I do not like "The North Tower"
Feb. 2nd, 2005 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gmonkey42That column on MuggleNet, The North Tower? I don't like it. The theories are half-baked and easily disproved. And they contain spelling errors.
Snape wasn't trying to get the stone for himself. That doesn't make sense. It's not consistent with his character. What would he do after he stole it? Where would he go? He's devoted his life to working for Dumbledore and the Order. He couldn't exactly stick around after taking the stone. And even if he'd been trying to get the stone for himself instead of trying to protect it, that wouldn't make much difference to Voldemort. Either way, Snape would've been trying to prevent him from getting it, wouldn't he? Somehow, I don't think Voldemort would go "oh well, he's a Slytherin just like me so I'm not going to hold it against him that he tried to steal the stone for himself, knowing full well that I wanted it." And of course Snape didn't know Voldemort was actually there in Quirrell's head! Nor did Dumbledore! They wouldn't have let Quirrell go on teaching if they'd known that! Snape could have known Quirrell wanted to steal the stone and give it to Voldemort without knowing Voldemort was actually there, controlling him! Geeze.
Snape saved Harry because he knew about the prophecy and he didn't want Harry to die before he'd had a chance to kill Voldemort. OK? That's it. That's the only reason. None of this "Dumbledore would've suspected me if I'd failed to save him." How would Dumbledore have known that Snape figured out what was happening to Harry's broom? And if Voldemort had managed to kill Harry then why would it have mattered that Dumbledore didn't trust Snape any more? Coming from the point of view of Voldemort thinking Snape's on his (V.'s) side, Snape wouldn't have needed to worry about what Dumbledore thought once Harry was dead because then Snape could've openly come over to support the Death Eaters, right? Dumbledore without Harry would've been less of a threat; sure, it still would've been handy to have Snape around Hogwarts spying but that's not worth losing the chance to kill Harry. Even if Snape tried to claim that his reason for saving Harry was so he could remain at Hogwarts as Voldemort's spy, Voldemort would have to punish him for incompetence, for thinking that was more important that getting rid of Harry.
If I hear the phrase "X theory is just that - a theory," one more time, someone's gonna get hurt.
And that's just part 1.
On to part 2. The first half just restates what happened in the books, so there's nothing to object to there. Then we get into the speculation. That Snape left the Pensieve there deliberately, so Harry would look at his memories and Snape would have an excuse to stop teaching him. I don't think so. Snape understood the importance of Harry learning Occlumency. By the time he threw Harry out of his office, it'd become clear that Harry wasn't trying and wouldn't learn anyway. Snape was using the Pensieve right from the beginning. I admit that it's a little odd that Snape would leave Harry unattended in his office but it would've been odd under any circumstances and the author needed Harry (and us readers) to see that memory. Anyway, why would Snape use that particular memory if he intended for Harry to see it? Surely there were other times when James and Sirius were stupid jerks that didn't involve Snape being humiliated. You'd think he'd pick one where Harry wouldn't get to see his underwear, for example. So I don't buy it. Snape was actually doing a better job encouraging Harry in the Occlumency lessons than we've seen him do in Potions class. He wanted Harry to learn. If he'd wanted to get out of teaching him, Snape could've been even nastier, instead of being almost civil compared to how he usually is, and made Harry insist on quitting. Instead of putting his memories in the Pensieve every week, waiting for months, wasn't it? until the occasion arose where he'd have to leave in a hurry and Harry would get a chance to see them.
Also: arrgh! I hate it when people say "highly doubt." It's not ungrammatical but it's overused. I think it makes people look like they're trying too hard to sound scholarly.
The North Tower is correct in pointing out the effect seeing Snape's memory had on Harry but Harry's seeing it was contrived not by Snape but by J. K. Rowling. She needed Harry to see it. Snape didn't, really. Snape believes that Harry's spoiled and full of himself just like James; why would Snape expect Harry to get anything more than a good laugh out of seeing that memory? And having seen it, has Harry changed his mind about Snape? All signs at the end of OotP point to 'no.'
I agree that Snape was more out of control in PoA than in OotP but not by much. He threw Harry on the ground and flung a glass jar at him. That's the most physically violent we've ever seen Snape, isn't it? If it were all an act, would he really have gone that far? I'm sure Harry could've gotten Snape in trouble for that if he'd told Dumbledore and telling Dumbledore wouldn't have been much of a risk for Harry - he'd already been forgiven once for looking in the Pensieve when it was none of his business. My intgerpretation of the lack of shouting in OotP was that Snape was even more furious than in PoA. In PoA, there was also the frustration of Black having escaped from under his nose. That's why Snape was throwing a tantrum then but not in OotP. Earlier, when he'd nearly gotten into a fight with Sirius in the kitchen, Sirius had gotten louder as he got more angry whereas Snape got quieter. The lack of shouting didn't mean he was perfectly calm.
In conclusion: I don't like The North Tower. I wouldn't read it except they keep writing about Snape and I keep mistakenly expecting to read something interesting.
ETA: The Department of Mysteries, on the other hand, kicks ass. Snape/Firenze! I can't help noticing that one's written by a guy. They ought to give me my own column. So it doesn't look like the females can't write a good Harry Potter column.
Snape wasn't trying to get the stone for himself. That doesn't make sense. It's not consistent with his character. What would he do after he stole it? Where would he go? He's devoted his life to working for Dumbledore and the Order. He couldn't exactly stick around after taking the stone. And even if he'd been trying to get the stone for himself instead of trying to protect it, that wouldn't make much difference to Voldemort. Either way, Snape would've been trying to prevent him from getting it, wouldn't he? Somehow, I don't think Voldemort would go "oh well, he's a Slytherin just like me so I'm not going to hold it against him that he tried to steal the stone for himself, knowing full well that I wanted it." And of course Snape didn't know Voldemort was actually there in Quirrell's head! Nor did Dumbledore! They wouldn't have let Quirrell go on teaching if they'd known that! Snape could have known Quirrell wanted to steal the stone and give it to Voldemort without knowing Voldemort was actually there, controlling him! Geeze.
Snape saved Harry because he knew about the prophecy and he didn't want Harry to die before he'd had a chance to kill Voldemort. OK? That's it. That's the only reason. None of this "Dumbledore would've suspected me if I'd failed to save him." How would Dumbledore have known that Snape figured out what was happening to Harry's broom? And if Voldemort had managed to kill Harry then why would it have mattered that Dumbledore didn't trust Snape any more? Coming from the point of view of Voldemort thinking Snape's on his (V.'s) side, Snape wouldn't have needed to worry about what Dumbledore thought once Harry was dead because then Snape could've openly come over to support the Death Eaters, right? Dumbledore without Harry would've been less of a threat; sure, it still would've been handy to have Snape around Hogwarts spying but that's not worth losing the chance to kill Harry. Even if Snape tried to claim that his reason for saving Harry was so he could remain at Hogwarts as Voldemort's spy, Voldemort would have to punish him for incompetence, for thinking that was more important that getting rid of Harry.
If I hear the phrase "X theory is just that - a theory," one more time, someone's gonna get hurt.
And that's just part 1.
On to part 2. The first half just restates what happened in the books, so there's nothing to object to there. Then we get into the speculation. That Snape left the Pensieve there deliberately, so Harry would look at his memories and Snape would have an excuse to stop teaching him. I don't think so. Snape understood the importance of Harry learning Occlumency. By the time he threw Harry out of his office, it'd become clear that Harry wasn't trying and wouldn't learn anyway. Snape was using the Pensieve right from the beginning. I admit that it's a little odd that Snape would leave Harry unattended in his office but it would've been odd under any circumstances and the author needed Harry (and us readers) to see that memory. Anyway, why would Snape use that particular memory if he intended for Harry to see it? Surely there were other times when James and Sirius were stupid jerks that didn't involve Snape being humiliated. You'd think he'd pick one where Harry wouldn't get to see his underwear, for example. So I don't buy it. Snape was actually doing a better job encouraging Harry in the Occlumency lessons than we've seen him do in Potions class. He wanted Harry to learn. If he'd wanted to get out of teaching him, Snape could've been even nastier, instead of being almost civil compared to how he usually is, and made Harry insist on quitting. Instead of putting his memories in the Pensieve every week, waiting for months, wasn't it? until the occasion arose where he'd have to leave in a hurry and Harry would get a chance to see them.
Also: arrgh! I hate it when people say "highly doubt." It's not ungrammatical but it's overused. I think it makes people look like they're trying too hard to sound scholarly.
The North Tower is correct in pointing out the effect seeing Snape's memory had on Harry but Harry's seeing it was contrived not by Snape but by J. K. Rowling. She needed Harry to see it. Snape didn't, really. Snape believes that Harry's spoiled and full of himself just like James; why would Snape expect Harry to get anything more than a good laugh out of seeing that memory? And having seen it, has Harry changed his mind about Snape? All signs at the end of OotP point to 'no.'
I agree that Snape was more out of control in PoA than in OotP but not by much. He threw Harry on the ground and flung a glass jar at him. That's the most physically violent we've ever seen Snape, isn't it? If it were all an act, would he really have gone that far? I'm sure Harry could've gotten Snape in trouble for that if he'd told Dumbledore and telling Dumbledore wouldn't have been much of a risk for Harry - he'd already been forgiven once for looking in the Pensieve when it was none of his business. My intgerpretation of the lack of shouting in OotP was that Snape was even more furious than in PoA. In PoA, there was also the frustration of Black having escaped from under his nose. That's why Snape was throwing a tantrum then but not in OotP. Earlier, when he'd nearly gotten into a fight with Sirius in the kitchen, Sirius had gotten louder as he got more angry whereas Snape got quieter. The lack of shouting didn't mean he was perfectly calm.
In conclusion: I don't like The North Tower. I wouldn't read it except they keep writing about Snape and I keep mistakenly expecting to read something interesting.
ETA: The Department of Mysteries, on the other hand, kicks ass. Snape/Firenze! I can't help noticing that one's written by a guy. They ought to give me my own column. So it doesn't look like the females can't write a good Harry Potter column.
