Admonishing Snape

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 129458

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lupinlore" <bob.oliver at c...>
wrote:
> Over on Sugar Quill there has been a mini-discussion on the
following topic:  Have any of the adults ever admonished Snape 
for his attitude toward Harry?  What do you all think?
> 
> My own inclination is to say we just don't know.  But there are
> several possibilities.
> <snip analysis>

Pippin:
Another possibility is that Dumbledore believes in tolerance. We know
that JKR considers tolerance very important. We are probably more
aware of  tolerance   in a non-judgmental live and let live sense, 
but as  an ethical principle it means something different. 
Those in power may  not enforce a moral good if some greater good
would be  lost or some greater evil would be perpetrated.

However Snape treats Harry, he still chooses to protect him with 
his life. That is a good that should not be lost and not a choice any
Hogwarts teacher would make, not when it means defying the most
powerful evil wizard who ever existed.

Beyond that I think Dumbledore values honor over loyalty. He would
rather have people disagree with him as a matter of priniciple than 
abandon their convictions out of fear or even personal loyalty. 
 After all, if Snape left  Voldemort because his debt of honor to
James outweighed his fear of  Voldemort and his loyalty to his old 
friends, then to undermine Snape's sense of honor would be  unwise 
indeed.

But could Snape possibly see his behavior toward Harry as honorable?
I think he could. Snape sees the potential to be arrogant and
self-centered in Harry, and thinks he is dealing with it in the
proper way. Doubtless he is right about the potential, because the 
Sorting Hat saw it too. It is true that Harry rejected Slytherin, but
did he do so because there is not a selfish bone in his body, or
because he didn't want to acknowledge that part of himself?


Pippin