Spinner's End--further evidence for DDsMan!Snape??

[saraquel_omphale]

No: HPFGUIDX 140271

Magda wrote:
>A moment for a peeve of mine.  Did anyone else find that one of the
>most unbelievable parts of the book?  Occlumency - this obscure but
>useful branch of magic that requires you to control your emotions to
>be successful at it - and nuttier-than-a-Ziplock-baggie-of-trail-mix
>Aunt Bellatrix knows how to do it?

Phoenixgod wrote:
>It actually did make sense to me. I figure using Occlumency was the 
>only way she stayed even close to sane instead of becoming a 
>catatonic vegetable in Azkaban. <snip>
>There is a lot that doesn't make sense in Occlmency.  Draco is 
>better at it than Harry because he can compartmentalize his mind 
>better, a sign of being a sociopath, yet Dumbledore, the epitome of 
>good is one the masters of the art. How does that work? Why is 
>snape, a man with the emotional control of a pouty ten year old 
>also a master? Doesn't make sense to me.

Saraquel:
It actually did make sense to me :-) I don't think being good at 
occlumancy is about comparmentalising your mind, but about 
compartmentalising your emotions.  Disassociating from them with 
your mind, so that you do not *know* what you are feeling and 
pushing them way down and packing them in.  The problem with this 
(and I've got plenty of experience from my childhood!) is that, with 
no outward expression of them, the pressure builds up inside.  
Hence, when Snape is safe to express some emotion, it comes out as 
an almighty explosion.  Almost as though every feeling he ever had 
piggybacks a ride in order to get itself expressed.