FF: Re: Who does Snape really hate?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 144068

Pippin:
<snipped wonderful FF from Pippin upthread>
> Well, it doesn't prove anything, except that JKR is a better writer
> than I am. And I don't know if it would satisfy anyone but me. But
> that's what I'd like to see, more or less.

Jen:
LOL! Thank you Pippin. I love all these possible scenarios people 
are offering, it makes me think about what I'd like to see. But I 
wanted to address your first thought in the post:

"I think the person Snape hates is....Snape. For being weak, ugly,
and unpopular, for wearing his heart on his sleeve and for being
gullible...and boy is he ever. Gulled by the Marauders, gulled by
Voldemort, and gulled by the ever so lovely and desperate Narcissa."

Jen: I think so, too:

"Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot 
control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow 
themselves to be provoked this easily--weak people in other words--
they stand no chance against his powers!" (chap. 24, Occlumency)

Those words sounded like someone who learned a lesson the hard way. 
I really don't think we've heard the end of the Snape backstory. 
Snape thinks Occlumency is the only way to 'stand a chance against 
his powers' because it has worked so far from him, or at least he 
believes it has. Thus he believes Harry must learn it too, that it 
is the only possible way he can be protected from the Dark Lord. 
Snape either doesn't know or doesn't believe that Harry will be 
adequately protected by love. Or he does know and does believe, and 
deep down is extremely envious that Harry will get off easy while he 
has had to get off hard. That Harry is respected by Dumbledore for 
simply being who he is, while in Snape's mind, he has had to earn 
Dumbledore's respect through his actions. If any of this is true, I 
don't believe Dumbledore actually felt that way, he seems to admire 
all sorts of people, but it would very Snapey to percieve it that 
way. (Personally, I would substitute "love" for "respect" in the 
above sentences, but then I'm a cheesy sentimentalist at heart).

More and more I'm growing to believe Snape's actions, and the ones 
we have left to hear about, have been his own sometimes misguided 
attempts to atone for his sins.

Jen