[HPforGrownups] Re: The Worst of Severus Snape (WAS snape is a dufus)

[Allen, Rebecca]

No: HPFGUIDX 32677

Cindy wrote: 
> 
> But what is the very worst, single most terrible thing Snape has done 
> and why?
 
For some reason I feel compelled to defend him a little here, although I will give my own answer to your question further on.

> There are many good candidates for Worst Snape Moment, as he has done 
> a lot of awful things.  But if I have to pick one thing and only one 
> thing, I'd go with his decision to blab that Lupin is a werewolf.  
> Dumbledore told Snape to keep this quiet and Dumbledore repeatedly 
> expressed faith and confidence in Lupin.  Snape behaved 
> unprofessionally and cowardly in opening his mouth to tell a bunch of 
> students that Lupin is a werewolf.  

Remember Snape thinks Lupin is dangerous for two reasons. For one thing, Snape is convinced that Lupin was aiding and abetting Sirius in what appeared to be Sirius's attempt at murdering Harry. Snape probably imagines that Lupin gave Harry the map to lure him out of school and into Sirius's clutches; he might also think that Lupin was the guy on the inside who let Sirius into the school the time he got as far as Ron's bed. And of course the second problem is that Lupin is a werewolf.

> If Snape really believed Lupin 
> was a danger to the students, he should have had the guts to confront 
> Lupin directly.  

He did, sort of, in his office when he gave him the map, and that didn't get him anywhere. I think Snape justifies what he did by figuring that since he couldn't actually *prove* that Lupin was helping Sirius try to murder Harry, even though to his mind finding them in the Shack together was proof enough, that he needs to take matters into his own hands.

> To the extent Snape bears any responsibility in not 
> getting Lupin's potion to him that night, Snape's decision to cost 
> Lupin the only paid work Lupin has had is more than I can swallow.

I think Snape did everything he could to get Lupin that potion; it was Lupin who forgot and disappeared when it was time for his dose. And then *everybody* got distracted. That's probably another source of his justification for narcing on Lupin, he figures he did everything he humanly could to keep him from transforming into a dangerous beast and he still transformed anyway.

I suspect Snape felt a little betrayed by Dumbledore at the end as well. He probably comes to suspect that Dumbledore helped Harry to free Sirius for some reason despite his own experience of Sirius as being quite capable of murder. Dumbledore might be the only person who normally cares about Snape, so it probably hurt him a lot to think Dumbledore went behind his back for Sirius' sake. He might feel that after about 20 years of keeping the same secret that his obligation just ended.

Of course he did the *wrong* thing, but we see that much better than he does.

Now, to answer the question, I think the single most terrible thing he did -- with lasting consequences -- was to refuse to hear out the theory about Peter-is-Scabbers. If he could have been patient for about five minutes, Sirius might have been cleared. However I think the one thing he did that simply bothers me the most was to threaten Lupin with the Dementor's kiss. No one deserves that, not even a murderer.

/Rebecca, who should be getting back to work now. :-)


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