Getting people to work together (was Why does Snape...)--Long

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 148812

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "quick_silver71" 
<quick_silver71 at ...> wrote:
<SNIP>

> The whole concept of forcing 
> people that hate one another to work together doesn't seem to hold 
> after OotP...Dumbledore's attempts with Sirius and Snape and Snape 
> and Harry both seem to fall flat. The idea of independence from 
> Dumbledore appeals to me because Harry has to make his own choices 
> now and for most of his adult life Snape has been in the shadow of 
> Dumbledore (in many different ways)...both are things that I think 
> have limited the growth of Harry and Snape. In many ways I think 
> that Dumbledore constantly insisting on Snape's trustworthiness was 
> a bad thing because it interfered with the natural development of a 
> relationship between the two.
> 


Hmmm.  Let me add a little modification to your main thesis.  I think 
that Dumbledore's attempts to get Snape and Harry to work together 
fall flat in large part because of his bad habit of witholding 
necessary information.  We know that he never tells Harry *why* he 
trusts Snape.  We don't know what he has said to Snape, but I have my 
own theories about that.  I tend to agree with Nora and Alla that 
Snape was *not* Dumbledore's "right-hand man" or even anything close 
to it.  JKR has told us flatly the Dumbledore had no confidant.  She 
has also told us that it is McGonagall, not Snape, whom she regards 
as Dumbledore's lieutenant and second-in-command.  As we know that DD 
witheld important information from McGonagall, there is no reason to 
believe he did not do the same in Snape's case (although he was 
probably more forthcoming about different things with each of them).  
We also know from DD's own statement that he has shared the full 
truth about the prophecy with no one.  Finally, Dumbledore doesn't 
seem the type to share his emotional side with much of anyone (except 
I suppose for Fawkes, who in HBP develops the habit of making that 
musical sound whenever Dumbledore has a gooey moment).

Now, if you put all that together, I think it's very plausible that 
many of DD's conversations with Snape were mirror images of his 
conversations with Harry.  That is, Snape was constantly demanding to 
know what Dumbledore *saw* in the cheeky brat, and DD was constantly 
turning his questions aside in much the same way he turned aside 
Harry's questions about Snape.  For example:

SNAPE:  Headmaster, you must admit that Potter's actions in cursing
Mr. Malfoy were unforgiveable.

DD: Now, Severus.  You know Harry had no way of knowing what the 
effects of the spell would be.

SNAPE:  Which only makes it worse!  Surely you don't retain your 
confidence in him!  Any other student would be expelled immediately!

DD:  I continue to have every faith in Harry, Severus.

SNAPE:  I simply do not understand, Headmaster.  How can you continue 
to disregard all the evidence...

DD: I have disregarded nothing, Severus.  I assure you that my grasp 
of the facts is as secure as it ever was.

SNAPE:  But surely the battle against Voldemort must be waged by 
wiser people than Potter!  I know that the prophecy indicates that he 
has the power to defeat the Dark Lord, but please don't tell me you 
STILL believe in Trelawney's mumblings!

DD:  You are aware that I have great regard for Mr. Potter's 
abilities, Severus.  And for his potential.

SNAPE:  So you continually say, Headmaster, but... WOULD YOU QUIT 
MAKING THAT SOUND YOU STUPID BIRD!

Now, the problem with all this, as you rightly point out, is that it 
only makes things worse.  DD is insisting, in his backhanded way, 
that the two of them work together, but by not giving them any 
concrete reasons to work together beyond a very understated "Because 
I said so," he is adding a large measure of frustration and annoyance 
to the mix.  Frustration and annoyance, when added to a dislike which 
by HBP has shaded into active hatred, make for a totally impossible 
situation.

I don't agree that the ROOT of the problem lies in DD's interference, 
however, even if that interference did make things worse.  Come down 
to it, I wouldn't really label DD's actions as interference.  He is 
the Headmaster, after all, and given the situation I really don't see 
any way he could NOT have become involved. In fact, I think much of 
the problem comes from DD trying NOT to interfere unduly.  I think 
part of the point of his cryptic comments and the backhanded nature 
of his guidance is that he was hoping that the relationship would 
evolve in a positive direction.  I think he genuinely thought that 
Snape, in particular, would get over his hurt feelings if DD just 
gave him time and a few nudges along the way. That was, I think, a 
highly moronic attitude to take, but DD just ain't very good when it 
comes to emotions.

Here, I think, is one place where the "emotional mistakes" to which 
JKR referred come into play.  DD has, as we know, rather intense 
feelings where Harry is concerned.  When Snape evinces a different 
attitude, DD is convinced that it's because Snape doesn't *know* 
Harry.  How often have we all run into THAT situation?  A friend or a 
loved one goes gaga over somebody that you can't stand.  If you make 
the mistake of letting your friend or loved one get a hint of your 
attitude, you get the response "If you really knew "X" you wouldn't 
say that."  This is all made worse by the fact that DD is an isolated 
and, one suspects, a lonely man.  Possibly DD sees in Harry someone 
who might, one day, actually be the confidant DD doesn't presently 
have. 

DD just can't imagine, emotionally speaking, that anyone who really 
gets to know Harry would dislike him.  So he is serenely confidant 
that as Snape gradually and reluctantly gets to know Harry, Snape's 
dislike and hurt feelings will fade.  When that doesn't happen, DD 
sees an opportunity with occlumency.  I think DD was being very 
honest with Harry about the chief reason he had Snape do the 
occlumency lessons.  But I think he also probably thought that surely 
once Snape got inside Harry's head (literally) and saw how mistaken 
he had been, that Snape would get over his hard feelings.

The problem with all this is that it didn't work.  To go back to 
common experience, when your friend or loved one pulls out the "You 
don't know them," argument, your response, whether spoken or not, is 
almost always, "Oh yes I do."  I think that is the situation here.  
Snape did get to know Harry, and still didn't like him.  Snape did 
see that he was wrong about Harry's childhood, but although he was 
surprised, when push came to shove he just didn't particularly care.  
By the time DD realizes his mistake -- i.e. by the time he realizes 
that Snape just genuinely dislikes Harry and no amount of time or 
patience or "getting to know the boy" is going to make the slightest 
bit of difference -- it is already too late to do anything about it.  
The only thing that could work is to say to Harry/Snape "I know you 
dislike him and I won't try to change your mind but he's to be 
trusted and worked with because of ..."  And for whatever reason -- 
habit or misplaced loyalty or tiredness or just plain inertia -- DD 
is not willing to do that.


Lupinlore