[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape and Harry again.

[Kethryn]

No: HPFGUIDX 113909

>>Romulus Lupin:
>>I completely disagree. Harry doesn't owe Snape. If anything Snape 
>>could have saved him and didn't. He could have let Harry know he'd 
>>gotten his message. A simple "I've told you repeatedly I don't need 
>>you to talk like your stupid Zonko's parchment" would have been 
>>enough. Did he really think Harry wouldn't take matter into his own 
>>hands if he thought the adults weren't doing anything to solve the 
>>problem? After 5 years of Harry's acting first and thinking later? 
>>As usual, Snape wanted to put Harry in his place and was too eager 
>>to hinder Potter to think it through to its most dire consequences. 

>>Snape wants Harry to be grateful to him (remember his "you should be 
>>thanking me on bended knees") and refuses to acknowledge Harry's 
>>hero complex. And Sirius died because of this. No wander Harry lays 
>>Sirius' death at his doorstep. 

>>Romulus Lupin, who really doesn't like Snape and thinks he's evil

With all due respect, I think it's my turn to disagree with you on this (and I'm
a new person so be gentle <grins>).  I don't think that when Harry told him that Padfoot
was in trouble, Snape had any options or any time to think of other options.  I mean, if 
Umbridge (who, IMO, is the only truly sadistic person who is not also a DE) was in the room
with me and threatening my job in her high handed and over the top manner, while I would be 
thinking hard about thwarting her desires, I would not be prepared to learn that the rest of the
world was crashing down my ears.  Or, in other words, Snape had no choice because he had
no time to prepare a ready comeback.  Although why on earth the OotP did not have a set of
prearranged signals worked out is totally beyond me...the key to winning any war or 
confrontation is communication after all...and even DD admits, in the end, that by keeping 
Harry in the dark, he essentially caused Sirius' death.

Even though Snape loathes Sirius (although that may be too strong a word), I don't think that he
would want to see him dead.  Snape is smart enough to guess what that would do to Harry and
Snape bloody well knows how important Harry is to the Order and to the rest of the wizarding 
world.  He is a teacher after all.  No one can be a teacher and do the job for as long as he has
without truly loving his work and that includes at least being able to tolerate your students, not
hate them.

Now, on a slightly different angle, I think the reason Snape is so hard on Harry is two seperate
issues.  1.  He really wants Harry to be James so that he could exact some sort of revenge 
against his boyhood nemisis.  However, he can't do that, it would be totally wrong and he knows
it.  So, instead, while wrestling with his own feelings, he rides Harry harder than anyone else.  But
I also think that part of that (riding Harry hard) is actually good for Harry which brings me to point
2.  I think that slapping people's ego's down when they deserve it is a good thing.  Think about it,
why did DD insist that Harry be brought up away from all of the WW...to keep his ego at a
managable level.  Snape is there to keep Harry from getting a huge head and to keep him from 
getting killed because of egotism.  And, let's face it, Harry was getting rather swelled in the head
at the beginning of OotP, all those thoughts about how he triumphed over Voldemort all those times 
with no help at all.

I don't think Snape wants Harry to owe him anything.  I think Snape wants him to graduate and get the 
heck out of Snape's life as quickly as possible (all the better if Harry fails his potions OWL so that
Snape won't have to teach him anymore).  And we don't know how Snape feels about Sirius being 
dead yet, I am assuming JKR will bring that out in the Half Blood Prince.

Just my two cents,
Kethryn, who sees the good in all people and thinks that Snape has the hardest road to hoe out of all
the characters.




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