Snape and the Malfoys (was:Re: JKR and the boys/ Dark Magic and Snape)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 161490

> >>Sydney:
> I guess I'm just rolling with how JKR has presented the character 
> so far-- he lives in a row house in a crap town, when he was a kid 
> he was neglected and unrefined (he's swearing a blue streak, not   
> using the cool cutting insults he does now), he now has a slightly
> inappropriately formal way of speaking, he's a schoolmaster who   
> puts on airs, he's hypersensitive about people respecting him and 
> calling him 'sir'.  For me this all adds up into... rats, I have   
> to use the word again-- maybe not a cliche but a familiar         
> character from the sort of fiction JKR habitiually draws from.    
> The working-class lad made good. 
> <snip>
> Yeah, but to someone like Lucius talent and intellect WOULDN'T    
> make a half-blood Snape his equal, or to someone like Bella        
> either.  That's what's mysterious about that whole relationship.

Betsy Hp:
Personally, I *love* the idea of Snape as a Northern boy (lad? 
boy?).  It provides such cool depth to him, plus it adds weight to 
the punkrock!Snape I have lingering in the back of my head (favorite 
form of Snape, EVER)...  but I digress.

I'll admit that I'm fascinated by the relationship between the 
Malfoys and Snape.  From the tiny little hints and glimpses we've 
seen, Lucius and Snape seem to have a good working relationship.  
Which does contradict Snape's background (even just the half-blood 
part) and Lucius's prejudices.

And I wonder...  Through the books I've read (and that's my only way 
of understanding the British class system -- very hard for an 
American to grasp, I think) the upperclass could be very pragmatic 
at times.  If need be they could embrace the "working-class lad made 
good".  I'm thinking about Lord Peter Wimsey and the police officer 
guy (can't remember his name) who often worked with him and 
eventually married into the family.

Of course, Peter Wimsey was a good guy and not a part of any class 
cult (unless you could count his dinner club? <g>).  But Dorothy 
Sayers was writing in the 1920's time period you mentioned, Sydney.  
And perhaps something happened after Voldemort disappeared that made 
Lucius see Snape in a whole new light.

The difficulty is that we're dealing with a family we've got so 
little insight into, and Snape.  Talk about blind men and the 
elephant!  But Snape really did seem to take the position of Malfoy 
family protector in the Spinner's End chapter.  If the WW works 
anything like posited in my second most favorite HP essay here:

http://community.livejournal.com/hp_essays/7250.html

Perhaps an argument could be made that Lucius's position as Patron 
was harmed by his link to Voldemort after the fall.  Perhaps Snape 
agreed to step in as a sort of silent partner.  Especially with 
Snape so well positioned next to Dumbledore (the most powerful 
Patron at that time).  If Lucius was pragmatic enough (and Voldemort 
seemed to describe him as such) I think he'd be willing to treat, 
and even perhaps see to an extent, Snape as an equal.  Especially if 
Snape seemed willing to play the game (stay true to pureblood 
traditions, etc.).

And Snape, in turn, would think well of the family that took him 
under their wing, despite his questionable background.  Because he 
really seems fond of Draco and seemed very patient and kind with 
Narcissa.

Betsy Hp (feeling a bit babbly today)