The Worst & Best of Severus Snape

[Elizabeth Dalton]

No: HPFGUIDX 32729

Snape is probably my favorite character in the series, but I have to go along
with the things people have mentioned as "worst": narking out Lupin, refusing to
listen to "Peter-is-Scabbers", and especially that vicious remark to Hermione.
Another one is when Harry comes charging into the castle late in GoF, looking
for Dumbledore to tell him about Crouch, Sr. being on the grounds, and Snape
just stalls him right there. Fortunately, Dumbledore comes along very quickly.
But if Snape hadn't gotten involved, they might have made it back in time to
save Crouch, Sr. from his wacky son. I think Snape was stalling Harry not out of
any conspiratorial evil intent, but simply out of malice, and his conviction
that Harry is never up to any good.

Of the lot, refusing to listen about Peter is probably the one with the worst
consequences, and the worst motivation. Snape was just flatly refusing to hear
any excuse for Sirius, because he has hated him since they were young (and maybe
for other reasons that we've speculated on here). He's willing to send the wrong
man to Azkaban and let a murderer go free, because of a grudge. Stalling Harry
in GoF has pretty awful consequences, but Snape doesn't know what's at stake in
that scene, so I don't think his behavior is quite as unforgivable as in PoA.
The remark to Hermione, however, is the most petty of his actions, because he
really has no good motivation. The only thing I can think of is that the
confrontation involved Malfoy, and we've speculated that Snape may have some
unusually deep game going on with the Malfoys, or with Draco in particular.

That being said, I also agree with Amanda that Snape's finest hour is when he
confronts Fudge at the end of GoF. We don't know yet if Fudge knew about Snape's
former DE status. (Fudge *should* have known, but seems pretty darn clueless.)
Snape had been quite chummy with Fudge at the end of PoA, when it looked like he
was going to pick up an Order of Merlin. But in this scene, Snape has to decide
whose side he's really on, and he's Dumbledore's man. I was very proud of him.
(Wipes a small tear. Sniff. ;)

Second prize probably goes to his efforts to save Harry during the Quidditch
game in PS/SS. It would have been easy for him to just let Quirrell win that
once. Oops, sorry! But he didn't do it.

The books are full of these obscure little actions on Snape's part that leave us
guessing as to his true motivations and purposes. That's why he's such a great
character.

Elizabeth
(Not interested in taking on "Snape" as a last name, but still craving our next
Snape action in OoP.)