What is Snape knows (was: Further thoughts on who knows what ...)

[mooseming]

No: HPFGUIDX 125115


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "cubfanbudwoman" 

<snip>
> 

> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan, 
> enjoying knowing someone else thinks Snape may know, but kinda 
hoping 
> someone else will provide a really convincing argument that Snape 
> doesn't know.  You know?  :-)



Ha! As my Granny used to say you want your cake and eat it too! Well 
the answer may be in motivation. If Snape has no time for `foolish 
wand waving' then I should think Diviniation, and Trelawney in 
particular, have no currency with him. Not even on his radar.

Snape may know about the prophecy but that doesn't mean he BELIEVES 
or TRUSTS it, he may even resent it. 

If that is sufficient motivation for you I'd quit reading here, if 
not, then you may be interested in the following.

I believe the key to Snape's behaviour is his arrogance. 

Confidence requires appropriate appreciation of true worth, pleasure 
in achievement, understanding and support of failure, acceptance of 
the whole and its unique place in the universe.

Contrastingly arrogance  is an exaggerated sense of one own 
importance. Exaggerated because the world does not reflect this 
view.  The arrogant have not made their peace with the world.

Arrogance, as I understand it, is born from lack of confidence, it 
is the refuge of the unloved and unappreciated, it is the rebellious 
victim who cries `I'll show you what I'm worth, I'm better than you' 
whilst at the same time fearing `I'm worthless because X (someone 
significant) says so'. It  is also the refuge of the over indulged 
(i.e. Dudders) where the significant X rewards indiscriminately, 
conflict is born when the individual meets the outside world and 
their behaviour is not received well and often rejected. The most 
arrogant are born from a combination of the two approaches, truly 
destructive parenting! 

If the snippet we saw of Snape's memory of the small boy cowering 
before an overbearing, bullying male and a submissive, bullied 
female is a view of his parents then Snape is a prime contender for 
arrogance.

The arrogant will always be angry with others for not seeing them as 
they see themselves whilst simultaneously fearing that others 
perceptions are right.  This conflict may drive them to prove their 
own view and over achieve, which in turn inflates their self 
importance which is not sufficiently acknowledged, which drives them 
etc etc. Alternatively they may refuse to join the battle and 
withdraw to a position of `I would win but playing the game is 
beneath me', they are apt to change allegiance if they feel they are 
under appreciated. Never resolving their true value in the greater 
world, the arrogant remain isolated, they have difficulty in 
accommodating the perspective of others and tend to be egocentric.

The arrogant are drawn to situations and people that most represent 
the internal conflict, unable to resolve it internally they seek 
external solutions, they will place greater emphasis on the 
behaviours and opinions of those they both despise and fear. In 
according them this extra (usually) negative attention they 
perversely bestow the other with greater importance in the very act 
of trying to diminish them.

So where does this leave Snape?

We  are led to believe that Snape has switched sides which suggests 
a grievance with Voldy. This grievance, in accordance with his 
egocentricity, is most likely to be personal.  It doesn't matter if 
you favour lollipops or not, there are other possible contenders: 
his mother, his father, his own pride which will not withstand 
mockery or perceived betrayal, simply promoting Bella over his head 
would do it for Snape.

Snape will be out for revenge, he HAS to prove he is better than 
Voldy, better than Voldy`s opinion of him.

The prophecy however undermines his plans, how can he prove his 
worth if someone else is destined to defeat Voldy. Snape won't take 
kindly to people muscling in on his turf. Then again who believes in 
prophecies anyway? Snape doesn't want to believe the prophecy. Snape 
needs to believe he is master of his own destiny, if he is not then 
how can he ever know/prove his true value? If the world is beyond 
his control he will never be able to tell if success or failure are 
his alone, he needs to know so that he can, once and for all, defeat 
those nasty nagging doubts that tell him he's nothing, worthless, 
wrong.

Despite Snape's feelings about the prophecy it has conferred upon 
Neville and Harry an importance that Snape envies. This alone would 
focus Snape`s attention on them. That the source is dubious simply 
rubs salt into the wounds.

Snape, with all his insecurities, would be both threatened by Harry 
and Neville because they are perceived as more important than him 
(could even BE more important than him) and dismissive of them 
because they are clearly beneath him. 

Incredibly he may hate Neville more than Harry because he's NOT 
prophecy boy. He blames Neville for not being competent enough to 
usurp Harry. Bad enough that there is a boy being lauded as superior 
to him but that the boy should be Potter is infuriating, in some way 
this is Neville's fault for not being good enough.

Finally (thank god you cry!) what would be Snape's worst nightmare?

He falls out with Voldy, switches sides, reports Voldy's knowledge 
of prophecy and attack on Potters/Longbottoms, sees chance to ambush 
Voldy is thwarted and ends up saving Neville and Harry in the 
process
..

Kismet, you've gotta laugh.

Regards
Jo