CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets Ch. 5. The Whomping Willow

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 188798



> > 4. Snape implies that he would like to expel Harry. How can this be reconciled with the commitment to help Dumbledore protect Harry we saw him make in "The Prince's Tale"?
> > 
> 
> Montavilla47:
> You got me there.  I can wank it that Snape thinks Harry is better
> off under the blood protection of the Durleys' than at Hogwarts.  Or
> I can theorize that Snape knew that Lucius was up to "something" that
> year (maybe Dobby warned him and Dumbledore), and wanted Harry
> to be well away from any fallout.
> 
> But there's no obvious reason for Snape to be taking this attitude, 
> unless he's mostly bluffing and playing "bad cop," since he knows 
> that McGonagall and Dumbledore prefer to take the "good cop" roles.
> 

I am replying to your comments, but this is also a reply to the thread in general. This question is actually something that really bothers me as in I cannot figure this out still. As Zara knows I really struggled with the wording of this question, because I thought it would be rude to say – please only answer the question if you indeed believe that Snape wanted to expel Harry. But that's what my dilemma is, I am someone who in good faith believes that Snape wanted to expel Harry and at the same time I am scratching my head trying to figure out how the hell he was going to fulfill the promise to protect Harry away from Hogwarts.

Because as I am sure you know I do not believe that book showed us that Snape felt anything but hatred towards Harry till the day he died, I do not think we were showed any reversal in that, and as part of it, I cannot find any canon showing that Snape only pretended wanting to expel him. Of course we were shown something that we have not seen that not only Snape hated Harry (I know not everybody believes it, goes without saying that I am describing my interpretation), but also that he promised and tried to protect his life. But that is where my question comes from.

The only idea I come with is that Snape hoped that if he can make sure that Harry is expelled then he can get out of his promise to Dumbledore to protect him (again, goes without saying that I am speculating here and have no canon to support it). But then I am thinking – um, Dumbledore could have just as easily order Snape to follow Harry into muggle world or other wizarding school or something to make good on his promise, so that does not fly either. See my problem?

Pippin:
Are you sure it's Harry Snape would like to expel? The dialogue has Snape mostly
replying to Ron. Snape doubtless thinks that if Weasley got expelled, Harry
would get into trouble less often. That could account for his "Christmas had
been cancelled" expression when the boys are let off.

Alla:

Yes, I understand that he was silencing Ron, but I never doubted that he was referring to both of them and when Snape he complains to Dumbledore  he says "Professor Dumbledore, these boys" plural, so yes I think he wanted them both out if he could help it.

Pippin:
Of course Snape knew perfectly well that Harry was not going to be expelled
unless he did something so drastic that Dumbledore's hands would be tied. But
that's a possibility -- look at what happened to Hagrid. Dumbledore himself says
much the same thing.

Alla:

Right, but precisely because the possibility may come up when Dumbledore's hands are tied, I think Snape keeps pushing for it every chance he gets, only I wish I could figure out why  he did that in light of what we know after DH.


JMO,

Alla