Let's hear it for good old Snapey!

[Silverthorne Dragon]

No: HPFGUIDX 87830

Alla:
I am not denying that Snape did some many good things for Harry, but
if you can call "Harry being almost killed while possessed by Voldy
and being  denied  the only father figure he ever knew thanks for
Snape stopping the lessons" world of good, then you are blinded by
your unconditional love for this character and it is your right.

Taryn:
I'm still wondering why everyone is citing Snape's end of the lessons as a
cause of Sirius' death when there was absolutely NO effort on the pupil's
part! It didn't make a difference whether the lessons continued or not,
because Harry never tried to practice at ALL. For all we know, if Harry had
been practicing since the lessons started, he might have had the skill to
block the false images from his mind by that point. This is one thing I
don't think can be laid at Snape's door.


Anne:

It cannot be laid at Snape's door, very right. It's the same as blaming
Snape for Sirius showing up at the MOM...even Lupin tells Harry that Sirius
was old enough and mature enough NOT to let Snape's jibes get to him badly
enough to ignore Dumbledore's request and leave Grimauld Place. That
decision, and the consequences of that decision, are solely on Sirius's
shoulders (although you *can* safely blame Bella for actaully being the
cause of death, since it was her spell that killed and/or pushed Sirius
through the doorway at the MOM). He decided, despite many others advising
differently, to go to rescue his godson. Admirable, but not the wisest
course of action. Likewise, whether people would like to admit it or not,
the whole situation of Sirius's death started because, as is habit, Harry
ignored the instructions given to him by Dumbledore and forged on with his
own ideas anyway--in this case, the idea that what he 'saw' was real, that
Snape did NOT want to do anything about it, and therefore, he and the other
kids of the club were the only ones who could save Sirius.

The point here is that you cannot teach someone who does not want to learn
(no matter thier reasons for not wanting to learn), just as you cannot
change a person's opinion if they are dead set in thier beliefs and will see
no other way. The outrage is that blame is thrown for what happened...and
yet none of the ones who did exactly what they were told NOT to do takes
responsibility. It certainly gets assigned very quickly, however, and by a
15 year old boy who, although may not understand all the things the adults
around him are doing because of lack of experrience, IS grown enough to have
had sense to at least listen to Dumbledore, and Dumbledore's requests--no
matter what he THOUGHT he was seeing. Like some people cannot understand the
roles a spy MUST play to do his job and stay alive, Harry is sorely lacking
in information and knowledge...and maturity.