More thoughts on the Elder Wand subplot - Owner?

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 187427

Alla:
> What I do not agree is the extent that you seem to be saying one person who
dislikes each other should behavein this situation.

In my opinion teacher who dislikes (or in my view hates) the student better made
sure that he is more than somewhat civil to such student. Teacher who dislikes
the student and who is complicit in the deaths of his parents like Snape was IMO
should be even more civil.

Ceridwen:
This all goes back to Dumbledore.  I mentioned that a person who dislikes (or hates, hate is strong, few people hate even fewer people, IMO) another person should be civil to that person when they meet.  Meeting someone you dislike does happen.  At a party, a friend's wedding, walking along the street, etc.  Something like the cold civility between Harry and Draco in the epilogue.

Now for Dumbledore's meddling.  He forced Snape and Harry into close quarters.  I mentioned that these two people, as a pair of people one of which dislikes the other, should not be forced together too often.  Dumbledore forced Snape to teach Harry.  If the Hogwarts curriculum is anything like the college curriculum where I attend, and it seems to be, then Snape saw Harry at least twice a week every week and was expected to interact with him on a teacher/student basis.  Considering the emotional nature of dislike, especially visceral dislike of the sort Snape seems to have, this is a Very Bad Idea.  I suspect as well that there's a component of guilt that actually physically hurts, involved.  You know the type of hurt, the one that makes your stomach churn and all sorts of "what-ifs" go through your mind, which causes other physical symptoms like shaking in some, or muscle tension.  Snape seemed tense with Harry from the first scene, in my opinion.

Forcing Snape into close proximity with Harry on a regular basis was probably one of Dumbledore's worst mistakes.  Then DD got to liking Harry.  It seems that he thought that, if Snape would only spend *more* time with Harry, he would like him.  And so the Occlumency lessons.  It helped ease DD's mind, IMO, that Snape was probably the best person besides Dumbledore himself to teach them.  Still, overall, DD did neither Snape nor Harry any favors by forcing this extra proximity.  Not everyone will like the same people a friend likes.  As it turns out, DD was less a friend of Snape's than he was a conquering manager.  He was trying the impossible and he had the muscle to insist.

Maybe, if Snape had wanted to be a teacher, he could have managed being less annoyed by Harry in his class.  The up-side for him then would have been teaching.  After The Prince's Tale, I think Dumbledore forced Snape into the position in the first place, causing undue stress anyway.  He's already stressed at doing what he doesn't want to do and now he's forced to face Harry, a person he dislikes, someone who reminds him of someone he dislikes, a person who reminds him of someone he did like who gave their life for Harry to exist, and a graphic reminder of probably the worst mistake Snape ever made. And DD believes LV's coming back and wants Snape to try Occlumency with this homicidal maniac.  I think Snape was already stretched to his limit through Dumbledore's machinations before Harry ever heard of Hogwarts.

For being civil to Harry because his information ultimately saw to the death of Harry's parents, I don't think he has to continually apologize and wear saccloth and ashes in Harry' s presence.  I think he's already doing so internally and seeing Harry may actually give pain.  He's taken a stand against LV, he's utilizing his position by doing something extremely dangerous in order to atone.  This causes more stress.

People under a load of stress have a hard time behaving as civilized people would behave.  I don't think that forcing Snape and Harry into proximity was a good idea on Dumbledore's part.  I think, at his age, he should have known that and made other arrangements that would have kept the two apart.

So, I think it was impossible for Snape to behave any more civilly to Harry than he did, due to factors mentioned above and made worse by Dumbledore's insistence that he and Harry be together.  I'm convinced that Snape was acting his most civil given those factors.  I think he was in an impossible situation and had no way out.  Sure, due to his own original mistake of joining the DEs, but how much punishment does a person need?  His remorse seemed genuine enough.  Why continue to flog the dead horse?

Ceridwen.