Wondering.... about Snape & McGonagall

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 116593


Frugala wrote:
> > I think MM and SS have one of the more interesting relationships in 
> > the school. We aren't given enough (in my oppinion) to go on but, 
> > in a way, they must have as much history as Snape and Dumbledore--
> > MM was the one directly in charge of the Marauders, and judging 
> > from her handling of the trio and the Weasley twins, while she may 
> > not know everything that goes on, she's not oblivious either. And 
> > she's FAIR. 
> > I don't think she approved of their behavior toward Snape, though
I > doubt she reolized how far it went. What I wonder is, does she 
> > reolize *now*? I think Snape's oppinion of her shows in that, as 
> > bitter as he seems about his school days, he doesn't seem bitter 
> > toward her. <snip>
 Frugalarugula: 
> > Neither of these people are warm and cuddly. Attitude-wise, they 
> > actually have a lot in common--both are stern, formal, highly 
> > skilled in their feilds. As far as chatting over chocolate... 
> > maybe. As least as much as is normal with Hogwarts staff. But I'd 
> > be more inclined to imagine a bitch session about Dumbledore. 

> 
> 
SSSusan responded:
> I hadn't thought much about the overlap in Snape's school days with 
> MM's being his teacher and perhaps Gryffindor HoH already(?), but 
> what you've said here seems very important--he's bitter about the 
> Marauders, but he exhibits no apparent bitterness towards the woman 
> who was likely WMPP's HoH.  Maybe she's just ALWAYS been as fair as
I see her to be now?  Perhaps Snape recognizes that about her?

Carol adds:
I think you've hit on the key point here. McGonagall was Severus
Snape's teacher for seven years as well as the HoH of a rival house.
And they've been colleagues now for fourteen years. They must know
each other as well as any two people at Hogwarts. I think that she
knows and respects Snape's abilities just as he knows and respects her
fairness. Their shared belief in firmness and the importance of their
subjects would give them common ground. Certainly they also shared a
contempt for Lockhart and a loathing of Umbridge. They seem to have a
lot in common, despite the considerable difference in their ages,
including a friendly rivalry over Quidditch. Both are close to
Dumbledore and often they work as a team to aid him. The scene where
they appear together, behind Dumbledore, in Moody's foe glass mirrors
or reflects this relationship. Their reactions to seeing Barty Jr.
sprawled on the floor of "Moody's" office in that same scene are
almost identical. McGonagall is assistant headmistress, and Snape
obeys her without question when she acts in that capacity, but *he* is
Dumbledore's righthand man and I think McGonagall respects him in that
capacity and as a colleague. I would even argue that they feel
something like affection for each other, as evidenced by their final
scene together in OoP. It would be interesting to see them together
with no students present--or an overheard conversation where they were
unaware of Harry's presence. I think McGonagall would call Snape
Severus. I'm not so sure that he would take the same liberty.

One side note: When Dumbledore brings Sirius Black (about to shift out
of his dog form) and Severus Snape together in GoF, with the
interesting remark that "it is time for two of our number to recognize
each other for what they are" (Am. ed. 712), McGonagall is not
present. She has been sent to fetch Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Nor does
she hear Dumbledore ask Snape if he's prepared to undertake his
dangerous, previously agreed upon mission and see him accept it and
sweep out of the room. Her errand is related to the (new) Order's
mission--Hagrid and Madame Maxime are about to be sent as envoys to
the giants--but couldn't her errand have waited? Why send her away
before Black (still in dog form when she leaves) and Snape are ordered
to shake hands? Does that mean she doesn't know about the Order that
Dumbledore is in the process of recreating? Neither Bill Weasley (who
witnesses the scene and is sent on a less dangerous mission of his
own) nor Snape (AFAWK) were members of the original Order, either. Why
send McGonagall away so soon?

Carol, who almost lost her post by hitting "back" instead of "send"!