Hey, sorry it took me so long to respond.  I was out of town for a few days and then got very busy writing on "Pair of Phoenixes".  Thank you very much for your thoughtful comments.  I guess people see the characters in different ways and what is OOC for one person is not for someone else.  I do tend to see Harry as more humble than some other people.  Yes, in canon Harry did have a bit of a temper and he could be snarky and headstrong.  But I think he was generally very respectful to adults (more on that in a minute) and very contrite and remorseful when he did make a mistake.

In canon, there are some instances when Harry talked back, but that was mainly with the Dursleys and with Snape.  To be honest, I cannot blame him, even though I normally am a big stickler for kids respecting adults.  But both the Dursleys and canon Snape were so abusive to Harry and for so long, that I don't blame Harry for sticking up for himself after a time.  No one has to be a doormat to abusers.

And yes, I do completely agree that it is a bit hypocritical for Severus to be so harsh when he has done much worse things than Harry, and has treated Harry so badly in the past.  That's why I generally avoid stories where Harry is portrayed as a smart-alecky kid who needs to be put in his place while Snape is portrayed as a near-perfect adult.  And yeah, I probably idealize him as a father-figure too, but I do believe that it is a crucial step in Severus' development for him to realize how badly he has mistreated Harry and to feel some real remorse over it.

In regards to this particular incident, I think there is some blame on both sides.  Harry is not completely innocent, but I think Severus was too harsh.  To be fair, Severus did not intend to be overly harsh...his actions stemmed from his great fear and yes, he was also very angry, and in the heat of the moment, he over-reacted.  Parents are not perfect either.  But in the next chapter, they are going to talk more about Harry's reasons for being so desperate to play and reach more of a compromise.  Harry will not get off scot-free, but Severus will relent in some areas, too.

Again, thank you very much and I'm sorry for taking so long to get back with you.  I hope you'll see this!   

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments.  I had hoped with this situation to have a conflict where there was some right and wrong on both sides, and where both characters' feelings and motivations could be sympathetic, or at least understandable.  I'm sorry you think Severus is abusive here...I don't think he is being abusive (and he certainly does not intend to be), but he is perhaps being too harsh.  Harry and Severus still have some things to talk about here, such as exactly why Harry needed to play so badly, how Quidditch and flying make him feel free and how much it means to his feelings about his self-worth.  I think Severus will realize that perhaps he was a bit harsh and he will relent on certain parts.

And yes, the whole conflict might have been avoided with some potion or other, but that wouldn't have made for a very interesting situation.  I guess I sacrificed a bit of logic for the plot, lol.