Snape and moral courage WAS: Re: The Houses, Finally

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 184643

> Montavilla47:
> I respect your feelings, Alla, but I don't understand your 
reasoning.  
> Why must Snape treat Harry well simply because he loved her mother?
> I can definitely understand the reasoning that he should treat *any*
> student respectfully, and I agree that he didn't do so when Harry
> first came into his class.
> 
> But it seems to me that treating him well because of his love for
> Lily is no better than treating him badly because of his hatred of 
James.
> Harry is neither Lily nor James.  <SNIP>

Alla:

Sorry I disagree, I mean I am not completely disagreeing with you. I 
certainly agree that he should treat any student respectfully, and 
that he did not do so when Harry first came into class.

But I completely disagree that treating him bad because of hatred for 
James is the same as treating good because of his love for Lily.

I think of it as possible **additional** motivation for Snape to 
treat Harry well, not as primary one. Meaning that to me, if one 
loved somebody, one would be nice to that person's child, does not 
mean that teacher **has to be** for that reason, if that makes sense.

> Montavilla47:
> Here's where I really differ from you in reasoning and feeling.  
> Considering what Snape knows he's done to help cause the
> death of Harry's parents, wouldn't it be rather disgusting of him
> to try and win his affection?  

Alla:

So it will be disgusting for Snape to try and win Harry's affection, 
but it is not disgusting to treat him the way Snape did? See to me it 
is the exact opposite. I would think that if person felt guilty, 
person would have went out of his way to be kind to the person

I mean, I imagined two possible reasons for Snape to do 
so and I would think that it could be both the possibility for Snape 
to look into Lily's eyes for many years to come and see affection 
back and also have a revenge over James that he would have love to 
have.

And I totally think that if Snape would have been sincere in winning 
Harry's affection, Harry would have eventually forgiven him in the 
role he played in his parents' death. Speculating obviously and it 
would not have been easy.

Montavilla:
> Imagine if Snape had flattered Harry, the way that Slughorn did.
> Just beyond the fact that it's really not Snape's style to flatter
> *any* student, imagine what it would have been like for Harry
> to discover Snape's complicity if he had loved the man?

Alla:

Well, see above. I am thinking only if Snape would have done so 
sincerely.

Montavilla:
> Look at how Harry angsted over Dumbledore!  And all that he'd
> discovered about Dumbledore was that the man was friends with
> Grindelwald for a few weeks!  Something that had no relevance
> or impact on Harry's life at all.

Alla:

Right, disappointment in father figure, etc, but what happened 
eventually? Harry got over it at the end, he forgave Dumbledore etc, 
because despite all his faults in Harry's mind old bastard truly 
loved him. 

I believe that after lots of angsting Harry would have done same 
thing with Snape.

Montavilla: 
> So, yes, Snape started it all by treating Harry rudely in class.

Alla:

Yes we agree on that.

Montavilla47:
> But I find that, ironically, better behavior than the way that
> Slughorn tried to reel Harry in by flattering him.

Alla:

Oh not me at all. I think Slughorn sincerely liked Lily as his 
student. I see nothing wrong in him treating Harry well because he 
liked his mother and because he liked Harry.

Not that I do not think that he should treat all his students well of 
course, but I see no problems whatsoever in his treatment of Harry.

To me positive treatment of the student for **any** reason ( as long 
as the reason is not illegal or immoral) is always better than 
negative treatment.

JMO,

Alla