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

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 132570

SSSusan wrote:
"No, (Snape's) worst moment imo was his *goading* of Sirius as 12GP."

Del replies:
Unsurprisingly, I disagree. If anyone was responsible for this
horrible scene, IMO, it was Sirius. Let's review the events, shall we?

Harry was told to go to the kitchen to meet Professor Snape.
Interestingly enough, Molly insisted on the "Professor" when giving
the message to Harry. I take that as a reminder to *us*, the readers,
that Snape was indeed one of Harry's teachers, and that it was in
*that* function that he wanted a word with Harry.

When Harry arrived in the kitchen, he found Snape and Sirius "both
seated at the long kitchen table, glaring in opposite directions. The
silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike. A letter lay open
on the table in front of Sirius."

That's quite a set-up we have here.

First we learn that Sirius had decided to intrude on what was supposed
to be a teacher-pupil discussion. That was his right, granted, but
it's not like Harry asked for it, either.

Second, we learn that they had *both* been keeping silent. *Neither*
was goading the other... yet.

Third, we learn that Sirius *knew* why Snape was there, since he had
read the letter, which was presumably from DD. So Sirius knew that
Snape hadn't asked for the job.

Then Harry announced his presence, and Snape said:

"Sit down, Potter."

OK, so that's not the nicest way to phrase such a request. Sure, a
"Please sit down Mr Potter" would have been nicer. But it's not like
it's insulting either. It's simply Snape's USUAL curt way. There was
NOTHING in those 3 words to warrant Sirius's reaction:

"'You know,' said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs
and speaking to the ceiling, 'I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give
orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see.'"

That's multiple insults! Let me count:

1. "loudly": Snape is not deaf, so there was no need for Sirius to
speak loudly. Who are the people we usually talk to "loudly" even
though they are not deaf? Right, those we take for *idiots*.

2. "leaning back on his rear chair legs": I've always been taught that
such a position is disrespectful to whoever I'm talking to, and that
it is acceptable only between friends. Maybe Sirius was taught
differently, but somehow I doubt it...

3. "speaking to the ceiling": OK, you can't do much more disrespectful
than that. Sirius was not even *looking* at Snape, he was not even
talking TO Snape. It's like Snape was no more than an insect or a
servant, but definitely not an equal.

4. "I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape" : and
why not, please? Snape WAS Harry's teacher, whether Sirius liked it or
not, so he WAS entitled to give Harry orders, when acting as his
teacher. Sirius was simply trying to deprive Snape of his teacher's
authority, *something that he had no right to do, ESPECIALLY since
Snape was here SPECIFICALLY on DD's orders, to talk about something
that would happen at school, and Sirius KNEW that*.

5. "It's my house, you see": oh, how lowly! Yes, it was Sirius's
house, but NEITHER Harry NOR Snape were here because it was Sirius's
house. They were BOTH here because it was the Headquarters of the
Order of the Phoenix. So it was shameful of Sirius to try and pull
that one on Snape.

So that's 5 insults in 3 lines. And Snape got the message all right,
since the next line goes:

"An ugly flush suffused Snape's pallid face."

Sirius MEANT to insult Snape, and he managed it too. So now Snape was
trying to get his revenge, and we get the "you like to get involved"
scene, that ended with:

"'Merely that I am sure you must feel - ah - frustrated by the fact
that you can do nothing *useful*,' Snape laid a delicate stress on the
word, 'for the Order.'

It was Sirius's turn to flush. Snape's lip curled in triumph as he
turned to Harry."

Snape insulted Sirius back. That's one point for Sirius, one point for
Snape. The score was even.

I find it very interesting that Snape then *turned to Harry*. It seems
very obvious to me that he was satisfied with having gotten back at
Sirius, and that he was now concentrating on his business with Harry.
Indeed he then told Harry - politely - that DD wanted him to study
Occlumency. They went over what Occlumency is, and why DD wanted Harry
to study it, and then on to the crucial question of who was going to
teach Harry. When learning that it would be Snape, Harry was
devastated, and...

"He looked quickly round at Sirius for support.

'Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?' asked Sirius aggressively. 'Why you?'"

Hum, seems to me that someone was not being polite here, and it was
not Snape... Unfortunately, Snape being Snape, he couldn't help but
answer just as unpolitely:

"'I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less
enjoyable tasks,' said Snape silkily. 'I assure you I did not beg for
the job.' He got to his feet. 'I will expect you at six o'clock on
Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking
remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you
need them.'

He turned to leave, his black travelling cloak billowing behind him."

So Sirius attacked Snape, and Snape attacked Harry in response. Once
again, the score was even (well, sort of, in Snape's mind anyway). And
Snape once again reminded Sirius that all this business was
*Dumbledore*'s idea, not Snape's.

If Sirius had kept his temper then, when the score was equal, Snape
would have left without doing any further damage. But NO, Sirius just
HAD to have the last word, didn't he? So he called Snape back, to tell
him that "'if I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give
Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to.'" Oh *please*... What
EXACTLY was Sirius trying to achieve here?? If he was trying to
support Harry, he could have waited until Snape was gone. If he was
trying to warn Snape, he could have done it before Harry came in, or
later privately, or in a letter, *as any responsible parent or
guardian would do*. But threatening Harry's teacher right in front of
Harry was downright insulting, and Snape caught on that right away. He
let out his quip about James's and Harry's arrogance (not so unfounded
where James was concerned, apparently), and then SIRIUS got his wand
out FIRST! Sure Snape had gripped his too, but he had left it INSIDE
his robes, so Sirius was the one who physically attacked first. And
then Sirius, him again, used the ultimate insult, "Snivellus" and
everything completely unravelled from there.

So I'm sorry, but I have to say that *Sirius* is the one I blame for
all this unpleasantess. He looked for every opportunity to insult
Snape. Snape never *started* an argument in this scene, he only
*responded* to Sirius's goading.

Now I grant that Snape's goading might be considered more cruel than
Sirius's. But hey, that was Sirius's fault if he couldn't avoid
getting into verbal fights with someone who was so much better than he
was! It's not like Sirius didn't *know* that Snape easily outwitted
him, so if he chose to insult him, he should have been ready to take
whatever Snape would throw at him. Blaming Snape is as unfair as
blaming Harry for Draco's wounds anytime Harry beats Draco after Draco
came looking for him.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that Snape was right, or justified,
or whatever. He shouldn't have played Sirius's game, nor should he
have insulted Sirius, nor should he have taken so much pleasure in
hurting him. But Sirius *did* ask for it... Just like Draco regularly
"asks" to be turned into a giant slug or something...

Just my opinion, obviously.

Del