Why has DD never suggested Harry thank Snape?

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 116846


I have been wondering about this for a while.  Snape has saved 
Harry's life, or tried to protect it, on at least three occassions we 
know of (SS/PS, PoA, OOTP).  Yet Dumbledore has never once suggested 
to Harry that he should thank Snape for doing so.  In fact, his 
explanation in  SS/PS, that Snape was discharging a duty to Harry's 
father, pretty much guarantees that Harry won't see Snape is 
needing/deserving thanks.

Now, this might lead into all sorts of alleys about DD's strange 
habits and attitudes, but I'm most concerned here with the subtle 
message he is sending Harry.  He has never really taken Harry to task 
for not respecting Snape, other than gently reminding him from time 
to time to use Snape's title.  Otherwise, he has mainly given Harry 
very flat accounts of Snape's actions and/or responsibilities.  Is he 
not, then, essentially reinforcing Harry's belief that Snape is a 
selfish, hateful person who only does what is required/expected of 
him with regard to Harry?  Certainly that is the message I would take 
away from Dumbledore in this situation.  That Snape has acted to help 
me, but that he does it with ill-grace because he is somehow 
compelled/obligated and that I shouldn't feel particularly thankful 
or grateful toward him.

We have argued back and forth about how Harry should regard Snape and 
why he should or should not have such a negative attitude toward the 
Potions Master.  I would argue that his negative opinion has been 
tacitly confirmed by the person who, up until OOTP, he most trusts 
and respects at Hogwarts, namely Dumbledore.  

Now, why would Dumbledore do this?  I can think of two main reasons 
off the top of my head, and they aren't mutually exclusive.  Note 
that I am discounting the possibility of an evil or overtly 
manipulative Dumbledore:

1)  Dumbledore tolerates Snape in part because he thinks that 
students should learn to deal with difficult people.  However, the 
flip side of that is that he feels no obligation to shield Snape from 
the inevitable backlash and difficulties his attitudes engender.  It 
is a fact of life that difficult, crabby, unfair people exist and the 
kids have to learn to deal with that.  However, it is just as much a 
fact of life that difficult, crabby, unfair people inspire intense 
dislike and lack of respect, and Snape must find his own way to deal 
with THAT.  Just as student complaints about Snape's behavior 
engender sympathy but no action from Dumbledore in most cases, 
Snape's complaints about the lack of respect and cooperation he 
recieves from some students are likely met with a kindly smile but no 
help (and I am sure he hears such complaints from Snape on a regular 
and tiresome basis).  If part of this leads to students 
misunderstanding Snape and judging him too harshly, the sad fact is 
that Snape has brought it on his own head and Dumbledore hopes that 
someday his Potions Master will finally learn the lesson of how he is 
creating his own problems.  To put it another way, Dumbledore never 
stops being the teacher.  He is trying to teach Snape a lesson as 
much as he is trying to teach the students.

2)  The message he is sending Harry is simply fact.  Snape really is 
a selfish/hateful individual who opposes Voldemort for his own 
reasons and helps Harry only because he is obligated to do so.  
Dumbledore wishes it were not so, but he must face reality and 
understands that, although he trusts his Potions Master, Severus' 
actions are motivated largely be self-interest and percieved 
obligation, not higher morality.  Therefore he sees little reason to 
whitewash the situation by suggesting that Harry pretend to a 
gratitude Harry does not feel and that Severus would not appreciate 
and perhaps does not deserve (the last depends of course on one's own 
personal beliefs about what is deserving of gratitude).

Any other thoughts on this situation?

Lupinlore