Sympathy for Snape (with thoughts on Sirius)

[backstagemystic]

No: HPFGUIDX 64812

zebco606 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.<< 

frumenta replied:
>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.<

I would also add that Snape had a chance to call-back the dememtors 
when he was the first one to regain consciousness, but he chose to 
bring Black back to the castle on a stretcher, as he did the HRH.
So, at least Snape followed a sense of due-process, rather than 
trying to take vengence on his own (something I wish Sirius would 
have considered).  This allowed Dumbledore the chance to hear-out 
HRH, and gave enough time for him to work-out a plan.

zebco continued: 
>>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.<<

Neither Snape or Dumbledore can testify as witnesses, as neither saw 
Pettigrew alive.  

Dumbledore is trusting the word of HRH (and in GoF, Snape is pretty 
much taking the word of DD that Sirius is innocent, and grudgingly 
acquiescing to a shaky truce).

That leaves Remus, and HRH  (and DD gives a whole explanation as to 
why their testimony won't count for much against prior evidence 
without the evidence of Pettigrew's existence).

As for why Sirius himself (plus Remus, & HRH) couldn't have been 
given Veritaserum, I don't know.  It could have something to do with 
the strict laws governing its use...but maybe it would have been 
enough to at least try and reopen the case (or should I say, create 
an actual case in the first place, as Sirius was not given a proper 
trial thanks to Barty Crouch Sr.).  

zebco:
>>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.<<

frumenta:
>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.<

Agreed.  Plus, there is the Snape-loved-Lily theory [pauses for 
opponents to wretch and moan]:

If there's truth to it, then we're dealing with the whole added 
dimension of Snape holding Sirius as being responsible, or partly 
responsible (depending if he buys the story about Pettigrew) for Lily 
being betrayed (and subsequently murdered).

frumenta:
>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.<

Sirius has my sympathy to the extent that I think he received a raw 
deal by being sent to Azkaban without trial...that was an abomination 
of "justice" - cough cough. 

But his own rashness and tendency to handle matters with a knee-jerk, 
vigilante response, rather than keeping his cool long enough to think 
things through, has brought-down most of the un-necessary misery upon 
himself.

At the time of the Potters' murder, he should have gone to Dumbledore 
and other authorities and explained that Pettigrew was in fact the 
Potters' Secret Keeper, rather than deciding to take justice (read: 
vengence) into his own hands.  

Likewise, when he discovered that Pettigrew was alive 12 years later, 
he should have tried owling Dumbledore either from Azkaban, or after 
he'd escaped from Azkaban, in an appeal to hear him out and 
investigate his claim. 

Certainly Sirius knew Dumbledore was an exceptionally fair and 
honorable man and would act on his request.  

Instead, Sirius chose to go on the war path again, and terrorized the 
population at Hogwarts (particularly those in Gryffindor Tower) in 
the process. I still cringe at the part where he snapped Ron's leg 
when he dragged the poor boy below the whomping willow.

Sirius' rash actions needlessly caused fear, destruction and harm, 
and put himself and Remus at great risk.    

This is why my sympathy for him only goes so far, because he was too 
rash and single-minded to think to do the logical thing and approach 
Albus.

It would have been all too easy for Dumbledore to casually stroll-up 
to Ron under any pretense, and politely ask "May I just have a look 
at Scabbers, please?"...and that would have been that.

I doubt Pettigrew could have escaped Dumbledore (and thus would not 
have been able to help Voldie return), and Sirius would have been 
cleared (or well on his way to being cleared).

But, I suppose, we wouldn't have had such a great, angst-ridden 
story, now would we?   

I do like the fact that Sirius, like Severus and so many other of 
Rowling's more interesting and/or complex characters, isn't a black 
and white archetype.  Like Snape, he's messy and flawed and is often 
as intriguing as he can be irritating...and hopefully Harry can learn 
from both his good, and not-so-good, examples.   It's what makes 
Rowling's world so rich and wonderful.

BM