Snape in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Professor Snape appears in the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series, finally obtaining the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. But unbeknowst to others, he has taken an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy in order to help her son Draco perform a secret task for Lord Voldemort-- a task that will change his life forever.
In this thread, you can discuss anything related to Professor Snape in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: scenes, characterisation, things we ought to have seen/known, headcanons, and anything else you like!
I forgot what a master Snape was in deception. This from Chapter 2:
"Before I answer you-- oh yes, Bellatrix, I am gong to answer! You can carry my words back to the others who whisper behind my back, and carry false tales of my trachery to the Dark Lord! Before I answer you, I say, let me ask a question in turn. Do you really think that the Dark Lord has not asked me each and every one of those questions? And do you really think that, had I not been able to give satisfactory answers, I would be sitting here talking to you?"
She hesitated.
"I know he believes you, but--"
"You think he is mistaken? Or that I have somehow hoodwinked him? Fooled the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen?"
It really is incredible how Rowling managed to deceive readers through six books, especially given the speech that comes next from Snape. I think this is called plausible deniability? If something can be plausibly denied, then it can be dismissed. For Snape to repeat his script while appearing bored with questions that surely were troubling just shows how double-minded he had to become.
I love this quote, demonstrating a fascinating duality in Snape's bitter anti-Harry rantings:
First of all, is this really true?
"...I should remind you that when Potter first arrived at Hogwarts there were many stories circulating about him, rumours that he himself was a great Dark wizard, which was how he had survived the Dark Lord's attack. Indeed, many of the Dark Lord's old followers thought Potter might be a standard around which we could all rally once more. I was curious, I admit it, and not at all inclined to murder him the moment he set foot in the castle."
Or was he more curious about how the son of his old enemy would look?
As for this, I can't help but laugh:
"Of course, it became apprent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He has fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends. He is mediocre to the last degree, though as obnoxious and self-satisfied as was his father before him. I have done my utmost to have him thrown out of Hogwarts, where I believe he scarcely belongs, but kill him, or allow him to be killed in front of me? I would have been a fool to risk it, with Dumbledore close at hand."
Oh, the irony.
First of all, as a professor, Snape may well have known that Harry Potter would achieve an O in Defence Against the Dark Arts-- the very subject that he would now teach for that coming academic year.
Second of all, it must have been Snape who graded Harry as 'Exceeds Expectations' in Potions, the subject in which he claimed Harry Potter was incompetent. This was the grade that Snape said everyone must achieve or else suffer his 'displeasure'. (So even his bitterness and longstanding grievances cannot prevent him from grading fairly.)
The 'more talented friends' Snape refers to can only be a reference to Hermione Granger, though it may also include members of the Order.
Clearly Harry is not 'mediocre to the last degree'; this is Snape's longstanding bitterness speaking. Nor is he anywhere near as obnoxious or self-satisfied as Snape's favourite student, Draco Malfoy! But it is hilarious to see him convince himself of this just as much he has convinced Bellatrix that he is loyal to Voldemort.
Agree with all your points, which is why I love this chapter so much. It's such a masterful demonstration of the depth of Snape's character, from his extraordinary cleverness and quick wit to his (often conflicting) interests/motivations. Of course, much of that is unclear upon first read, but in retrospect? Wow.
Also, we don't get many chances to see Snape "unfiltered" (i.e. not from Harry's POV). The subtle (and not so subtle) differences in the way he's described are fascinating, starting with his appearance:
"A sliver of a man could be seen looking out at them, a man with long black hair parted in curtains around a sallow face and black eyes."
That's it. No greasy hair or crooked yellow teeth, no mention of an overly large nose. Of course, that doesn't mean Snape was conventionally attractive, but it does show that Harry focused on/perhaps even exaggerated his supposed flaws. Of course, it's human nature to do that when we dislike someone, which is what makes the discrepancy so brilliant. Harry might see him as "ugly", but he wouldn't necessarily appear that way to an objective observer.
Chapter 2, Spinner's End, contains an important glimpse into Severus Snape's character. One of these is how Narcissa Malfoy feels physically comfortable with Snape. This contrasts with the image of him as being shabby, offputting, and emotionally repressed.
When Snape said nothing, Narcissa seemed to lose what little self-restraint she still possessed. Standing up, she staggered to Snape and seized the front of his robes.
The normally restrained Snape allows this, even to the point of...
Her face close to his, her tears falling on to his chest...
It's not that Snape is necessarily comfortable with her crying, though:
Snape said nothing. He looked away from the sight of her tears as though they were indecent, but he could not pretend not to hear her.
That was earlier. But for Narcissa Malfoy, she apparently knows or senses that physically touching Snape is the way to change his mind. Unless I am mistaken, we don't see Snape permitting such vulnerability or close contact with anyone else, and he doesn't allow it for long:
Snape caught hold of her wrists and removed her clutching hands.
Why is Snape so moved by Narcissa's pleas, other than the obvious connection to his old friend, Lucius Malfoy? There may be a parallel between Narcissa's desperate plea for Draco's life, to the point of going behind Lord Voldemort's back, and his own desperate plea many years earlier for Lily Evans' life-- also behind Lord Voldemort's back. But we don't know what Snape was thinking during that time. Either way, Narcissa Malfoy knows that she can access Snape's sense of compassion.
He definitely has one, though he is stern about it:
Snape stooped, seized her by the arms, lifted her up and steered her back onto the sofa. He then poured her more wine and forced the glass into her hand.
'Narcissa, that's enough. Drink this. Listen to me.'
After Snape has offered to help Narcissa Malfoy, I was struck by her gratitude:
She flung away her lass; it skidded across the table as she slid off the sofa into a kneeling position at Snape's feet, seized his and in both of hers and pressed her lips to it.
Narcissa's reaction being one of a grateful and desperate mother is self-evident. What's more interesting is that Snape does not retract from the contact, whereas he was uncomfortable with her tears.
Snape did not look at Bellatrix. His black eyes were fixed upon Narcissa's tear-filled blue ones as she continued to clutch his hand.
All of this culminates in Snape being willing to take the Unbreakable Vow for Narcissa Malfoy (even considering the true nature of his mission). It seems to me from Bellatrix's angry and astounded reaction that she is jealous of the closeness between Snape and Narcissa Malfoy, especially the latter's trust and affection towards him. Narcissa Malfoy clearly does not value Bellatrix Lestrange's advice, even though they are on the same side, and her opinion is shared by Snape.
Despite Snape's true allegiance, Narcissa Malfoy is incredibly important to him by herself, not just because she is the wife of Lucius Malfoy. So we can see the depth of loyalty that Snape can bring to his friends, to the point that he is willing to be interrupted at his home to see to their needs.
Great analysis, though I would point out that this chapter was written from an objective, third-party POV. That muddies the waters because we can't know what Severus is thinking/feeling. We can only judge him by his behavior/interactions.
At face value, I'd agree with your observations. Severus is also playing a part, however, and we know (as he does), that his every word and action will be scrutinized. He can't just interact with Narcissa and Bellatrix in a straightforward manner – he has to show them what he wants/needs them to see.
Of course, that doesn't mean that all of it is fake. I have no doubt that his disdain for Bellatrix was real, and it's certainly possible that he cared about Narcissa, even that he sympathized with her to some degree. The trouble is, we don't know, which is what makes his character so fascinating. I could go through every example you cited and give a plausible explanation for either side (i.e. real or part of the act). I suppose it's all in how you choose to interpret it… personally, I'm somewhere in the middle.
Anyway, I loved reading your analysis (as always). Keep it up!
Quote from Heatherlly on October 25, 2022, 4:16 amI could go through every example you cited and give a plausible explanation for either side (i.e. real or part of the act).
Why not go through them with the counter-argument? 🙂 I'd love to read it!
Overall, earning/maintaining Narcissa's trust works to Severus's advantage. It benefits him as a spy as she's more likely to let things slip, and in general, it's good for him to have friendly relationships among the Death Eaters. I'm sure he knew that/took steps to facilitate it wherever he could.
That's not to say his behavior toward her was completely disingenuous. I'm just pointing out that there were plenty of reasons (beyond legitimate fondness) for him to treat her like a friend.
Of course, his relationship with Bellatrix is much more contentious, which is also a motivating factor. I can see him emphasizing his closeness (real or otherwise) with Narcissa to get under Bellatrix's skin, but more than that, it's all about appearances. What would Bellatrix (or Narcissa) have thought if he'd acted coldly, pushed Narcissa away, and/or refused her request? He would've alienated Narcissa while deepening Bellatrix's suspicions, neither of which would have worked to his advantage (quite the opposite).
In short, he had to behave a specific way regardless of how he felt about it. And while I (like you) would love to believe that at least some of it was genuine, circumstances/POV make it impossible to know for sure.
The normally restrained Snape allows this, even to the point of...
Her face close to his, her tears falling on to his chest...
Severus does come off as restrained, but again, this has everything to do with context. What we've come to expect as "normal" is filtered through Harry's POV, almost always in a professional setting (Hogwarts). So, is Severus really that restrained in terms of physical contact? Or is he just behaving appropriately, as anyone would when interacting with students and coworkers?
I'm not saying you're wrong, just that it's hard to classify his behavior toward Narcissa as unusual. Yes, he does seem more open to physical contact, but he's also in a private setting with other adults.
Putting all the other layers aside (keeping up the act, etc), this still leads to some interesting speculation. Was his behavior really that atypical/specific to Narcissa? Or would he have acted similarly with other adults he happened to be on friendly terms with?
It's not that Snape is necessarily comfortable with her crying, though:
Snape said nothing. He looked away from the sight of her tears as though they were indecent, but he could not pretend not to hear her.
This has always fascinated me because it's so ambiguous. Is he embarrassed by her tears? Does it hurt him to see her cry? Personally, I think it's a bit of both, though I'd lean more toward the latter. I think he looks away because he knows how important it is to play his part/keep his composure. He can't afford to be too emotionally affected.
Unless I am mistaken, we don't see Snape permitting such vulnerability or close contact with anyone else, and he doesn't allow it for long:
We don't, though that goes back to my earlier point. There's no other scene in the books where he would've even been in a position to accept/reject this kind of contact. His reaction seems unique because it's a unique situation… we really have no basis for comparison.
As for not allowing it for long…
I don't think that has anything to do with him being comfortable/uncomfortable with physical contact. I'd say part of it is him trying to remain as unaffected as possible along with a natural instinct to calm her down/get the situation resolved. The latter is even more of a factor considering the position he's in, but even if that wasn't the case… men generally respond to crying by trying to fix things. It wouldn't make sense for him to just stand there and let her bawl.
Why is Snape so moved by Narcissa's pleas, other than the obvious connection to his old friend, Lucius Malfoy? There may be a parallel between Narcissa's desperate plea for Draco's life, to the point of going behind Lord Voldemort's back, and his own desperate plea many years earlier for Lily Evans' life-- also behind Lord Voldemort's back. But we don't know what Snape was thinking during that time. Either way, Narcissa Malfoy knows that she can access Snape's sense of compassion.
I'm not sure Narcissa necessarily knows how Severus will respond. She's distraught and she's desperate, enough to take a massive risk. I don't think her tears and pleading are in any way calculated to elicit a certain response… she's terrified at the most basic level and is reacting accordingly.
As for Severus… your theory makes sense, but in this case, I don't think you need a logical explanation. Assuming he cares about her and/or Draco, even a little bit, compassion is a natural response.
All of this culminates in Snape being willing to take the Unbreakable Vow for Narcissa Malfoy (even considering the true nature of his mission).
He didn't take the Vow for Narcissa, though of course, it would've seemed that way from her perspective. Maybe even Bellatrix's too, which you're right… that would explain her angry/astounded reaction. I imagine that was a silver lining for Severus in an otherwise shitty situation – you know he had to be feeling smug as fuck. lol
Despite Snape's true allegiance, Narcissa Malfoy is incredibly important to him by herself, not just because she is the wife of Lucius Malfoy. So we can see the depth of loyalty that Snape can bring to his friends, to the point that he is willing to be interrupted at his home to see to their needs.
Was it willingness, or was it necessity? A little of both?
Like you, I'd prefer to believe that at least some of the closeness is genuine. I just think a lot of it is ambiguous/muddied by the dual role he has to play. I would've loved to have seen him in a setting where he didn't have to "keep up the act", as it were. Failing that, at least one scene from his POV (other than the Prince's Tale) would've been nice.
Then again, that would've spoiled the mystery, so maybe not. I'll just have to stick with headcanons and fanfiction to fill in the blanks, which… hey, I'm not complaining. 🙂
