Why Snape hates Neville

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 127649


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kelsy" <hpfans at m...> wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "mfterman" <mfterman at y...>
> 
> > What makes Snape's treatment of Neville so interesting is that 
> > Snape almost certainly has to know about what happened to 
> > Neville's parents. That they were tortured into madness by Death 
> > Eaters. Given that Snape is a reformed Death Eater 
(theoretically), 
> > there's the question of why Snape would be cruel to someone who 
> > has suffered so much at the hands of Death Eaters. If Snape was 
> > the person to switch sides, he's not totally without a conscience.
> 
> 
> My take on the Snape hates Neville is that maybe to Snape Neville 
> is a constant reminder of Snape's "dark side" or shortcomings. It 
> may be that Snape regrets things that he had done while a Death 
> Eater and that Neville is a living reminder of all that he and his 
> old "friends" did to others. He may be so cruel not intentionally 
> to Neville, but out of the anger he has inside for all that he did. 
> Could it be that Snape's conscience bothers him and that 
the "hatred" we see is really guilt?
> 

Why is he cruel to Hermione? Why is he cruel to Harry? Why is he 
generally nastier to Gryffindors? 

Are there mitigating circumstances, special motives that explain 
(away) his nastiness to each of these? Because, obviously, Hermione 
and Harry can't remind Snape of his shortcomings (Hermione, in 
particualr, being a top student). 
People explain Snape's treatment of Harry variously (and in various 
combinations): because of the James assication, to prevent Harry from 
feeling too important, as a cover ... I can't remember them all.
Hermione: Not a lot of explanations here. Mostly, that he feels 
threatened by her intellectual brilliance. 
Gryffindors in general: mostly, to maintain his cover. 

Apparently, being nasty is Snape's preferred mode of response to  
many situations and people. Doesn't that say something about him? And 
doesn't it kind of bring us back to the simplest, most obvious 
answer - that he is horrible to people because he is a "horrible 
person" (in quotes because that's how JKR describes him)? 


Naama