MY 2nd Scene Analysis

JKR words in green my analysis in Silver

(pg 77)."Hang on. . . " Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table .... Where's Snape?" Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.
"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.
(78)."Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!"
"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him -"
"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train." Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.
We are seeing the voice of the novel, Potter, and how he is inserting his own opinions into the text. Calling Snape "cruel" might be pushing it over the top.
You have to see how, especially in this scene, how Snape is introduced by first and last name when he comes upon the waiting Potter and Weasely. This is indicating even then that he will be the "enemy" the "bad guy" (because he sees all the teachers as 'Professor' , even the stupid ones like Lockhart.) And its not the fact that it is before or after school, because later while Lockhart is threatening to erase their memories, Harry refers to him as Lockhart- no, here the first and last name of Snape is a definite sign they are in deep trouble. I mean, look at when Snape is talking to Potter about his father- he uses first AND last name. And what about Voldemort? Refers to Harry the majority of the time as Harry Potter. (and Mafloy too). Its the repeating use of 1st and last names that tells me that JKR is indicating enemies by the use of the 1st and last name.
No one can ignore how Snape builds upon the syntax of Weasely and Potter, in a mocking mode, of course, but also to set up an interesting parallel with what happens after (ill, left, been sacked, waiting for them to explain). He acts on decorum- the decorum of the tried and true "three" rule (first time it's introduced, second time its almost pattern, the 3rd supposed to be a pattern)
"Follow me," said Snape. Not daring even to look at each other, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.
Allusion to the persuasion of being lead down the wrong path? Or maybe from comfort.
"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing. They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.
Well of course the fireplace would be cold! He probably hasn't been in there for a long time, because he was looking around, investigating the Whomping Willow.
"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"
"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it -"
(79)."Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"
This is where a major difference between McGonagall and Snape comes out. He basically insults them, then asks them a question. He doesn't allow them to explain- he knows what happened. Jux. this to how McGonagall talks to them. Also see how Snape says "explain" (from his first words) and then turns around and then not allow them to explain. What does this say?
Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds. But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.
"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower ... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing ... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police ... Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear ... his own son. . . " he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily.
PLEASE think Mafloys when he says this bit about Weasely's father.
Harry felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car ... he hadn't thought of that ....
"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.
Wouldn't that place have some serious emotional memory for Snape, since that's where the whole Lupin\James\Sirius thing happened? Why was he out there, anyway? Unless he got the paper first, then went to investigate. I dunno...it would be more "our Snape" if he was out there for another reason, then saw the damage. Anyway, here we can see the irony of him using the adjective "valuable" when he would probably have wanted to burn the down, or something. We see he avoids stuff of his past (JKR having him not talk about Voldemort till the 4th book, the way he looked away from Karkaroff, ect). Ironic tone!
"That tree did more damage to us than we -" Ron blurted out.
"Silence!" snapped Snape again.
See? There is a definite connection to the fact that Snape was almost killed (killed?) there and this harsh "Silence!" It fits perfectly into his Slytherin "background" so such a supposition is actually...easily disguised.
"Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."
Here's a fic for someone to write- what if Harry was sorted into Slytherin? What if Snape did have the "happy power" to expel him? "Happy" and "power" sum up his values- when one has "power" to influence (in this case to expel) one is "happy" Also, such a bright word as "happy" being used in such a serious context? I laugh because of the implications.
Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Harry didn't feel hungry any more. He now felt extremely sick. He tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a
(80)shelf behind Snape's desk. If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.
JKR actually says the jux of McGonagall here.
Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before. She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.
Ah! An image of warmth to signify the warmth of character now being introduced (in the form of McGonagall and the Dumbledore)
"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.
"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously. Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.
She dispenses with the insults and asks them to Explain. Wonder why Snape didn't think of that?
"-so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."
"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry. Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done.
"I - I didn't think -"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."
But with that snide comment, not as acid as some of Snape's milder comments, we see the potential. Really, I could see Snape saying that line and it wouldn't matter. This helps the similarity between Snape and McGonagall--that it is only a few traits which divide them.
There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and
(81).Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow. There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."
Jux. the two others to Dumbledore and we see perhaps an ideal teacher- serious when needed, but bent towards helping, not hurting. Really, if nothing else, the scene allows for a parallel between Snape, McGonagall. and Dumbledore, by letting them respond to the same stimulus (that of Harry and Ron's getting in trouble.)
It would have been better if he had shouted. Harry hated the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.
"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron. Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore.
"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled.
Snape's values questioned!!!! Snape is pissed because they got in trouble therefore, the logical conclusion should result in expulsion. But, as Snape full well knows, Dumbledore is protecting him, and he won't kick out the boy because of that. And the fact that for anyone else they would be gone, but it's Potter. Two different ideals conflict- and he lets the one that hates potter out- because that's his persona. Importance? Snape, in being the ironic character of the novel, symbolizes the constant struggle between opposites. Getting rid of one side (that is, expelling Potter) would get rid of the tiring conflict. That's why he's so happy; that's why Christmas, a usually happy time, is canceled. That's why the metaphor works so well!
He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree - surely acts of this nature -"
We wonder- why the hell is the tree so damn important? We find out in the 3rd book. I love the repeated instance that the tree is important by Snape.
(82)."It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample -" Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.
Well, of course he's pissed! Like anyone, he just wants to reach some inner peace! And since Potter is the source of both sides of his conflict, he's even more pissed!