Shaken Dumbledore? /Snape speech to Bella again

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 143449



>Irene:
>That's an excellent observation. However, I think
>there is a crucial difference in his emotions towards
>Voldemort compared to James&Sirius.

>(I proceed under assumption of DDM!Snape, who hates
>Voldmemort and works for his destruction).
>His hatred towards Voldemort would be more manageable, 
>because it's an acknowledged emotion - it's shared
>with his peer group.
>But his hatred of James and Sirius was never
>acknowledged by the people that matter to him.
>Dumbledore hasn't accepted that Sirius had tried to
>wrong Snape (at least not to the level that Snape
>wants), and nobody accepts that James was anything
>less than saint.
>So these emotions are more difficult to control. Note, 
>that when Sirius is down, Snape has no problem keeping
>his cool around him (in OotP). It's only when Sirius
>has got an upper hand (and Snape has the reasons to
>suspect that Dumbledore has chosen Sirius over him
>*again*) Snape loses it.

Orna:
I agree with you. But I want to say that everybody accepts James 
wasn't a saint – DD didn't make him prefect, Lupin says so, so it is 
acknowledged that he wasn't a saint, IMO. Still DD seems to like 
James, and Sirius, and Lupin more than Snape, and that might add to 
the point of pain. DD trusts him, appreciates his skills and uses 
him, but we don't see any real warmth towards him. Snape's tragedy 
and pain is IMO that he doesn't get the appreciation from the people 
he is acts for (a fate shared by many spies, and certainly double 
spies).

Even, when it is quite evident that he saved Harry's life (like in 
PS), we see Harry surprised, but never as much as thankful towards 
him. And I don't remember anyone in the order friendly towards him. 
Even DD tells Harry that his saving him was to counter James' saving 
Snape. I mean – it does sound a little degrading. Lupin is the one, 
who acknowledgers his appreciation for him. I admit that Snape is 
never something like remotely friendly towards Harry, and is 
basically a very unlikable character. But still – he saved his life, 
and we don't see in Harry any emotional impact of that fact. In 
OotP, it amounts to his neglecting the opportunity to save Sirius. 
And after that, he continuously blames and hates Snape – in a way 
not to face his own guilt, having endangered Sirius in an 
unnecessary battle. 

I just remember that Draco, when faced with Snape's desire and 
commitment to protect him – also turns him down. It seems that 
whenever Snape does protect and save somebody – and sometimes really 
at personal risk – it is just not appreciated – not by the one 
saved, and not by his reference group.

I'm not saying Snape isn't a very complicated character to be 
thankful to. It should certainly raise a conflict in the person 
concerned. 

But anyway, what I was trying to say is that seeing Snape doesn't 
get appreciation for his known good deeds, it would make sense to 
infer, that emotionally it would be a weak spot, collapsing his 
occlumency abilities there. 

Orna, adding her "Happy thanksgiving to the US".