Harry Potter: Its all over

Jaderis, Nah, he hated Harry because he represented all of his resentments, disappointments & humiliations, he looked like James & was the son of someone he gretly desired but never "had". It was just that his hatred of Harry was at odds with his hatred of Voldemort, it's what made Snape interesting.The failed occlumency lessons point to Snape's real hatred of Harry not being a cover up.Mark

---

There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

i don't think he hated harry. i think it's more complex than that. he disliked him, sure. but that really more influenced by his issues with his parents than with potter himself. also, i think he was very clearly frustrated with potter's failures as a student. added to the reaction one naturally has to a student who clearly dislikes you, defies you at every turn, and keeps trying to get you fired while you're trying to save his life from the very people doing the things he accuses you of and you have a recipe for nastiness. but all out hatred? i think that's a bit strong.

You missed the rest of my post. I agree that Snape was conflicted and that is what made him interesting, but I don't agree that he hated Harry. I don't think that Snape would have been nearly as hostile to Harry if he wasn't trying to maintain his cover. Like I said, the resemblance to James did make it easier and Snape did tend to lash out more at Harry when he thought he was acting arrogantly. However, I think it more important that Snape was afraid that Harry would depend on his charm, good looks and name to get by ("Clearly, fame isn't everything"" eg). He obviously didn't recognize James' talent because he was so blinded by the fact that James used his talents against him and probably thought that James was unjustifiably popular and look where it got James. Dead. He wanted, no needed for Harry to be specially talented because he thought that only a very powerful wizard could defeat Voldemort.We have evidence of this in DH when (through his memories) Snape says to Dumbledore: [qs=The Prince's Tale][i]Yet you confide much more in a boy who is incapable of Occlumency, whose magic is mediocre, and who has a direct connection into the Dark Lord's mind![/qs]No, they point to Snape's frustration with Harry for not dedicating himself to the task at hand which was thought necessary for defeating Voldemort. The lessons were cut off because Harry was caught snooping around in Snape's memories and that indeed triggered an irrational response from Snape. The lessons were clearly not going anywhere, however, because Harry wasn't doing what he needed to do in order to gain the skill of Occlumency and that must have frustrated the hell out of Snape.I'm not saying that Snape is innocent in every regard. He loathed James and the Marauders (for good reason, IMO...they were pricks) and the reasons he felt that way were being personified by Harry, the boy he was bound to protect and who defied him at every turn.But, imagine trying to help someone without giving it away for all to see. How hard would that be?I agree that he disliked what he saw/chose to see in Harry (arrogance, mediocrity, defiance) but I don't think it was as simplistic an emotion as hate.

---

"You are metaphysicians. You can prove anything by metaphysics; and having done so, every metaphysician can prove every other metaphysician wrong--to his own satisfaction. You are anarchists in the realm of thought. And you are mad cosmos-makers. Each of you dwells in a cosmos of his own making, created out of his own fancies and desires. You do not know the real world in which you live, and your thinking has no place in the real world except in so far as it is phenomena of mental aberration." -The Iron Heel by Jack London

Irrational? There was more than one memory in the pensieve - no doubt the memories he shared with Harry in the end where also there. Snape realized that Harry's interminable/insufferable curiosity could blow his cover - I assume Dumbledore encouraged the idea with his surprise to misdirect Harry. If anybody suspected Snape was onside after what he had done, his position would be compromised and Hogwarts would have been in the control of less friendly Death Eaters.That's how I see it anyway.

Jaderis, That's not what Dumbledore said at the end of "Half-Blood". He said Snape couldn't get over Harry's relationship to James & all that went with it.Mark

---

There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

Where? I reread the bits in the book prior to the locket horcrux search when Harry explodes at finding out that Snape was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy and screams at Dumbledore for trusting Snape when "He hated my Dad like he hated Sirius!" Dumbledore defends Snape but does not say that Snape hates Harry and does not mention James aside from the bit about the prophecy.Maybe it is before that? Could you point it out for me?At any rate, I am not denying that Snape had problems with Harry's resemblance to James (both physical and behavioral). All I am saying is that his feelings were way more complicated than simple hatred and I don't think he hated Harry as a person at all.

---

"You are metaphysicians. You can prove anything by metaphysics; and having done so, every metaphysician can prove every other metaphysician wrong--to his own satisfaction. You are anarchists in the realm of thought. And you are mad cosmos-makers. Each of you dwells in a cosmos of his own making, created out of his own fancies and desires. You do not know the real world in which you live, and your thinking has no place in the real world except in so far as it is phenomena of mental aberration." -The Iron Heel by Jack London

Hmmm...I hadn't thought of that. Don't know why because after DH it is blindingly obvious I guess I thought he could have handled it better, but now I see that he couldn't risk Harry getting inside of his head or snooping around his office at all. I wonder if he had anything in his office that would give him away? Maybe the bit of letter from Lily {ABE: oops just remembered that he took it after Sirius died} or something else pertaining to her?Edited by Jaderis, : No reason given.

---

"You are metaphysicians. You can prove anything by metaphysics; and having done so, every metaphysician can prove every other metaphysician wrong--to his own satisfaction. You are anarchists in the realm of thought. And you are mad cosmos-makers. Each of you dwells in a cosmos of his own making, created out of his own fancies and desires. You do not know the real world in which you live, and your thinking has no place in the real world except in so far as it is phenomena of mental aberration." -The Iron Heel by Jack London