Pensieve scene and Slytherin nature (was:Re: "I thought he could overcome...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 129176


>>Kathy:
>I find this whole scene in the book interesting.If Snape is a spy, 
why would Dumbledore want to give V a glimpse of  Snape teaching 
Harry Occlumency???<

Betsy:
It's already been established that Snape is a superb practitioner of 
Occlumency.  It's the only reason he's been able to remain a spy.  
If Voldemort learns that Snape is teaching Harry Occlumency, he 
won't be learning it from Snape.  (Unless Snape is ESE, in which 
case, the Order is screwed anyway.)

>>Kathy:
>Dumbledore also does not listen when Snape tells him something 
(don't hire Lupin, you can't trust him).<

Betsy:
But this was a more passive suggestion.  "I don't like Lupin.  I 
think he's untrustworthy.  *You* should not hire him."  Compared 
to, "I dislike Harry.  *I* will not teach him Occlumency."  If Snape 
had refused to teach Harry, I don't think Dumbledore could have done 
much about it.  (Of course I also think Snape is unlikely to refuse 
Dumbledore anything.  He strikes me as *intensely* loyal.)

>>Kathy:
>Snape makes it plain that he can't stand Harry, so perhaps he set 
up the penseive in the hope that Harry would give him a reason to 
throw a conniption.<

Betsy:
I've heard this theory before, and I have a hard time buying it.  
For one, Snape had no way of knowing a missing student was going to 
suddenly turn up in a toilet in the middle of an Occlumency lesson.  
For another, he seemed genuinely furious.  I don't think Snape is 
that good of an actor.  He can play-up an emotion at times, but I 
think when he flies into a passion, he's *really* flying into a 
passion.  Plus, he seemed to honestly expect Harry to run off and 
tell his friends.  I can't think of any teacher who'd willing expose 
themselves to such ridicule, especially in front of a student who's 
already a problem for them.

>>Kathy:
<snip>
>There doesn't seem to be rational explanation for him losing his 
cool in front of the Minister in POA.  Maybe that was just temper.  
It doesn't seem very Slytherin of him though, does it.<

Betsy:
And this got me thinking: do *any* of the Slytherins act very 
Slytherin?  First there's Snape: passionate, fiery, heart on his 
sleeve, Snape.  Then there's Draco: constant sufferer of foot-in-
mouth disease, never has a plan come together, *always* the loser, 
Draco.  Crabbe and Goyle, who... yeah, no need to say much there.  
The Slytherin Quidditch team with the not-very-cunning strategy of 
might makes winners.  And even Lucius, slippery, smooth Lucius 
nearly attacks Harry *while still in Hogwarts Castle (!!)* over a 
lost house-elf.

Seriously, is there no one who displays an ounce of "pride means 
nothing" cunning?  A smidgeon of "I will stab whoever it takes in 
the back to get ahead" ambition?  Well, there's Peter Pettigrew 
(Gryffindor), and Percy Weasley (Gryffindor), and Barty Crouch Jr. 
(unknown - maybe Ravenclaw?), but the field of ruthlessly cunning 
and ambitious Slytherins seems curiously... empty. Voldemort stands 
alone? 

Betsy