Defending Snape

[judyserenity]

No: HPFGUIDX 34603

Cindysphynx wrote:
>....  Snape mastered the art of screwing things up long ago.  Here 
> are the Top 10 reasons Snape is a champion, Grade A, first-class,
> Number One screw-up... <

I've been too busy to write much lately, but I just have to de-lurk to 
defend my poor, much-maligned, misunderstood, vulnerable (OK, maybe 
not so vulnerable) Severus! 

Porphyria and Barb already provided good defenses against most of 
these criticisms.  Here's a few more points.

> #2.  [Snape] picked the Forces of Evil instead of the Forces of Good 
> by becoming a DE in the first place. <  

Definitely not a screw-up.  First of all, this worked tremendously to 
Snape's advantage.  It got him through Vold War I without any attacks 
from Voldy's side.  Then, his turning spy kept him out of Azkaban.  Of 
the other wizards and witches we know of who were Snape's age, the 
vast majority ended up dead or in Azkaban.  Snape came through this 
smelling like a rose. (Other than his hair, which presumably smells 
like unwashed hair.)  Secondly, Snape's DE affiliation worked to 
Dumbledore's advantage, too, since it provided a spy for the "Light" 
side. 

> 6.  An 11-year old girl crept into Snape's office and stole more 
> potions ingredients again. <

It took several students, working together, to rob Snape's office in 
this way.  It only worked because Harry and his friends were willing 
to injure their fellow classmates to obtain the potion ingredients.  
Snape quite properly was more concerned with helping the injured 
students than he was with protecting his possessions.  This shows how 
responsible, concerned, and nice Snape is.  (OK, "nice" is going a bit 
far.)

> 9.  He is responsible for Peter's escape, and as a result, 
> Voldemort's re-birth.  Had he listened in the Shrieking Shack, there 
> would have been an additional wizard there to keep control of the 
> situation.  Snape also might have Crouch Sr.'s blood on his hands 
> for needlessly detaining Harry as Harry searched for Dumbledore. <

The Shrieking Shack part of this has been handled well by Porphyria 
and Barb.  (Other than Barb's saying that Snape, Lupin, or Sirius 
should have stunned Peter.  I didn't get this -- at the time Peter 
escaped, Snape was unconscious and Lupin was a wolf.)

As for blaming Snape for Crouch Sr.'s death  -- tsk, tsk, Cindy, is 
that fair?  If Crouch Sr. had escaped, you no doubt would be saying 
"It's all Snape's fault that poor Wormtail got fed to Nagini.  Snape 
should have prevented Harry from telling Dumbledore about the attack 
on Crouch Sr." 

Well, just kidding.  Seriously, though, Snape's delaying Harry had 
nothing to do with the death of Crouch Sr.  In the Veritaserum 
chapter, Crouch Jr. gives a very detailed account of what happened 
that night.  Crouch Jr. says "I killed my father."  Then, Dumbledore 
asks what he did with the body. Crouch Jr. says "Carried it into the 
forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. 
I watched Potter run into the castle.  He met Snape...." So, Crouch 
Sr. was dead *before* Snape delayed Harry. 

Anyway, I don't consider either Lupin *or* Snape to be screw-ups.  JKR 
has obviously intended them to be highly competent and intelligent.  
If they do something dumb, then that's really not in character.  (No, 
I don't consider JKR a "screw-up", either!)

Sirius, on the other hand, can only be understood as someone who is 
tremendously impulsive, and maybe half-mad.  Sheesh, if I were him, 
the first thing I'd do when I got out of Azkaban would be to find an 
owl and send it to Dumbledore.  It would say something like "Peter was 
the Potter's secret-keeper.  He's an animagus.  He's disquised as Ron 
Weasley's rat.  Sincerely, Sirius Black."   No running around slashing 
things for me!

-- Judy