[HPforGrownups] Calling Tonks Nymphadora, and Snape's button pushing in general

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 152111

Leslie41
Yup, that seems to me to be Snape all over.  HOWEVER, I think that in many
if not most cases what's revealed as a result is not only Snape's "nasty
personality" (for which we have abundant evidence
otherwise) but a weakness in the object of his scorn.  


Sherry now:

A weakness in Snape's opinion, but not necessarily in everyone else's.

Leslie41
Sirius Black is a hothead.  We all know that.  Snape is the one who makes
that most obvious to us.  I would venture to say that had Black been
rational enough to stand up to the minor taunts of an old school nemesis, he
would not have gone and gotten himself killed.  

Sherry now:
So, Sirius should have sat on his rear and let Harry be in danger and done
nothing?  Even though I do not like and do not believe in the goodness of
Snape under any circumstances, I don't believe his taunting had much to do
with Sirius rushing to save Harry.  Sirius *had* to do it.  It's who he is.
It's not a bad thing that he wants to protect his pack.  It's not his fault
that he died.  Who would have applauded his sensibility if he had stayed
home?  Probably, we would have all called him a coward and thought he was a
pretty unfeeling person.  His role as Harry's only parental figure demands
that he goes, no matter what Dumbledore said.  And the person who deserves
the blame for the death of Sirius is Bella, not Sirius.  Sirius is the
victim after all.


Leslie41
Nymphadora Tonks is lovelorn.  This is not necessarily a character weakness
per se, but it is rather inconvenient and not quite disciplined of her to
act the way she does during what is ostensibly a very dangerous period for
the order.  You'll notice Harry willfully pushes Ginny away when he realizes
that he has serious work to do regarding Voldemort.  Tonks becomes visibly
weak and clingy, and dumps her problems on yet another member of the order
(Molly). If her patronus is weak, SHE is weak.  That's not good.


Sherry now;
But we are led to believe that love is the most important thing, the power
the "dark Lord knows not".  I can't see her love as a weakness.  I
understand that Snape considers love as a weakness.  Also, friends don't
"dump" their problems on friends.  Friends confide in friends.  I'm positive
that is what Tonks was doing with Molly.  It's what friends do.  It's the
strength of friendship.


Leslie41
Harry at this point is much like his godfather.  Undisciplined.  
Frazzled.  A hothead.  The ONLY way for him to get the better of Snape is to
discipline himself, to close his mind.  To NOT feel hatred.  

Which is, of course, what Snape has been trying to teach him to do for 
years.         


Sherry now:
I have the definite impression that a calm stoic Harry is not a person who
is going to beat Voldemort.  Harry's emotions are his strength.  Sure, as he
matures, he will learn to control them, or to use them more wisely to some
extent, but in a general sense, Harry's emotions are who he is.  We don't
want him to turn into another Snape after all.  and besides, the ever
popular and wise Dumbledore said that Voldemort won't be using that old
trick on him anymore.  So, the only one Harry has to learn to close his mind
to is Snape.  

sherry