In Defense of Snape (long)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 122065


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "snow15145" <snow15145 at y...> 
wrote:

Snow:
> The next controversy is how far Snape goes with his appeared hatred 
> for Harry or Neville. This position has always been of debate but 
you 
> really need to remember that Snape is a sufficient Legilemence and 
> can see who his students are and how far he can push them; namely 
> Harry and Neville. Snape has already told us by way of telling 
Sirius 
> in the beginning of the Occlumency Chapter of OOP, that he knows 
who 
> Harry is and how much physiological punishment he can take:



Geoff:
Just in passing, I think you mean psychological damage.... I hope 
Snape isn't planning to start /hitting/ Harry.


Snow: 
> "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his 
> father?" "Yes, I have," said Sirius proudly. "Well then, you'll 
know 
> he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said 
> sleekly. 
> 
> Snape knows how far he can push Harry or even Neville because he 
> knows who they are through his legilemency powers. 
 
Geoff:
I can't agree with you here.

If Snape is an expert Legilimens, then he must know that, at their 
first meeting, Harry is uncertain in his new environment, probably 
scared of this daunting person and certainly not arrogant. If he 
can't pick up on that, then he just isn't as good as we're led to 
believe.

Betsy, in another meassage, has remarked that Harry pushes Snape's 
buttons. But who started pushing buttons? We have had canon quote 
after canon quote in the last day or so showing that Snape took the 
path of piling sarcasm or humiliation on top of what could have been 
a reasonable chastisement of Harry.

If he had taken a gentler approach and managed to control his hatred 
of James - and of someone reminding him of James - the raltionship 
could have been far easier. 

But, that would'nt have been good for the plot line would it? :-)