They're teenagers

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 125640


> Julie wrote:
> > > (BTW, I don't subscribe to the theory that Snape is mean to
> Hermoine because she's Muggleborn, not when it's so easy for him to
> resent her because she's a know-it-all, a Gryffindor, and a close
> friend of that cursed Harry Potter!)
> 
> Valky responded:
> > What then of the very first Potions class? when he simply 
refused to even let her speak. It couldn't be because she was a know 
it all, or because she was HP's friend because in Snapes view she 
was neither at the time. Simply because she was Gryffindor doesn't 
quite seem enough to me?
> 
> Carol responded:
> I think it's simply because Hermione was interfering with what he 
was trying to do. He was interested in what "our new celebrity" did 
and didn't know, not in receiving the correct answers from another 
student. It couldn't have been because she was a Muggleborn (how 
could he have known that?). And she *was* already presenting herself 
as a know-it-all (though not, of, course as a friend of Harry's).

Hannah now butts in:  I agree with Carol here.  Hermione's 
desperation to answer the questions alone was probably enough to 
irritate Snape.  And of course, he didn't *want* the corrrect 
answers here (and no doubt assumed that no one would know them and 
try to give them).  He wanted to show Harry up.  Letting Hermione 
answer was the last thing he wanted to do.

Out of interest, of the five Gryffindor boys in Snape's class (we 
don't know the blood status of the girls), from what we see, Snape 
victimises Harry and Neville the most, and Ron quite a bit.  Yet 
Neville and Ron are both pureblood, while Harry is a half-blood.  It 
seems that, of the five, the least-picked-on Gryff boys are Dean (a 
supposed muggle-born), and Seamus (a half-blood with a full Muggle 
parent).  

I can never make up my mind as to what Snape's exact attitude is now 
to Muggles and Muggle-borns.  But generally, I think he can find 
plenty of reasons to dislike just about everyone without needing to 
resort to baseless blood prejudice.  I don't see him as having any 
great love of Muggles, and obviously he has to keep up appearances 
to his DE cronies of not liking them, but there's not a great deal 
to say he is especially prejudiced either.  And who does he appear 
to hate most in the world?  A pair of purebloods, Sirius and James.  

Hannah, still determined to see Snape in the best possible light, 
even if it means squinting!