One possible reason could be that Harry breaks a major rule in the wizarding world within the fanfic. Snape, being a strict and by - the - book person, grounds him as a form of punishment. For example, if Harry uses dark magic without permission, Snape would surely take strict action.
Harry might be angry at first. He could feel that Snape is being unfair and overstepping his bounds. So, he might storm off and sulk in his room, refusing to talk to anyone.
Yes, there are some fanfics with such wild and out - of - canon concepts in the Harry Potter fanfiction community. However, these often deviate greatly from the original storyline and themes of the official series.
In some fanfics, Snape might punish Harry because of his perceived insolence in class. Harry has a rebellious streak, and Snape, being strict, wouldn't tolerate any behavior that he deems disrespectful to his authority as a teacher.
Perhaps it's related to Harry's association with his father, James Potter. Snape had a long - standing grudge against James, and seeing Harry might bring back those bitter memories. So, whenever Harry does something that reminds Snape of James, like being overly confident or a bit of a troublemaker, he yells at him.
In some fanfics, Snape might hurt Harry out of his long - held grudges. Snape was in love with Harry's mother, Lily, and Harry being a reminder of James, who bullied Snape in school, could trigger his negative emotions. Also, Snape's loyalty to Voldemort in the earlier days in some fan - created scenarios might lead him to target Harry, who was seen as a threat to Voldemort's plans.
The relationship can be developed by having Snape protect Harry in unexpected ways. Maybe in a fanfic, there's a plot where some dark wizards are after Harry. Snape, secretly, uses his skills to keep Harry safe. Later, when Harry discovers this, Snape has to explain his actions. This explanation can be a turning point where they start to trust each other more. Snape can then start to offer words of comfort based on his understanding of Harry's situation. They could also start to work together on some small tasks, like researching a new potion that might help Harry in his fight against the dark side, which further cements their relationship.
Well, in some fanfics, Snape's role in the wizarding world politics or his secret allegiances could be a factor. Harry might be aware that Snape has connections to different factions, and he doesn't fully understand where Snape's loyalties lie. This uncertainty can create fear. Also, Snape's teaching style, which can be quite intense and unforgiving, might make Harry feel constantly on edge around him.
One possible aspect to analyze is Snape's complex character. In many 'Snape Saves Harry' fanfics, it delves deeper into his motives. Snape has always had a love - hate relationship with Harry. In these fanfics, his act of saving Harry might be due to his lingering love for Lily. It shows a different side of Snape, one that is more heroic and self - sacrificing than what we see in the original series at times. This also allows for exploring different plotlines and character development arcs for both Snape and Harry.
I also like 'When Snape Becomes Harry's Guardian'. In this fanfic, Snape saves Harry from a dangerous situation early on, and then takes on a sort of guardianship role. It has some really interesting interactions between the two characters as they learn to live with each other.