Snape (was: New Guy Hi)

[Mike]

My second try at this. Had a post completed when my computer locked 
up. Aaarrrggghhh

> Catlady 
> 
> Competitive urge can manifest in non-physical ways -- did any of 
> the jock-haters you met participate in chess tournaments?

Mike:
One such fellow had a national junior ranking in chess. After 
regaling me with all his thrilling chess exploits including all the 
*named* chess moves he'd used, he deigned to play me, I suppose to 
keep his eye. After two losses, he told me that I played too 
unconventionally. After four losses, he said that I presented him 
with too wide array of oppurtunities. After he lost to me for the 
sixth straight time, he stopped giving me advice.

::A slight pause in the action whilst I rearrainge Catlady's post. 
Ah, there we are, you may continue.::

> Catlady 
> The Snape in the Potterverse seems to hate Gryffindors rather than
> jocks.

Mike:
Oh but he seems to use every oppurtunity to disparage the Gryffindor 
jocks, at least one in particular. How about "brain versus brawn" 
or "Quidditch star" said with that irrascible Snape sneer. He must 
have let out his feelings on jocks, enough so that Lupin speculates 
on James jockocracy being one of the thorns in Sev's side.

:: I will now attempt the double cat balancing act. Degree of 
difficulty 3.8. Please wear gloves if you try this at home. ;) ::


> Catlady 
Socializing -- young Snape, in the Pensieve memories, clearly 
didn't have the skill, rather than couldn't be bothered with
doing it. Somehow he learned the skill in time to use it
when Cissy and Bella visited him at Spinner's End. 

> La Gatta Lucianese (Kat Macfarlane)
Introverted to begin with, we tend to be put off people generally by
the attitudes of those less decisive and more extroverted. After 
being burned by the majority of people we meet we learn to be 
reserved and self-contained, and to live inside our own heads.

Mike:
Well my two kittens, I think there may be a little projection going 
on here. You see, the nine-year-old boy that had the chutzpah to 
interrupt a nine and ten-year-old sister act in the playground does 
not seem to be quite so shy. Snape is of my generation. I can tell 
you that at his age I wouldn't have dared to interject myself the way 
he did, especially if I had a crush on one of the girls in question. 
That the encounter didn't go as planned was more the fault of his 
chromosomal make-up than his elan. Nine-year-old boys don't know how 
to talk to nine-year-old girls. 

But young Severus did manage to befriend Lily, did he not? And he 
seemed to have other friends from his House, not real charmers I'll 
grant you, but friends nonetheless. So where is this introverted 
child from whence you speak? How many kids do you know have friends 
of both sexes growing up?

And, yes, we see in his later years that he has no problem 
socializing with Cissy and Bella. I'm afraid introverted is not in 
Snapes vocabulary. He does speak "Sneer" and I have detected a hint 
of a "Snobbery" accent in his tone.

I can't say that I would have been a Gryffindor, but I feel confident 
in saying that young Severus and I would not have comingled 
congenially regardless of our House affiliation. And like the 
exchange between James and Sev on the train, I may have announced my 
desire for a particular House over all others, but Severus would have 
thrown out the first sneer and insult.


> Catlady 
I think there may be a gene for being able to learn social skills 

> Kat
Yes, we are standoffish and hard to get to know, but the few people 
who make the effort will find us interesting and devoted friends. 

Mike:
Oh dear me, I seem to have unintentionally offended here. Let me 
assure you both, I too was a shy youth. In fact, until I had made 
friends, I was slightly standoffish in new surroundings. I was 
especially poor at communications with the opposite sex. 

It wasn't until I got old, grey, and lost all my sex appeal that I 
found it easy to converse with the full spectrum of the human race. 
Though I would easily strike up conversations in an elevator full of 
strangers, I still test out as shy in those personality tests. Hmmph

That "chess champion" I spoke of above, we remained friends for a few 
years. I have put forth the effort. But you see, with Snape I don't 
think it's a matter of breaking through a false facade. I think he is 
genuinely spiteful by nature, as opposed to shy and reserved.


> Kat
Not too surprisingly, a lot of us are cat people; cats, being that 
way themselves, recognize us as kindred spirits.

Mike, raising his hand:
Cat person here too. I like their personalities. Though I may just be 
too lazy to take care of a dog. ;)

BTW, shouldn't you like Minerva?


> Catlady 
Whether I like Snape depends entirely on whether he would include me
in the small list of people he likes, and therefore spares from his
venom: Draco, Lucius, Cissy, Minerva, probably some more members of
Order of the Phoenix because no Order member backs Sirius's hatred 
of him... His sarcasm is very funny when aimed at someone other 
than me and mine.

Mike:
I guess I'm Sirius, then. Damn shame that Harry stepped between them 
two in the kitchen. I would have enjoyed a little spat.