[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape in the Shrieking Shack (was re:time-turning)

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 112825

>> Magda:
>> It ignores Snape's iron morality with his exquisitely honed
>> sense of fairness.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Not that I really disagree that Snape did not know  about Sirius' 
> innocence in the Shack (I would not give it 100%, but 90% probably 
> yes), but I am interested what do we know about Snape's iron 
> morality with  "sense of FAIRNESS".
> 
> So far I can give you many examples of Snape being UNFAIR to 
> children and adults around him and cannot think of one example of 
> him being fair.


This is going to be fast because I'm at the office and people here
have this unreasonable idea that I'm supposed to work while I'm here.

There are many examples of Snape being unfair to the Trio and
Neville: let's look at PS/SS because that's where we first encounter
Snape and the kids.  He takes points off for no reasonable reason and
he rides Harry quite hard.  And in the immediate present, it's
unfair.

But when we get to the end of POA, Snape is talking to Fudge and
tells him that he always tries to treat Harry like a regular student
because what Fudge called everyone having a "soft spot" for Harry
wasn't good for him.  

So while the kids perceive unfairness at the immediate day-to-day
level, Snape feels that he's being fair at a more removed
over-the-course-of-year level because he's got to compensate for all
the breaks the other teachers and Dumbledore give Harry that makes
him think he's special and different from the other kids.  (And we
can take it for granted that Snape derives a great deal of personal
pleasure out of this self-imposed task.)

I don't think there's any reason to believe that Snape is lying when
he's talking to Fudge.  Re-reading the earlier books with his
explanation in mind, Snape's actions do make sense, even if he's
wrong about Harry's character and his pre-Hogwarts childhood.  Snape
views himself as a man who's taking on an important job because no
one else is doing it - and the fact that he enjoys it is just extra
froth on the potion.

Magda




		
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