Snape's Worst (and Best!) OoP Moment?

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 132552

SSSusan wrote:

> On my recently completed re-read  of canon [Show of hands!  How 
> many AREN'T re-reading?? 

zgirnius: 
Yes, must admit to re-reading...

SSsusan:> 
> And just to try to keep things *POSITIVE*, how `bout nominations 
for 
> Snape's BEST moment in OoP, too?  I think I might vote for the 
first 
> Occlumency lesson, where he really did try to rein in his general 
> loathing and answer some of Harry's questions.  He wasn't perfect, 
> but it was pretty "big" for Snape.  
> 
> Of course, I'd entertain other nominations before deciding for 
> sure. ;-)

Zgirnius:
I would actually nominate the Scene in Chapter 32, "Out of the Fire" 
where Snape is brought to Umbridge's office by Malfoy when Umbridge 
discovers Harry and Hermione trying to communicate using her 
fireplace. It combines good actions (Snape does not provide 
Veritaserum for Umbridge to use on Harry, and Snape, we learn later, 
understands Harry has seen Sirius in danger and
causes other Order members to show up at the Dept. of Mysteries in 
time to save Harry and Co.) with another classic sarcastic Snape 
dialogue for Snape fans to savor. (With the utterly despicable 
Umbridge as his target, mostly...an added bonus!)

..."You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, 
surveying her coolly through his greasy curtains of black 
hair. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops 
would be sufficient."
Unbridge flushed.
"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming 
more sweetly girlish as it always is when he was furious...

Classic Snape, baiting her by making sure she realizes it 
was HER mistake that has put her in this position. And he continues:

"Certainly", said Snape, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle 
to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month".

Further annoying her...also displaying his contempt for her 
abysmal ignorance of potionmaking...

This scene also includes the priceless remark about the "Babbling 
Beverage". I personally think Snape understood Harry's message, and 
is successfully hiding this fact from Umbridge. Though I suppose he 
could have been using Legilimency earlier in the scene, he keeps 
looking at Harry, and Harry is desperately trying to communicate the 
vision he has seen of Sirius. However, since I'm not sure we know 
Snape can do Legilimency without the Legilimens Spell, I prefer the 
simpler explanation.

Of course, now that I've taken yet another look at the final scenes 
in the book, it gets me to thinking more about Susan's WORST Snape 
moment, in this new context...


SSSusan:
>No, his worst 
> moment imo was his *goading* of Sirius as 12GP.
><snip lengthy quote from OotP> 
<snip>
> So that's my vote for Snape's worst OoP scene.  Anybody want to 
> nominate another or comment upon this one?

Zgirnius:
I wonder if Snape might not be even MORE responsible...we know from 
DDs explanations to Harry in Chapter 37 that when Harry, Hermione and 
Umbridge do not return from the forest, Snape alerted several order 
members. The relevant text:

>From Chapter 37:
Dumbledore heaved a great sigh and then said, "Alastor Moody, 
Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Remus Lupin were at 
headquarters when he (Snape) made contact. All agreed to go to your 
(Harry's) aid at once. Professor Snape requested that Sirius remain 
behind, as he needed somebody to remain at headquarters to tell me 
what had happened, for I was due there at any moment." 


Well, we do not know exactly how Order members communicate, but I 
suspect it involves verbal communication of some form. (Snape's 
specialty...) Who thinks Snape may have couched his request for 
Sirius to stay behind in terms that evoked their earlier 
confrontation, Susan's "worst Snape moment" above? I for one am not 
betting against this idea...