A BIAS in the Pensieve: A Batty Idea About Snape
Lyn J. Mangiameli
kumayama at kumayama.yahoo.invalid
Sun Feb 27 19:13:00 UTC 2005
OK folks, what follows is something I've batted around for better than a year now. I've
never been able to get any takers to post it as part of their own ideas, so I am left with
posting it on my own. or leaving it to lurk in the dark of my mind (I know, some may say a
place it should have remained). Given the resurgence of discussion of this general topic on
that big group, these thoughts may be timely, or just redundant, but I hope they may
provide some amusement if not provoke some thought.
A BIAS in the Pensieve: A Batty Idea About Snape
Two lines in the Harry Potter series have always haunted me. The first at Godric's Hollow
when Lilly states to Voldemort "take me."
PoA Chapter 'Grim Defeat' page 134
'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'
'Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now...'
'Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -'
As I've discussed previously, this exchange only makes sense to me in the context of
possession, and is what lead me to some private correspondence with Kneasy and
contributed to a larger possession theory.
The other line that has haunted me is from Snape's Worst Memory (page 647 of the
American Hardbound edition) when James' responds to Lily's question of what Snape had
ever done to James:
"Well, said James, appearing to deliberate the points, "it's more the fact that he exists, if
you know what I mean
." ["exists" being italicized in the original].
Now why use the word "exists" as opposed to say "because he did/does ___ " or "because
he believes___" or "because he hangs out with ___" . One of the major themes of the series
has been choice, yet here we see one character condemn another not based on behavior or
values, but because he "exists," thus suggesting he is someone/something whose
repugnance is innate. Now what classes of people are innately repugnant to most in the
wizarding world? I would suggest Ron is often a good source of this information, and he
has revealed at least Giants and Werewolves and Trolls as examples of those classes
considered innately dangerous and/or repugnant. Might there be others?
Now James completes his statement to Lilly with the phrase, "if you know what I mean
."
Which I think might be read as a reference to obvious characteristics that everyone could
see in Snape, but also might be read as a coy statement to imply that James knew
something about Snape that should be apparent but obviously Lilly didn't know.
So what is it that is an innate characteristic of Snape that might arouse such enmity? I
think Rowling has really layered on the clues in this scene from the Pensieve. The scene
begins during an examination of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Our attention is primed,
so to speak, to frame what follows in this context. We know that Snape has written much
more on this topic than those around him" he had written at least a foot more than his
closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped." Obviously Snape
knows a lot about this topic. And we are told very directly the kind of questions on the
exam, specifically a question about the signs that identify the werewolf. Remus and his
friends are able to write authoritatively on this question because of their direct familiarity
with such a creaturemakes one wonder if there is a creature(s) Snape is familiar with to a
similar degree that would allow him to write with comparable authority. Interestingly,
almost too pointedly, twice we are told that this scene is flooded with sunlight ("Sunshine
was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads which shone chestnut and
copper and gold in the bright light." The Sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of
the lake
.").
The Pensieve scene gives us several descriptions of the teenage Snape: "stringy, " "pallid,"
"like a plant kept in the dark," "hair was lank and greasy," and "round-shouldered yet
angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider," "oily hair swinging, "
"skinny, pallid legs."
But I think the chief clue can be found in what James does to Snape. James had almost
unlimited options, but in an almost reflexive response to Snape drawing blood, James
chose to hang Snape upside down. Now this is the very first time we find a student using
this sort of hex or curse on another, though we are quite familiar with the previous ones
James made ("Expelliamrus" "Impedimenta" "Scourgify") and the subsequent one Sirius
uses ("Locomotor Mortis"). Much discussion of this scene has focused on the revealing of
Snape's grey underwear, but I think the more important factor is the up-side-down
position. And to what do we most associate hanging up-side-down, but a bat-- a round
shouldered, angular, skinny legged, bat. I suggest that this inverted posture was very
deliberate on James' part and was intended to reveal Snape for what he was, without
overtly saying so. The revealed gray underwear is meant by JKR to serve as both a
distraction and as a way of symbolizing that Snape's "dirty laundry" is now hung out in
public for all to see. I also think it may have been symbolic that Snape drew blood from
James' face, much like a vampire bat sucking blood (again, of all the many possible curses
available to Snape at this time of intense stress and compromise, does he choose such a
situationally ineffectual one).
So I think the allusion to the bat-like Snape as associated with vampires is quite strong,
irrespective of JKR's half hearted denial " [Is there a link between Snape and vampires? JKR
replies: Erm... I don't think so." There is the possibility that JKR was indicating that though
she didn't consider Snape to fulfill the requirements to be a vampire in her world, that he
might be considered by some of her characters to be so, or at least closely associated with
one.] Now I suspect (and I also suggest that this may be what JKR is skirting around) that
Snape is not a "full blood/full power" vampire, what ever that might be in Rowling's world,
but is likely a mixed breed or descendent of a vampire. It is this status that may well have
had Snape primed to use the "mudblood" epithet towards Lilly. Why?, because by being
placed in the up-side-down position Snape was not only humiliated, but he was
excruciatingly aware of what it represented and that his secret (and/or shame) was being
symbolically disclosed. Quite interestingly, even in his frustration with Lilly, we do not see
James (at least as of the prematurely ending of the scene), choosing to reveal Snape's
status overtly.
So, is it really all that strange that this might truly have been Snape's worst memory?
Now another, to my mind important, aspect of the scene is that Lupin is quite noticeably ill
at ease throughout the confrontation with Snape. Though he sits on the sidelines, he is
clearly disapproving: "Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not
moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows." (page 645), and later
in the scene, "Many of the surrounding watchers laughed
but Lupin, still apparently
intent on his book, didn't." (page 647). Now this may very well be due to Lupin's
disapproval of the bullying tactics of James and Sirius, but I'll offer another explanation for
consideration. What if Lupin also knows of Snape's unchosen vampire association? If so,
does this not place Snape and Lupin into a similar category of people who have not chosen
and can not escape at least one defining aspect of their being? I shall be even braver and
suggest that it was at this time that Lupin began to identify with Snape, and began to feel
empathy with him.
Throwing all caution to the winds, and without one whit of canon for support, I shall
suggest that the Prank occurred not because Sirius was intent on Snape's death, but that
Sirius believed it would force Snape to reveal some vampire aspect of himself (be that a
bat animagus, the ability to turn into a bat as part of his vampire like powers, or some
other aspect of his being that is along these lines) to save himself from the werewolf. For
Sirius, it would be a case of poetic justice administered to Snape for snooping into Lupin's
compromised status.
Now one of the aspects of the Prank that has always been so troublesome is that it was
never made public. I submit this is because there were two secrets to maintain, Lupin's
and Snape's. To reveal one would have resulted in the other becoming public as well, so
some of the source of Snape's lasting resentment may well have been that he had to
remain silent about a volitional wrong against him, in order to assure silence about a
personal characteristic that he had no choice in acquiring and can not change.
I also believe that the Prank cemented a bond between Lupin and Snape, and led to a
friendship of sorts. It was his friendship (or at least overtures of that sort) with Snape that
caused Lupin to become the Marauder first suspected of being a spy. Again, not a whiff of
canon to support this friendship (except, just maybe in its very absence), but there are two
pieces of canon that do become interesting to consider in light of these speculations. One
is how nonplussed Lupin is with Snape assigning that Werewolf essay, and how Lupin then
assigns a Vampire essay. It is almost like this is an inside joke between them. Second, in
OOTP when Sirius and Lupin learn of Snape discontinuing the Occulemency lessons, it is
Lupin who states he should be the one to talk to Snape. Why Lupin? , because they were
once friends.
A trivia footnote: There is a specific species of North American bat, the Pallid bat, that is
able to catch and eat scorpions, being immune to scorpion venom. It can detect insects
simply by listening for footsteps.
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