[HPforGrownups] Re: Imperius Resistance and Occlumency -THE REAL STORY

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 122798

> WHY was he so angry
> that Harry saw this scene of the Marauders bullying him? Yes,
> Snape didn't come off too well, but James and Sirius come off
> much worse. Snape already taunted Harry about James not 
> being the wonderful person Harry imagines. Why not use this
> scene to drive that nail in deeper? You'd think Snape would feel
> immense satisfaction at Harry having to face the "truth" about 
> James, given Snape's feelings. Instead Snape is furious. But
> is he furious that Harry witnessed his humiliation, or furious
> that Harry's action may have put both their lives further at risk?
> 
> 
> Julie 

I think he was angry because it was a visual representation of what
Snape thinks Harry already knows about.  Remember that Harry was in
the kitchen when Sirius called Snape "Snivellus".  As far as Snape
knows, Harry would have asked Sirius about that as soon as possible
and Sirius would have told him all about it.  So as soon as possible,
that would be the one memory Snape would want hidden.

Since Snape thinks Harry has the same reactions to things as James
did, there's no doubt in my mind that he thinks Harry - like James -
would find the whole thing amusing.  Why?  Because I believe that
Snape has no idea what Harry's childhood was like.

Let's posit this from Snape's POV.  James and Lily are killed and
Harry - somehow - repells and defeats the Dark Lord.  All the WW
rejoices; this is a huge deal.  Orphan Harry goes to live with Lily's
sister and her family.  Of course Harry would be treated like a
pampered little prince, a little hero, coddled and spoiled and
cherished.  How could Lily's sister not love Lily's child?

So year 11 comes along and the Little Ponce comes to Hogwarts and
Snape is going to by God make sure that another little James Potter
is not in the making.  The sight of Harry in the sorting lineup must
have been a major jolt for Snape: "Whoa!  Worse than I thought!  Got
to watch this one."

So Harry grows up throgh five books and apparently (largely through
circumstantial evidence that JKR is careful to arrange) fulfills
Snape's worst assumptions about his character.  Then comes the
occlumency lessons and Snape gets to see Harry's memories.  And he
gets a major WTF moment!  No spoiled, indulged prince, just a
neglected boy who seemed to be everyone's target.  

And I would submit that Snape was thrown for a loop by this.  Every
preconceived notion he'd held rigidly to for five years is being
overthrown.  He flips through Harry's memory, like a deck of cards,
trying to find one good memory, just one thing that will validate
Snape's earlier views.

So by the time of the last lesson, Snape is well and truly confused. 
There's still the issue of LV's infusion into Harry's mind and the
views of the DoM/MoM, but otherwise Snape is starting to adjust his
ideas.  Then Draco runs in and Snape has to leave and leaves the
Pensieve out.  For once and for the first time, Snape doesn't assume
the worst about Harry.

And what does Harry do?  Lives down to Snape's worst opinion of him.

So Snape comes back and finds....etc. etc.  Why is Snape livid? 
Because he was starting - just starting - to feel some empathy for
Harry, just as Harry was starting - just starting - to feel some
empathy for Snape based on what he saw in the Pensieve.  And that
empathy is now shattered on the rocks of hurt and betrayal.

Why was that memory Snape's worst?  IMO, because in GOF Snape told
Harry that James thought he was better than "the rest of us", that
Snape was one of a crowd of people that James strutted in front of. 
In fact, Snape was a special case, and was singled out for
humiliation as some kind of special target.  That was the humiliating
factor for Snape: that it was Snape himself, not a whole group of
others, who was the target.

Magda (ready for disagreement and the usual snarky, rude private
emails that come from people who hate it when I say "nice things"
about Snape"


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