Apologizing to Snape? (was: Harry's story, not Snape's)

[Merry Kinsella]

No: HPFGUIDX 139071

lady.indigo at gmail.com wrote:
I'm not asking for a complete disintegration of self here, and definitely not for Harry to forget the ills that were done to him. I'm saying that if Harry found the maturity to pity him then he could have *possibly* seen the 
sense in making an overture of respect towards the fact that, at least concerning Harry's father, *Snape was right*. <<<



I think the possibility existed for Harry to take a shot at this but Sirius got in the way - plotwise, not as a character.  When I pull back and look at the story, Sirius helps propel Harry's continued crossed-purposes with Snape at every important plot juncture, most of all, at his death.  Harry/Snape at cross-purposes is huge to the series (as *I*, a "good" Snape reader, looks at things) and Sirius has a key plot function there, as well as being a pretty good character in his own right.

Harry feels a lot combination of guilt/loyalty/neediness where Sirius is concerned all through OoTP.  Moving toward Snape will feel, to him, like disloyalty to Sirius, who holds the same opinion of Snape Harry does and at least pretends to have the same suspicions.

Did Harry ever wonder about Sirius's behavior in the penseive?  He's focused on his father, but Sirius is quite as scathing to Snape, he's the one who alerts James to Snape's presence, like a hunt dog sighting prey, I think it went, and he's an arrogant ass.

Something OT I found sad in the pensieve scene is what appears to be Snape's passion as a student.  I think we can assume he was a brilliant student in the Hermoine mold, though not as nice. :)  But there's Sirius and James ignoring their recent exams, there's Sirius refusing to "test" Lupin while he studies for his transfiguration OWL, because he knows every bit of that "Rubbish".  And you know he does.  All the time in the world to pull wings off flies or pants off Snapes, and still get top grades.  Meanwhile Snape barely knows where he's headed, he's so absorbed in his schoolwork.  I don't think he's a "grind" - I just think that's who he is.  He loves that stuff.  But isn't rewarded for it any more than somebody like James and Sirius who don't give a damn, because they do as well without caring.

 
Merrylana.