high 
pitched 'shriek'.

It is odd, isn't it?  That a genuinely angry Snape sounds, uh, 
different to the Shrieking Snape of PoA.

Alla:
> That is why I am not quite sure why it had been said so many times 
> that OOP strengthened Magic Dishwasher considerably. I felt the 
> opposite - that one of its basic premises was destroyed.
> 
> Sure, Safe House was strengthened, but Magic Dishwasher? Why?

It may be that you're making a common assumption - that 'Snape is 
acting' means 'Snape likes Harry'. It doesn't. It could well 
mean 'Snape is exaggerating and intensifying a natural inclination 
to dislike James Potter's son'. 

Snape as excellent actor also doesn't necessarily mean Snape's 
capable of controlling every emotion he has, *all* the time. I know 
many professional actors, and believe me - they can't do that. 
However good you are, there's invariably something that can make you 
lose control, jump out of character, stop the play for a moment. 
That Snape chose to remove that particular memory before the lessons 
is quite suggestive. 

Dumbledore's comment about the Occlumency failure? - 'some wounds 
run too deep for the healing.' [OOP Ch. 37]. 

I think one of the themes of the series may be Harry moving in 
understanding from the Book 1 child's black and white view of the 
world (Dumbledore good, Snape bad, Dursley's all bad) to a more 
complex, adult view in Book 7 (Dumbledore *employs* the bullying 
Snape, and knows he's a bully. Dudley is as much a victim as Harry 
is. Petunia simultaneously hates and protects Harry.) 

[One possibility from the end of OOP is that we'll discover that the 
only bribe Petunia received to take Harry into her home was the 
knowledge that *not* taking him in would probably kill him. In such 
a view, Harry might discover that his Aunt doesn't like him,doesn't 
love him, but won't abandon him to his death (Vernon would, quite 
cheerfully). ]

MD and the other 'subversive' theories are an attempt to try and get 
behind the surface. I think they're actually a compliment to JKR - 
because when we do try and go beyond the surface, we find out that 
we can. Her books are more than just a shiny surface.

Pip!Squeak