Is Snape a "rules man"?

[cat_kind]

No: HPFGUIDX 126488


SSSusan:
> Was it breaking a *rule* to tell that Lupin was a werewolf?  I'm not 
> sure.  Perhaps.  I don't think we know that DD forbade it, though 
> it's likely that he did.  
> 
> Even so, I'm just not convinced these examples negate my inclination 
> to describe Snape as a rules man.  
> 
> I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this, either pro or con.

catkind: I don't think it's rules that interest Snape so much as
power, or *authority*.  He respects Dumbledore's authority, and does
more or less what Dumbledore says.  He bullies the Gryffindors because
they are not inclined to respect his, Snape's, authority. 

As a teacher Snape probably isn't subject to many actual rules at
Hogwarts - it doesn't strike me as the sort of school that would have
an extensive Teachers' Handbook.  

I also think Dumbledore ordered him not to tell about Lupin, or he
would have done so much sooner.  But at that point, Snape's respect
for Dumbledore is down.  He's already strongly questioned him after
the shrieking-shack incident but given in to the Headmaster's
authority, and as a result Sirius has escaped.  

I could imagine that in Snape's eyes, Dumbledore has a ridiculous
blind-spot when it comes to the Potters and their little cliques.  He,
Snape, is just going to have to make up for the Headmaster's indulgence.  

Does Snape ever disobey DD when neither the Marauders nor Harry and co
are involved?  Can't think of any examples, then we probably wouldn't
hear about it anyway.

Does he break actual laws? Almost certainly in his DE days, and if he
is acting as spy among the DEs he must be breaking laws again. 
Turning DE in the first place doesn't sound like the action of someone
with respect for laws. 

And then there's Snape's enforcing of rules, which is at best erratic.
He has it in for Gryffindor house, he lets Slytherins get away with a
lot more.  Compare this to McGonagall - she tries to be fair and
penalise everyone she catches breaking rules.  (Well, assuming they
don't reveal surprising Quidditch talents in the process.) This
suggests to me that McG is more interested in the rules themselves
than Snape - Snape is more interested in the power they give him.  

In particular, he comes down like a tonne of bricks on Hermione when
she tries to help Neville in potions - she is trying to usurp his
authority as teacher, and Neville is letting her. This isn't about
rulebreaking (surely Malfoy must be helping Crabbe and Goyle just as
much).

After the Pensieve incident, Snape is mortified - Harry has seen him
being humiliated, Harry will probably never respect him again. Perhaps
he even sees this as giving Harry a certain measure of power over him
- a measly ten points, for fighting his pet Slytherin and open cheek?
("trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir")

Just a theory.

catkind