I think we all know this is a popular thing to write about in Slytherin!Harry stories.

Usually it goes one or two ways: Snape acts almost like he did in canon, or he "realises" that Harry isn't a miniature version of James and ends up either a stoic mentor and a loving father figure (ha!).

I personally think both are rubbish.

Snape cares too much about - I wouldn't say caring - but giving his Slytherins power or covering for them. Given that I can't see him at the same time publicly demeaning or humiliating Harry as a Slytherin as that would undermine what he's been doing.

At the other end of the scale I don't think he (at any point) has it in him to drop his grudge with James and in-turn Harry. He certainly couldn't get to the father figure stage and I think it's doubtful he'd ever fill the mentor position.

Instead, I think he'd end up somewhere in between. I think he'd simply do his best to pretend Harry doesn't exist and occasionally give him the evil eye.

 

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/60018561.jpg

EDIT: I meant that the Lurkers would post soon to raise up their post count. No offense was meant to Download.

 

I think I'm with you there. Honestly the best characterisation I've seen of Snape after Harry gets sorted into Slytherin was him just absolutely ignoring his existence, avoiding him when he can and lashing out a little out just having no reaction when he actually has to interact.

Snape seems to be a man dead set in his world views, stubborn as hell. We haven't seen him react well to people who he already has a grudge against in canon - like Lupin, who actually treated him rather professionally and yet Snape still tried to sabotage his career. Snape seems too petty to let anything go so easily.

So why would be not continue to act like a dick to Harry in Slytherin? I can't say he wouldn't, really, but I find it more likely that he wouldn't pick on a Slytherin. Ultimately Snape reacts badly to being wrong and the easiest way to cope might just be to ignore it.

 

Snape didn't hate Harry because he was a Gryffindor, but because he was James Potter's son and a living proof that Lily had dumped him.

That wouldn't change simply by sorting Harry in Slytherin. Snape would still insult and ridicule him at every occasion (maybe waiting to be between Slytherins if he wants to maintain a semblance of unity in the House, but I don't think so), he would still give him abysmal notes and detentions. The only thing he wouldn't do anymore, IMO, is taking points.

Even if the House-changing was associated with a change in character, I don't think Snape would learn to realize that Harry isn't James or some BS -he never did in canon.

Hey, Snape himself said that he would have expelled Harry and Ron, had they been in his House.

 

Eh. He won't single him out for public punishment and humiliation as he did in canon, but I can't see him not doing anything either. As with all things Slytherin, On the Way to Greatness is the best authority we have on the subject.

Not that it would stop Snape from finding new ways to punish Harry of course. Just no overt public humiliation of Slytherins. Even the Slytherin unity thing (which is canon via Pottermore, btw) won't protect him completely.

 

I was not a very big fan of Snape in canon. He was incredibly petty and a bully. I think a 13 year old boy (Neville) having Snape as his most feared thing in the world really speaks for itself in my opinion. That is why I don't believe Snape had it in him to ever get over his bias of Harry. I might buy him completely ignoring Harry's existence if he was in Slytherin, but I do believe he would keep his bias.

 

Whenever I think of Snape, I always find myself thinking back to that one scene where Draco jinxs Herminone's teeth and Snape just mocks her.

Seriously, what kind of person takes pleasure from making a 12 or 13 year old cry, always seemed kind of fucked up to me.

So I have doubt that Snape would do anything more than place a cold mask on himself in that situation.

 

It always baffles me how people hold that up as definite proof of Snape being a scumbag. Of all the horrible things that Snape has done, why does this stand out to everyone?

 

I think it's important to remember that Harry would undergo a massive change in behaviour if he was sorted to slytherin as well. Unlike many others, I don't view the relationship b/w the two to be as one dimensional as Snape hated Harry because he was James' son.

*While it certainly was a factor which made Snape predisposed to hate Harry, Harry's own behaviour (breaking rules, putting his and the others' lives in danger, disrespecting authority figures, especially Snape;viewing Snape's most personal memories, hitting him infront of a supposed mass murder) certainly didn't help. This reminded him of James' own behaviour, and that was who he hated, who brought out the worst in him.

*Snape's personality

*Another factor is his status as a double agent, which wouldn't allow him to be friendly, or even neutral towards Harry even if he was inclined to(which he was most likely not), because that would mean if Voldemort asked him to simply bring Harry to him (like Barty Crouch), he would have no excuse to refuse him. On the other hand when he had an antagonistic relationship with Harry, he could simply claim that the kidnapping would raise too many suspicions against him. Because Snape, a well placed spy, was much more important to Voldemort than Harry, this would make the plan unfeasible. (If Harry is sorted to Slytherin, Snape gets some leeway since the boy is supposed to be under his care)

In canon, Snape tarred Harry and James with the same brush as soon as he winked at Seamus. In this case, however, he'll have to reanalyze his assumptions, look deeper because he knows James would never have been sorted to Slytherin. What happens after that is all up to Harry. If he behaves similar to canon!Harry, the antagonistic relationship will return, and if he behaves ideally (or as ideal as igt gets) and doesn't blame everything bad on Snape as he did in canon, they could very well develop a mutually trustful, grudgingly respectful though cold relationship. Kinda like the relationnship b/w Snape and Dumbledore

I doubt he can ever be openly friendly or a father figure to Harry because when all's said and done, he has to successfully fool the greatest mind reading psyycopath in the history of psycopaths.

 

*Snape's sould wasn't ripped apart until the end of HBP, so he isn't a murderer

*The only times Snape uses legilimency on students is when a.)It's expected (during occlumency lessons) b.) A student had been gravely wounded due to a spell in his own book and the perpetrator refused to tell the truth and c.) when he had to get info about the dark lord's plans from a death eater student. Pretty justified in all cases.

*Blatant favouring of his own house-In addition to your point, he had to convince Voldemort that he was still on his side. Favouring the children of death eaters certainly did help convince their DE parent, like Lucius.

Yeah. I agree that that was one of his meanest moments, but at the time, the dark mark was getting darker, signalling the impending return of Voldemort and also the time when he'd have to convince him of his loyalties, there were three death eater kids, standing right there and there was a triwizard tournament going on, in which the boy he had to protect was participating. If McGonagall is excused for her outburst at Neville ('Kindly do not show your incopetence in front of the other schools, Mr. Longbottom!") because she was stressed due to the tournament, I don't see why Snape's outburst isn't understandable(though abhorrent all the same)?

 

Eh. It's Hermione. Snape has reasons to dislike her (she set him on fire when he was trying to save Harry's life, she knocked him out cold when he thought he was trying to save them from a deranged mass murderer, etc.)

 

I honestly don't understand how people still excuse Snape's behavior. All those of you who think he is justified or it's no big deal, have you ever being through school? You must have. Put yourselves in these pupils' shoes. Would you still excuse this behavior if it was directed to you?

I've been teaching for more than 15 years and have come across several students that I strongly dislike but I would never ever behave in a non-professional manner towards them, let alone a _hateful_ manner. Personal problems or being annoyed at your bosses or whatever have nothing to do with how you interact with students. Is this really so difficult for people to understand?

 

It's absolutely unjustified.

But, if I'm honest, I'd rather it just wasn't raised or mentioned at all. Fics that make a point of killing him off, or deriding him, or just poking your nose in the fact that he's a shitty person are only a step above those that glorify him, IMO. I'd much rather they just keep to the canon portrayal of him - not saying they make him worse, but just don't focus on it.

He can still be a bastard, still bully and belittle kids - just as he can still be competent and something of a genius. But bashing on him is cringe-worthy.

 

Darn I can't find a good article now, but it was a discussion topic a few years ago.

I like to refer to it as "Nerd persecution complex". Essentially people that have been bullied themselves at school are very willing to overlook, or even actively glorify as happens in this case, all the horrible things that a bullied person does to get back at his tormentors.

Even if it's just transferred hatred. James was essentially a popular jock at school, who was insensitive to those around him. Going as far as physical abuse in Snapes case. It is easy for someone who themselves was ostracized and perhaps even bullied to transfer that anger to the fictional character of James.

 

Only an idiot tries to justify the flaws of characters they like and pronounce the flaws of characters they don't like.

Hence, I dislike Hermione as a character, but do not I allow my dislike of her character influence my perception of the kind of person she is. She has flaws, like everyone in the world; she is bossy, narrow-minded, and stuck in her ways, but she is a loyal friend who is willing to die for those she cares about, and has constantly put her life in mortal danger for them.

I like Snape as a character, and he is my third favorite character, behind Harry and Albus. But my like for Snape does not influence my perception of him. He is clearly a bitter, old man with a pathetic penchant for bullying children. He puts his own society in danger by favoring Slytherins in Potions, thus cutting down the potential Aurors for the future. He is a sociopath.

 

And there you hit the nail on the damn head. Snape is a fun character to play around with precisely because of his flaws. Justifying them ruins him for me whenever I read it.

 

I'm not so sure about this. I think it's within Snape's character to conclude that Harry got sorted into Slytherin just to spite him or as a huge practical joke, or for the purpose of making a mockery of the sorting system/to taint Slytherin house.