Sympathy for Snape

[frumenta]

No: HPFGUIDX 64718

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "zebco606" <zebco606 at y...> 
wrote:
>While I can definitely see how Snape's 
> childhood memories could help to shape him into the man he is, 
this 
> is the man who was willing to give Sirius over to the dementors 
when 
> he KNEW he was innocent of James and Lily's deaths. In book 5, 
> Sirius is still a man on the run, in fear for his life. I realize 
> that part of the reason for this is Dumbledore's waining influence 
> with Fudge, but surely if Snape (and others) were to come forward, 
> take the Veritas potion and tell the story he would be a free man.
> 
> I realise that Sirius (and James) had things that they should have 
> been sorry for, but there would have to be something much more 
> horrific in his treatment of Snape that has not yet been revealed 
> for Snape to be a sympathetic figure.

Snape didn't know Sirius was innocent. What he saw was Lupin meeting 
his old friend again and the trio with some crazy story about 
Pettigrew being alive.

As far as the Marauders doing something even more horrific to Snape, 
i do believe that attempted murder fits the bill. Esp. since it went 
unpunished.

JKR can't dictate who we are supposed to like. People will still not 
like Snape if they're not so inclined just as I never managed to 
like Sirius, I suppose.