Snape as Harry's protector or not WAS Snape and moral courage LONG

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 184713

Potioncat:
I've had to read about 12 or 13 posts in a row from this thread 
(trying not to respond until I've read all replies) so I'm pulling 
from several posts here.

> Montavilla47:
> The calmness Snape shows is not acceptance.  It's shock and 
> denial.  This is sort of following that Kübler-Ross model
> of people's reaction to death or loss.  She stated that there
> are five stages that people go through:  Denial, Anger,
 Bargaining, Depression, and finally, Acceptance.  

> We don't see him go through the other steps.  And Kübler-Ross
> notes that no everyone does, so maybe he didn't go through 
 them.  Maybe he did and JKR didn't bother to show it.

Potioncat:
Nice reference! But even at that, most people don't go through the 
steps on one conversation. So it fits that Snape doesn't hit them all.

> 
> Alla (quoting the text):
> > "You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?"
> > "Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you 
watched 
> > die?"
> > "Lately, only those whom I could not save," said Snape. He stood 
 > up. "You have used me."

Potioncat:
Someone suggested that by placing Snape at Hogwarts, Snape learned to 
care about his Slytherins and reached the point of taking care of all 
Hogwarts students. This comment with this quote reminded me of 
Snape's reaction when he learned Ginny had been taken to the chamber. 
It was something about his gripping a chair so tightly his knuckles 
were white. It was a little comment that came without any reaction on 
Harry's part. But here is Snape, showing concern for a student, and 
not hiding it so well as he did for poor Charity.

As I read the quotes above, Snape sounds offended at DD's comments.



 
Montavilla47:
> One interesting thing about this scene (and the one that 
> comes before it) is that this all happens before Harry and 
> Draco duel and Snape makes Harry's life even more miserable
> than usual with his infamous card detentions.  Since a lot
> of stuff Snape does is for reasons not clear in the text, I'm 
 not sure what's going on with that still.

Potioncat:
I've very little notion of how Snape's memories fit in the timeline 
we first read in the series. That is, I haven't read HBP with the 
idea ( Snape knows this, Snape and DD have done that.) Has anyone 
mapped it out?

The idea that Snape is super-sensitive to a student nearly killing a 
student is a good one. Just as we all have our buttons that the HP 
series sometimes hits, this could be one of Snape's. And canon Snape 
has as many "buttons" as Rickman!Snape's coat does.

But now that I'm thinking about timelines, if Snape thinks the bit of 
Voldy in Harry is working to take over, he may be concerned that 
Harry is drawn to dark magic. Or that using Dark Magic might 
strenghen the bit O'Voldy. It's a return of the earlier worries of 
DEs that the baby Potter must be a powerful dark wizard to have 
vanquished LV.  Remember Snape's question, "Who taught you such dark 
magic?"
or something to that effect.

Must have been quite a shock to realize "he" had taught Harry that 
bit of dark magic. And that reminds me of a parent who 
exclaims, "Where did you learn 'that' word!" only to hear, "From you, 
Daddy."

> 
> Montavilla47:
> Another thing I'd note is that, among Snape supporters 
> anyway, there's a general consensus that Snape is protecting
> Harry in "The Flight of the Prince."  So, although this is after
> Dumbledore told Snape about Harry needing to die, Snape
> is trying to prevent Harry from harm (until he gets angry at
> Harry's taunting).   Which makes it fun in retrospect because
> he still can't stand the kid.


Potioncat:
And knowing about the bit o'Voldy in Harry's head may explain why he 
wanted to prevent Harry from using the Unforgivables.

>