Snape the Legilimens (Was: In Defense of Snape)

[severelysigune]

No: HPFGUIDX 122162


Snow wrote: 
> > Snape knows how far he can push Harry or even Neville because he 
knows who they are through his legilemency powers. < <
 
Geoff replied:
> 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. <

Sigune:
Sorry if this has been done to death, or if I'm asking stupid 
questions, but how 'good' are we led to believe Snape is at 
Legilimency? We only have it stated by several parties that he is an 
expert *Occlumens*, and even that statement's validity has recently 
been doubted on this list (not that I'm one of the doubters, mind).
As far as I know, Dumbledore's revelation of the existence of the art 
of Legilimency in OotP has led many listees to believe that every 
time previously in canon that Snape gives Harry his trademark 
penetrating stare, he was using Legilimency; and Harry does mention 
that he thought Snape could read his mind. But please note that on 
most occasions Legilimency seems hardly necessary to figure out what 
Harry might be up to.

Facts:
- Snape has never been called a Legilimens in canon; the only people 
explicitly referred to as possessing this power are Dumbledore and 
Voldemort. 
- When Snape 'officially' subjects Harry to Legilimency, he uses his 
wand and a spell.

So:
Either Snape cannot perform Legilimency without wand and spell;
or he *is* capable of it, but uses the more brutal wand-and-spell 
technique in the Occlumency class to make it easier for Harry to 
fight it - the 'subtler' form being hardly noticeable to the person 
subjected to it (cf. Harry's vague feelings that Snape might just be 
reading his mind as opposed to the torrent of memories the spell 
releases).

What keeps bothering me is the question of whether one can *learn* to 
be a Legilimens, just like one can apparently learn to be an 
Occlumens. If so, is it very advanced magic? If not, just how many 
characters can we expect to be adept at it?

And in connection with the Snape-as-Animagus thread: is 
Animagic 'just' a form of advanced Transfiguration, or is it a gift 
you are born with, like Tonks' Metamorphmagic (an assumption which 
seems to be partly born out by the fact that you can't choose the 
animal you transform into)? But if the latter is the case, isn't it 
an immense coincidence that Remus Lupin's three friends all happen to 
possess that ability?

I'd much appreciate everybody's thoughts on the matter.

Yours severely,

Sigune