Snape's Bed or the Rift Between Snape and Harry (was:Re: Two scenes...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 144301

> >>quick_silver71:
> > People point to the "big" things that Snape has done for the    
> > side of the "Light," and it's true that Snape has done many     
> > things to help Harry, but the face that Harry sees far more      
> > often is Snape as the nasty, annoying, biased grit.             
> > Relationships between people are built as much on the little     
> > things as the big things and Snape certainly has made it
> > difficult for Harry to "like" him or even "trust" him.

> >>Magpie:
> Yes!  To me this is a big point of Snape's behavior.  Snape has 
> absolutely contributed to many breakdowns throughout the books, 
> sometimes ones that drove him up the wall.  You asked if he was 
> passive-aggressive about it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it 
> wasn't something like that.  I think he does take every snarky 
> remark of Harry's as a sign of his inherent disrespect when 
> obviously Harry is responding to Snape's own behavior.  Harry     
> walked into his classroom ready to respect him and Snape threw     
> that away.  
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
This perfectly encapsulates the story of Snape, IMO.  And, for those 
looking for such things, I think this is his karmic comeuppance, or 
poetic justice.  Going with a DDM!Snape, helping Harry should be 
(and I think actually is) Snape's ultimate goal.  And yet, because 
of his past behavior, helping Harry will be incredibly difficult for 
Snape now.  

In the past, Dumbledore provided a sort of bridge between the two.  
Snape could do his "big" good deeds (saving Harry's life, etc.) 
without ever needing Harry to trust him.  Thoughout the years, 
however, the link Dumbledore provided became less and less helpful, 
culminating, I think, in Sirius's death.  And now, of course, 
Dumbledore is gone.

So now Snape is out there doing his bit to make certain Voldemort is 
destroyed, but because he's managed to become the thing Harry hates 
most in the world (beyond even Voldemort, I think), all of his 
efforts may well come to naught.  Snape will have to work incredibly 
hard to get Harry to trust him.  (I do think some trust will be 
necessary, and I do think the burden of rapprochement rests mainly 
on Snape.)

Snape *has* been the main saboteur in his and Harry's relationship, 
starting with his demand for total submission in Harry's very first 
Potions class.  I think Snape's behavior stems from something deeply 
personal (though I hope it's not merely James), because he doesn't 
have that sort of bitterly antagonistic relationship with any other 
student.  Nor does he seem to envoke that sort of hatred from any 
other student. (That definitely includes Neville, IMO.  Neville was 
terrified of Snape and Snape was frustrated with Neville, but it was 
all within the realm of student/teacher, I think.)

I also think that his inability to heal whatever caused the rift 
between Snape and Harry is probably one of Dumbledore's greater 
regrets.  In fact, I wonder if he didn't feel he'd done something to 
exasperate the problem, either with the Occlumency lessons or even 
earlier.  (Dumbledore was the first to bring up the bad blood 
between Snape and James.  I wonder if he regreted that?)  That Harry 
and Snape are so very much alike is something *I* can see, and I'm 
betting Dumbledore, with his greater knowledge of Snape's past, 
could see it as well.

Anyway, I have a feeling that dealing with the bed he's made is 
Snape's ultimate task.  Earning Harry's trust may be the only way 
for him to achieve true redemption, and probably the only way for 
Harry to defeat Voldemort.  I think if Snape's end is completely 
tragic (death without healing) the books will end tragically too 
(Harry fails).  

Betsy Hp