Harry, Snape and James (was:Re: Sadistic!Snape?...)

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 140564


> Betsy Hp:
> 
> If his motivation 
> was merely to cause Harry pain by attacking his father, why would 
> Snape wait until right then to do so?  What was Snape's motivation 
> in bringing up and insulting James at that specific time?
> <snipped>
> From Snape's POV, Lupin would certainly try and lure Harry out of 
> the castle into Sirius's easy reach.  And what better way to do so 
> than to fill Harry's head with stories of his father's glory days?  
> Harry (no stranger to risk taking) would love to emulate his father 
> and sneak into Hogsmeade. (Again, this is Snape's POV I'm talking 
> about.) 

Valky:
That's really quite a brilliant deduction, Betsy IMO. And plausible I
might add, in the sense that JKR as the author could actually have
thought this scene through in the way that you've established, it's
not, out of hand, unlikely, first off, which is a great plus for a
speculation of this nature. 

We know that the plot of POA hinged on those very implications
regarding the Marauders and Snape, as well as a larger subplot of the
series regarding James, Lily and Snape which is still fairly well
disguised. It does stand to reason that parts of these can be found
deliberately interwoven in this landmark scene. There is also the
argument for Legilimency being deliberately concealed in past books,
but it's been done so I'll rest on that. :D It's almost not a mere "I
agree", yes?  

Betsy:
> (And I do think Snape hopes for something to shake loose rather 
> than he go diving into Harry's head.  Something Snape could do, 
> certainly, but something I'm betting is frowned upon.)

Valky:
You know, I have been thinking along these lines myself. I think
there's truth to Sirius' taunts of Snapes big nose in other peoples
business revealed (well sort of) as of HBP. You might be right, Betsy,
that this is frowned upon. :D

I think that Snape learned, as well as Dumbledore, as a result of the
Occlumency Lessons, that Harry is quite an open book. During HBP Snape
I noticed, seems to relish quiet moments that he can spend listening
to Harry's 'loud' head venting away to itself. It's quite a bit nosey
of him, I think. But also an interesting canon point, IMO, because he
seems to be very interested in listening for thoughts of Sirius to
shake loose, rather than thoughts of James. But I digress from your
topic Betsy, so I'll leave it there. 

 
> > >>Alla:
> > So far I remain convinced that the main reason Snape keeps        
> > bringing up James is to cause Harry pain and that again makes me   
> > doubt Snape remorse, but we shall see of course.

Valky:
After reading the answers Betsy has given here, I can't help thinking
that a lot of this line of thought comes more strictly from Dumbledore
and others around Snape than from Snape himself. 

It is Dumbledore who first tells us that Snape and James disliked each
other, and we based a fair bit of our reading of Snape on that, in
between times when we weren't given further information. This gives us
the sense that Snapes awful behaviour is solidly based on the single
factor of the poor relationship between James and Severus. It's true,
essentially, that a lot of Snape's dislike for James is visited on
Harry, but we are also directed by the narrative to overload this side
of the equation while we are reading, until we are loathe to remove it
because it forms the basis of a strong, acute, assumption. After
looking at it with those eyes I realise it's possible that the
narrative is tapping into human nature in the reader, getting *us* to
clump our ideas subjectively, helping the true Snape to hide himself. 

While I, just now, seemed to be shifting the pile onto the good guys
there, I actually wasn't. I don't think that Dumbledores view of Snape
was skewed dramatically in the direction of reading James into every
action. That was me, reading Dumbledores words into every action. Do I
make sense?

After saying all that, I have to agree how dissappointing it would be
for an Singular-alignment!Snape to come of it all. I think such a
clever narrative on Snape that underlines the readers own morality,
would be wasted if Snape was ever explained out completely. He needs
to remain ambiguous til the end, a mysterious character that is only
as good or as evil as you make him. :P 

 

Valky