Wondering.... about Snape & McGonagall

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 116205


---> 
> Alla:
> 
> For all my bashing of Snape, I am fairly convinced that McGonagall 
> respects him. I think they have healthy house rivalry relationship 
> going on (if only their students could do the same)
> 
> We have the end of OOP, where Snape seems to be almost pleased to 
see 
> McGonagall back. We hear McGonagall saying that she could not look 
> Snape in the eye for a week after Quidditch loss.
> 
> I would not go as far as talk about affection.
> 
> The most interesting question for me is whether McGonagall trusts 
> Snape to be fair. We NEVER hear her say that. What does it mean, I 
> don't know.

Potioncat:
I agree, there seems to be a mutual respect there, although that may 
just be that we like(?) both characters and project it.  Has any 
Anti-Snape readers posted an opinion?  

But it's complicated by Snape's behavior in class.  Does McGonagall 
know about and accept it for some reason?  Is she of the opinion 
that children/teens have to adapt to the adult and not the other way 
around?

McGonagall knew Snape when he was a boy and has known him as an 
associate for 14 years.  So she has a different picture of him than 
we do.  Or than Harry or than the Marauders (as teens or adults).  
For all we know, Snape has mellowed tremendously over the 14 years. 
Or maybe as bad as he is, he's never as bad with anyone else as he 
is with Harry. Or perhaps, given his background (whatever that is) 
he isn't as bad as he might have been...I'm trying to think like 
McGonagall here.

There are two times that I can think of that McGonagall's treatment 
of Gryffindor-Slytherin misbehavior almost seems to indicate she 
knows something of the Marauder-Severus history.  One is the SS/PS 
out in the middle of the night dragon episode.  The other is when 
the several Gryffindors attack Draco after Quidditch in OoP.

Of course, just by their nature, I would expect there to be more 
Gryffindor-Slytherin problems than between other Houses.

And while Snape seems to knowingly punish Gryffindors for Slytherin 
misbehavior, I wonder if he believes it was the Gryffindors who 
started it...based on his experiences as a student.


I'm not trying to defend Snape here, just looking at options. 
Because it seems if Snape is merely as bad as "we" see, there would 
be no reason for Dumbledore or McGonagall to tolerate him. So there 
must be something more.  Particularly since both of them have a 
respect for him.

Potioncat