Snape softening Harry up for V (Was: (Lily and Snape))

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 112498

> Alex:
> > Dumbledore says at the end of OoP that he thought Snape would have
> > been able to put aside his feelings about Harry enough to teach 
him
> > Occlumency--this is a reasonable assumption on Dumbledore's part
> > because Snape *has* put his feelings aside in order to save Harry 
> from
> > mortal peril in the past.  Why he doesn't this time is up for 
grabs
> > (I'd say, either A) Dumbledore didn't give him all the 
information,
> > either, just said "I want you to do this."  or B) He just can't 
> handle
> > the intimacy of looking into Harry's mind and having Harry look 
> into his.)

Toto:
>   Or it could be a bit more complex, and that the few times he 
> *helped* Harry he did it because he wanted to prove to James that 
he 
> repayed him, and that he wasn't weak. After all, even if Snape 
> sometimes *help* Harry, he does it in such a way that humiliates 
> Harry. Plus, we know from canon that Snape is unable to think, even 
> in extreme sitiuations, when harry or one of the marauders (Lupin, 
> Sirius..) are concerned, as is shown by the numerous times Snape 
> refused to heed Harry's warning (maybe they could have caught 
Crouch 
> in gof, or Quirrel in ps, or......).

Ally:

Arrgh, just accidentally deleted this before posting, I hate that!!   
Anyway, Toto, you'll have to explain to me how Snape failed to heed 
warnings from Harry in PS or GOF - I'm not sure Harry was handing out 
hints as to the real villian in either of those.

As for what DD said, I used to find that passage very confusing, but 
its occurred to me that when DD says that Snape couldn't get past his 
feelings with James, he isn't referring to Snape stopping occlumency, 
he's referring to Snape softening Harry up for Voldie:
*
*
*
`Snape stopped giving me Occlumency lessons!' Harry snarled. `He 
threw me out of his office!'

`I am aware of it,' said Dumbledore heavily `I have already said that 
it was a mistake for me not to teach you myself, though I was sure, 
at the time, that nothing could have been more dangerous than to open 
your mind even further to Voldemort while in my presence -

`Snape made it worse, my scar always hurt worse after lessons with 
him = Harry remembered Ron's thoughts on the subject and plunged on `-
 how do you know he wasn't trying to soften me up for Voldemort, make 
it easier for him to get inside my =

`I trust Severus Snape,' said Dumbledore simply `But I forgot - 
another old man's mistake - that some wounds run too deep for the 
healing. I thought Professor Snape could overcome his feelings about 
your father - I was wrong.'
*
*
*
DD's response in this passage about Snape being unable to overcome 
his feelings about James is in direct response to Harry's accusation 
that Snape was softening him up for Voldemort.  Well, what if Snape 
DID do that but did so INADVERTENTLY just by being his usual 
malicious self?

Snape himself says that Voldemort can easily enter the minds of fools 
who wear their hearts on their sleeves, and Harry isn't exactly 
emotionally serene when he walks out of those occlumency lessons.  
Because Snape can't ratchet down his hatred of James, he approaches 
Harry with a particular bitterness and anger that surpasses his 
normal nastiness.  Because Harry is who he is - a strong-willed 
person who responds emotionally to many situations - he reacts 
negatively and emotionally.  Its those negative emotions, stirred up 
stirred up in occlumency lessons, that may have made it easier for  
Voldemort to enter Harry's mind than if Harry hadn't had any lessons 
at all.

Sorry if this idea has been posted (and perhaps debunked?) before, 
but I haven't seen the idea that the occlumency lessons ACCIDENTALLY 
made Harry worse off before.  It's usually either that Harry was 
worse off because the lessons stopped or that Snape was intentionally 
softening him up.

Ally