Harry IS Snape!

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 141071

Okay, before someone shoves a bezoar down my throat to cure me
of whatever brain-befuddling potion this post's title implies I've  ingested,
let me clarify: *Teenage* Harry IS *teenage* Snape! 
 
There, is that better? No? Oh, well, I did try, but I do have my  reasons
for coming to this conclusion (one I believe is already shared by a  few 
others here). Much of it is based on the excellent posts by Krista  and
Carol regarding Harry's bias toward Professor Snape, which is so  evident
in HPB, Chapter 8, Snape Victorious. 
 
Though I won't repeat everything they said, in that chapter it's  pretty
clear Harry's anger and hatred of Snape are out of proportion to 
anything Snape is doing to him (or has done to him in the past). 
Yes, Snape's been mean, petty, vindictive--you name it--on a pretty
regular basis since Harry came to Hogwarts, but even Harry admits
to himself that he is 'clinging' to his notion that Snape is at fault  for
Sirius's death, just because that belief is so emotionally  satisfying. 
Read: Harry KNOWS that his perspective on Snape is out of whack,
certainly calling into doubt his judgment about Snape (which remains
stubbornly negative throughout HBP, to the point that he argues with
Dumbledore over fetching Snape when he *knows full well* that  Snape
has already saved saved Dumbledore from one horcrux curse. Harry
simply cannot immediately displace his hatred of Snape for anything, 
not even for Dumbledore's best interests--he has to be pressured into
temporarily displacing it.)
 
There are a couple of other moments of note in that chapter which 
also point to Harry's implacable bias against Snape. Firstly, Harry
thinks that though he has *loathed* Snape since their first  encounter,
it is Snape's attitude toward Sirius that has placed Snape "forever  and
irrevocably beyond the possibility of Harry's forgiveness...". (I guess 
no one has told Harry that you should never say "never"!  And I  also
suspect JKR revealed that implacable attitude of Harry's for a  purpose--
but more on that in a minute). 

Secondly, after Snape is named the DADA professor, Harry says 
savagely, "Well, there's one good thing. Snape'll be gone by the end
of the year." After Ron asks why, and Harry reminds him of the  DADA
curse, Harry adds (with what I am certain is complete sincerity)  "I'm
going to be keeping my fingers crossed for another death..." And 
Hermoine predictably reacts with shock and reproach, while Ron 
says "reasonably" (showing Ron can be rational on the subject 
of Snape, while Harry has no such ability) that Snape might go
back to teaching Potions the next year.
 
Harry really hates Snape. I mean, he really, REALLY  hates Snape.
He would be very happy if Snape were dead, no less. (And thanks 
again to Krista for pointing out what a goldmine this chapter is on
Harry's feelings for Snape, which JKR goes to great lengths to 
detail over several pages). 
 
Anyway, back to my theory, and to teenage Snape. We know that
teenage Snape *loathed* James Potter. Really, REALLY loathed 
him. He gave James no latitude, no free passes, nothing. Not  even
when James saved his life. He dismissed that act as self-serving,
even as a deliberate manipulation that put Snape in James's  debt. 
I think we can say Snape would have been perfectly content  for
James to die, and when James *did* die, it's doubtful he shed any 
tears at all. In fact, he probably cursed James, as he tells Harry 
with fury that James was too arrogant to listen to him. (Note that
being content for James to die does not mean Snape wanted to
murder James, just as Harry doesn't want to murder Snape--at
least not in Chapter 8--just that each would be happy to see their
respective nemesis's dead and gone forever. Or so they think.)
 
The catch with Snape, of course, is that Snape never grew out of
his hatred of James. A hatred that was always out of proportion to
James's crimes. (Especially since it's reasonable to assume that
Snape was as guilty as James in their back and forth cursing and 
hexing attacks). James may have hexed and humiliated Snape, but
he grew out of it. And even after that, Snape still insisted on  seeing
James as the same arrogant bully, despite the fact that James quit
hexing students (probably including Snape), and was good enough 
to be loved by a woman the caliber of Lily Evans. And despite  the
fact that James fought and died protecting Lily and their son, an  act
that would have some mitigating effect on most people's  opinions.
 
But Snape is not most people, and unfortunately neither is Harry
in this regard. His hatred of Snape mirrors Snape's hatred of James
(and, yes, Snape provoked Harry's enmity by his words and  actions,
but Harry's hatred has grown into a living, breathing entity, far  beyond
what is healthy). Harry sees Snape through the same narrow lens  in
which Snape sees James. Harry doesn't acknowledge or care that
Snape has saved his life more than once, most recently by sending
the Order to the DoM (again it's more satisfying to blame Snape
for Sirius's death than to credit Snape with helping save Harry and
his friends). Harry doesn't acknowledge any positive action  by Snape,
up to and including the list of lives he's saved that directly  benefited
Harry, including Dumbeldore, and later Draco from Harry's own 
foolishness. Just as Snape gave James no credit for positive acts, 
and has continued that attitude to a point toward his son (what
credit Snape may or may not give Harry is a subject for another
post) so Harry gives Snape no credit for his positive acts.
 
And thus we see that teenage Harry is just like teenage Snape
in this regard. The big question, the issue that I think is going to
prove one of the most critical in HP, and deliberately so on the part
of JKR, is whether adult Harry will become adult Snape. It's a real
possibility if Harry can't evaluate Snape's actions, both good and  bad,
without his own personal bias coloring that evaluation (as Snape  still
cannot do with James). 
 
If this is to be a central issue/theme of HP, it does require  that 
Snape be DDM or at least OFH, and because this theme *has*
been set up so obviously in Chapter 8 with Harry's unreasonable
hatred of Snape, I think this whole scene is another strong  piece
of support for DDM!Snape. If Snape turned out to be ESE  as Harry
suspected all along--sometimes *irrationally* by his own tacit 
admission--then Harry has little opportunity to willingly  release this  
destructive and misplaced hatred against a man who hasn't earned
that level of enmity (don't scream, Snape-haters-we're talking about
Harry's feelings through HBP Chapter 8!). JKR might pull it off but
it will have much more impact for Harry and for readers if Snape
is DDM. In that case it will be necessary for Harry to  recognize
Snape's positive actions--saving Harry, being Dumbledore's man
up to and including risking his own life and in the end giving up 
that life, either literally or meaningfully (if Snape doesn't die but
must live with knowing he killed the one man who actually  cared
about him, even if in the cause of Good), as well as whatever else 
Harry may learn--and then evaluate them against Snape's negative
actions to render final judgment. Harry must set aside his  child's
bias, his child's hatred, just as James did, if he is to grow up to  be
truly like his father, rather than becoming eternally hateful and 
embittered like Snape. 
 
It's an interesting irony. Snape believes Harry *is* just like James, 
yet Snape never saw and still does not see the whole James  Potter,
the boy who grew out of his childish ways to become a good  man, 
and died with dignity. If Harry learns to see the whole  Snape--not
just the mean, vindictive teacher, but the man who stayed loyal
to Dumbledore no matter what was asked of him, and who helped
(will help) Harry defeat Voldemort both by protecting him  and giving
him tools he'd need for that final battle, even if Snape did so with  a
great deal of belligerence--then Harry will win in a way that Snape
never can and never will--by becoming not just a hero, but a good 
man, just like his father.
 
This also means Harry must forgive Snape, despite his childish
determination in HBP Chapter 6 that that will never happen. And, 
yes, Snape should ask for forgiveness. Snape needs forgiveness
as much as Harry needs to forgive. But HP is not about Snape. It's
about Harry. In the scheme of things, Snape just *doesn't* matter, 
so whether he seeks forgiveness or accepts it is moot. But Harry
*must* forgive, to become the hero and to leave childhood behind
for manhood. (I know some fans demand vengeance, but vengeance
is the purview of people like Snape, who gets his revenge  against
all those he believes wronged him by tormenting anyone who is in a
position to be victimized, i.e., is weaker than him, much as he was  at  
one time weaker than his perceived tormentors. (Indeed it is a  twisted
mirror into which Snape peers.)
 
I will close (really!) by saying I do sympathize with Snape, which  isn't
exactly a secret. I think he is more sad than bad. If he's DDM as I  do
believe, he has made a genuine effort to atone for his crimes, in the
best way he knows how, which is sadly deficient in many aspects. 
But it is genuine. As Dumbledore said, it is our choices that define
us. Snape has made some very bad ones, and he still keeps making
them. And, one way or another, he must pay for them. 
 
If this can be considered a theory, how about:  Harry  *Isn't* Snape, So
Yes, Forgiving Is Tantamount To Obtaining Self-possession, And Most 
Importantly, Achieving Manhood Not Oppressively Tainted.
Translation to acronym: H.I.S.S.Y. F.I.T. T.O. S.A.M. I. A.M. N.O.T.
(You know, if S.A.M. alternately stands for Snape And Malfoy. Erm, it
is my first try, so I may have overthought it!)
 
--Oh, Carol, the title "Snape Victorious" seems an obvious  reference to
Snape achieving his oft-voiced desire of being DADA professor,  though
like everything within the HP universe, it may have more  obscure meaning
also--Snape tears down the last shreds of Harry's ability to view  him with 
any kind of objectivity, thus Snape is victorious in planting a seed  of
heedless malice toward others that could become Harry's downfall in  his
battle with Voldemort. (Snape, you stupid, obtuse man!) It's a  thought, 
anyway!
 
Julie


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