Why do readers love Snape? (and Draco/ Snape comparison)

[dicentra_spectabilis_alba]

No: HPFGUIDX 33504

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "judyserenity" <judyshapiro at e...> wrote:
> > Eloise wrote:
> > 
> > > What really intrigues me, though, and perhaps some of you other 
> > > Friends of Snape out there can help me out on this one, is just 
> > > *why* do some of us have sympathy for this horrible man,
> > > want to find excuses or reasons for his 
> > > behaviour... 
> 
> Anavenc replied: 
> > Snape is not only sympathised with, but much, much more. A large 
> > part of HP fandom consists of people who are simply infatuated with 
> > him. Meanwhile, it seems like JKR so far hasn't planned on readers 
> > loving him--at least not yet :). She keeps repeating in interviews
> > that Snape is horrible...

He *is* horrible.  Despite the fact that he's brilliant, complex, and
all those other things, he's also vindictive, mean, and spiteful.
Revenge seems to be his main motivation, and anger his underlying
state.  I would speculate that many of the "good" things he's done
have not been out of the goodness of his heart. I don't think he
countered Quirrell's jinx because he cared whether Harry fell from the
broom, I think he was ordered to protect Harry by Dumbledore.  It also
wouldn't surprise me if he left the Death Eaters because they pissed
him off somehow and he turned spy to get back at them.  He also would
have killed Sirius in the Shrieking Shack if Sirius had made just one
false move, and he hates nearly everyone for the most trivial of
reasons.  We might find later that he's got redeeming characteristics,
but even if he does, he's sure got a lot of strikes against him,
especially in JKR's book (the figurative one, that is).

--Dicentra, who loves Snape principally because of his striking
resemblance to Alan Rickman