Q: why readers love Snape (Was:Draco/ Snape parallels)

[tex23236]

No: HPFGUIDX 33363

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "david_p2002ca" <david_p at i...> wrote:
> 
> Time to delurk myself... I can't resist a thread that encompasses 
> two  of my favourite characters - Snape and Javert from Les 
> Miserables.
> 
> I must say from the outset that I do not see any great similarities 
> between the two.  Snape is a marvellously convoluted and complex 
> concoction, both bitter and noble, who has undergone a virtually 
> complete reversal in his life, while Javert is a rather stiff 
> absolutist who suicides rather than accept change (I do love his 
> song "Stars", though...)

I guess what about Snape reminded me of Javert was that Snape also
is a stickler for the rules.  Their "evil" seems to come from a 
constipated notion of what is good.

> What do we know of Snape?  Certainly, he is petty, seeming to enjoy 
> arbitrary penalties and points deductions.  But if we look at his 
> major actions, what has he done?  I would argue his actions have been 
> almost exclusively designed to protect Harry.
 
> In PoA we are told that a spy within He Who Must Not Be Named's 
> organization had revealed the plan to attack James and Lily - my bet 
> is that it was our friend Severus.

Yes, likely, although that should have "evened the score" in the 
life-saving column.
> 
> So, let's think about this a bit.  James had saved Snape's life 
> (discussed in depth in PoA).  Snape risks himself to warn of the 
> pending attack against James and Lily - and it's all for naught; they 
> die anyways.  But the Dark Lord is defeated, so Snape can return to 
> an (almost) normal life.
> 
> And then, a decade later, a boy shows up at Hogwarts.  The spitting 
> image of James Potter.  And all the unresolved issues between James 
> and Snape are unceremoniously dumped on poor Harry's head, with Harry 
> having no knowledge at all of what had transpired in the past.  Yes, 
> much of Snape's behaviour is childish and petty.  But his ultimate 
> aims are good, his efforts are noble.

Which I think we can say of Javerts.

> As for his DADA aspirations: given is past as a DE, who at Hogwarts 
> would be better suited to teach the subject?  In the words of Fred 
> and George, "He knows.  He's seen it all."

That's another thing.  Dumbledore is scraping the barrel of DADA 
teachers, wizard-world-wide("Oh, dear, we do seem to go through 
them, don't we?"), while a very good one is available(according to 
student scuttlebutt). And in the meantime, Harry is teaching himself 
DADA, while most of the students are getting nothing.  And this 
generation may need it most.  Why doesn't Dumbledore offer the post 
to Snape? (rather than Lockhart, frex?)

Tex