I do like to think that I've hit a good balance with Toby - frustrated at the turns his life took, but trying his best to do right by Eileen and Severus, too, for that matter. It's just that he's so frightfully clueless and more than a little scared of his son, unsure how he managed to generate offspring quite like him.... I think of their relationship as a cycle of resentment - he resents Sev because he doesn't understand him; Sev in turn resents Toby because he picks up on Toby's fear/blame; Toby then resents Sev because he picks up on his son thinking him inferior; etc.
And yes, I've always thought that Snape's situation was not one where he was never loved, never cared for, but one where he *was* loved, where his mother *was* a positive influence, but then something happened young to take that influence away. Death and divorce were the only likely candidates - and since learning that Toby was a Muggle, divorce made little sense. That left Death. It also explains how he came by an advanced textbook early enough to have filled its margins before the end of his fifth year.
Regarding the PRESTO question, I'd leave it at the High Table. He's primarily a teacher. Lockhart, Quirrel, Umbridge, and Lupin all have threads there, even though they only taught DADA for one year apiece.
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branchandroot
Thanks!
Date: 2005-12-31 06:34 pm (UTC)I do like to think that I've hit a good balance with Toby - frustrated at the turns his life took, but trying his best to do right by Eileen and Severus, too, for that matter. It's just that he's so frightfully clueless and more than a little scared of his son, unsure how he managed to generate offspring quite like him.... I think of their relationship as a cycle of resentment - he resents Sev because he doesn't understand him; Sev in turn resents Toby because he picks up on Toby's fear/blame; Toby then resents Sev because he picks up on his son thinking him inferior; etc.
And yes, I've always thought that Snape's situation was not one where he was never loved, never cared for, but one where he *was* loved, where his mother *was* a positive influence, but then something happened young to take that influence away. Death and divorce were the only likely candidates - and since learning that Toby was a Muggle, divorce made little sense. That left Death. It also explains how he came by an advanced textbook early enough to have filled its margins before the end of his fifth year.
Regarding the PRESTO question, I'd leave it at the High Table. He's primarily a teacher. Lockhart, Quirrel, Umbridge, and Lupin all have threads there, even though they only taught DADA for one year apiece.