Make Room for Daddy Snape

[sistermagpie]

I still have yet to receive my book. So this post may be filled with things that are off, or I may miss completely obvious things that have to do with the subject. It's very hard for me to write about Snape without going over stuff again, and without knowing some of the basic facts we're intentionally not told. Anyway, still, it came into my head

Comments

[bethbethbeth]

::bookmarked::

A really excellent examination of this three-way dynamic, particularly interesting to me because I've seen almost *no* examination of Draco from anyone on my f'list, which is very odd.

[sistermagpie]

Really? I must just be doing enough Draco meta for the entire flist, shameless as I've been about it.:-)

[earth_magic]

This is an excellent study. When I read the things you write I realise just how much I read the books at just a surface level. It will be fun going back and read it again with the memory of your comments.

[sistermagpie]

Thanks! I'm going to be reading again with everyone else's comments in mind.:-)

[ptyx]

Your first lines made me laugh - Oh, Snape. Poor Snape. Of everyone in canon he's the one that seems to hate children the most. How did he end up with not one, but two sons? - and then you almost made me cry: He doesn't care if you hate him, he's not going away. And when I finished it, I was left speechless. This is so perfect. This is the best fic I've ever read. Is it canon?! I hope it is, sis! I have to rec your essay ASAP!

[sistermagpie]

Thanks!

I really really hope it's canon.

[parallactic]

I'm impressed by your ability to pull off insightful meta without having read the book. This also reminds me of a meta post I read, where Dumbledore was the distant father figure, Sirius the father figure that wants to be your friend, and Snape the authoritarian, demanding one. I hadn't thought of Snape as father figure to Draco, and I think it's only in this book that we see it

[sistermagpie]

Oh, I've read the book. I just returned my copy and am now awaiting the one I ordered, so I'm going from memory.

But going back from HBP and looking at the previous books, Draco gets treated as the favored child before but in HBP he's not. He becomes the troublesome one, the one who gets criticized, which is usually Harry's role. The potions textbook is Snape nurturing Harry by proxy, and on an equal basis.

Oh, very true--and it shows in the class. Draco seems to do okay in Potions, and he probably is a better Potions student to start with, but with Snape helping Harry out he's doing a lot better while Draco has to "rely on his talent."

If he's demanding and critical of Draco, Draco rebels. If he'd just given straightforward advice to Harry, they'd have got on well.

Yes, and I love the way that makes Harry and Snape look funny. Harry can't believe "the Prince" is anything like Snape and Snape is sure his teenaged self would have hated Harry.

And if we're really getting into symbolism, Draco and Harry could represent the two

[parallactic]

And Harry inadvertantly defends Snape against Hermione, which gets very interesting. Hm, if OotP was the teenage rebellion book, then HBP was the teenage obedience book, with the way Harry claimed he was Dumbledore's man, and actually took Snape's advice via proxy of book.

I'd think Snape would be very good at compartmentalizing, else he wouldn't make a good spy for whichever side he's on. Then again, he can't tell the difference between Harry and James, and isn't good at being professional and objective. Or maybe he only does that when his life is in danger.

[mizbean]

Ooh, I just love reading your essays.

And I have to admit, I hope there is a certain amount of scarring.

Oh, I agree. And, thank you for tying it all in with their confrontation in OotP. "deciding which curse to use on Malfoy" I had forgotten all about that.

[sistermagpie]

To be honest, I'd forgotten about it too until I was writing it!