Please explain.

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 144222

> Irene Mikhlin:
> > you haven't shown an example of the abuse.

> Eggplant:
> I realize it has become quite fashionable in certain circles to make
> excuses for all of Snape's villainous behavior, up to and including
> murder; but do I really need to give examples of him being grossly
> unfair to Harry? 

Christina:

Of course not, but "grossly unfair" is not *abuse*.  Nobody is saying
that Snape is a nice guy, but there is an entire world of difference
between being mean and being abusive.


> > So Hermione ended in the hospital wing
> to treat Snape-induced nervous breakdown then? 

> Eggplant: 
> When a child has suffered a serious accident a good person would try
> to say things to calm her down, Snape said things to increase her
> panic and despair. 

Christina:

Again, you are stating that Snape isn't a good person.  That doesn't
say anything about whether he is abusive or not.


> >> And although child abuse does not really describe
> >> it, the fact that he also murdered the kindest,
> >> most powerful, most benevolent,and brightest
> >> wizard in a thousand years does not add
> >> significantly to Snape's character reference. 

> >Objection, your honour. Circular argument, and
> >irrelevant.

> Eggplant:
> Irrelevant? Besides that Mrs. Lincoln how did you like the play?

Christina:

Of course it's irrelevant.  Certainly one can be a murderer while
being the nicest, chumiest guy in the world; just as one can be
innocent of murder while being a mean person.  The fact that Snape
killed Dumbledore has nothing to do with whether or not his behavior
toward Harry and Neville is to be considered abusive.

The closest thing Snape does in the books to "abusing" Harry is in
OotP when he, literally, throws Harry out of his office.  And to be
quite honest (and I'm not sure what this says about me here, but oh
well), I'm not too sure I wouldn't have done the exact same thing. 
Even that couldn't really be considered abuse because it's not a
repeated action; I'd call it something more like battery or assault.

The central point is this: Snape is harsh, mean, sarcastic, and
snarky.  That does not mean that he is abusive.  If even if you DO
consider his behavior abuse, do you really put that on a higher plane
of importance than, say, betraying your friends to the Dark Lord?  Or
blowing up a bridge of Muggles?  Or torturing two people to insanity?
 THESE are the crimes that need to be punished in Book 7.  If Snape
did kill Dumbledore (whether or not malice was involved matters to
different people in different degrees), then THAT is the crime he will
be punished for in the seventh book, not his teaching style.  It's
like wanting to punish Ron for his attitudes against House Elves and
his inital reaction to Lupin being a werewolf- Ron's wrong, but it is
absolutely small potatoes when it comes to the Muggle-killing LV and
his Death Eaters.


Christina