Snape -- Why so many fans?

[bookraptor11 at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25590

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., justanopinion2001 at h... wrote:
> My biggest surprise as a newbie has been all the adoration for 
> Snape.  I've read a LOT of posts about him on this board and 
> SNAPEFANS, and I haven't gotten a good feeling about why people 
would 
> be nuts about him the way others are about Lupin or Black.
  
I'm also a newbie, and I apologize if I should have introduced myself 
before replying to a post.  When I saw this I felt compelled to reply.

While I don't consider myself a Snape fan, my interest in him was 
heigtened by the revelation in GOF that he's on Dumbledore's team. It 
makes him a more interesting character than someone who is outright 
evil or outright good.  Though he's fighting for good, he's not a 
very "good" person.  By that, I mean he's unpleasant and sarcastic 
and jealous of others. It's what helps make JKR's books so appealing, 
you have a more complete spectrum of humanity than is usual in 
children's books.  Not everyone who is good is likeable. Someone can 
seem nice, yet be evil. Hagrid is good, but his poor judgement can 
cause bad things to happen. A character like Pettigrew can cause 
great evil, but without Voldemort to follow he probably would have 
lived out his life never doing anything of significance either way.


In conclusion, while not a Snape fan, I do feel an admiration for 
him. He's voluntarily put himself in a very dangerous position. 

Donna