Evil Snape

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 154314

of  this arrogance if not an example of it.
> 
> Renee:
> Well, Harry has just seen Snape kill Dumbledore (yes, I know you think
> it was the potion in the cave, but this possibility hasn't occurred to
> Harry at this point; the whole disaster has yet to sink in properly).
> So I don't think it's particularly arrogant of him to assume DD made a
> mistake in trusting Snape. He's got information that DD hadn't when he
> made that statement. On the surface, the facts are against DD's trust
> and Harry lacks some crucial information, partially due to DD's own
> reticence. He has also heard DD admit a mistake at the end of OotP, a
> mistake that cost Harry dearly. (One wonders if DD shouldn't have
> known better than to keep information from Harry after the OotP
> fiasco). The conclusion he jumps to, though perhaps not precisely
> commendable, is understandable. He's not being arrogant but giving in
> to his hatred of Snape, a different flaw, which also accuonts for his
> altering of the facts.

Pippin:
I think we're agreed that Harry's insistence  on his version
of events, in the face of Hagrid and Hermione's doubts, stems as
much from his hatred of Snape as from his eyewitness evidence. 
Otherwise he would have as many questions as they do.

And I think we agree that Harry's hatred of Snape comes from his 
personal issues. But there's a reason that Harry never brought up
those issues when he was discussing his suspicions of Snape 
with Dumbledore. He knew that it wouldn't strengthen his case
to remind Dumbledore that he doesn't like Snape. 

 In other words, Harry knows it  would make him sound weak 
and self-serving. It just never occurs to him that it  might actually 
*be* weak and self-serving to suspect Snape. That's not anti-
Snape bias, IMO, that's pro-Harry bias, otherwise known as
arrogance.

And isn't that really why we want so much for Harry not to be wrong?
Because we too are just a little bit lazy and as Harry would rather be
spared thinking critically about Snape, so we would rather have our 
fictional heroes be untarnished when it counts, so that we, and our 
children, do not have to think about what they are doing, and 
can just  stand up and cheer. 

Pippin