OOP - Snape & Dumbledore - JKR interview

[Beth Currie]

No: HPFGUIDX 65442

Hope I'm not duplicating a post - I have skimmed through most of them
but there's so many just now!!
 
The following are extracts from JKR's interview given on 26th July..some
interesting insights I thought, especially re Snape.  Slight spoiler so
if you haven't finished OOP yet - get reading!!
 
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Stephen Fry (heavily paraphrased):
Then there's characters like Snape, who are bad but there is a certain
ambiguity about him. You can't quite decide because there's something
quite sad about him. Something very lonely. We're slowly (after five
books) getting the idea that maybe he is not so bad after all. 
JK Rowling:
Yes, but you shouldn't think he's too nice. Let me just say that. It is
worth keeping an eye on old Severus Snape, definitely. 
Stephen Fry:
One of the most awful things in the world we feel, especially when we're
young is injustice, when something is unfair it makes us so angry and
one of the things, which always makes me upset on Harry's behalf is how
people tell lies about him and Dumbledore knows this. He knows the
fathers are Death Eaters. 
JK Rowling:
I don't want to give too much away, but Dumbledore is a very wise man
who firstly knows Harry is going to have to learn a few hard lessons to
prepare him for what maybe coming in his life, so he allows Harry to do
a lot of things he wouldn't normally allow another pupil to do and he
also unwillingly permits Harry to confront a lot of things he'd rather
protect him from but as people who have finished Order of the Phoenix
will know, Dumbledore has had to step back a little bit from Harry in an
effort to teach him some of life's harder lessons. 
<SNIP>
JACKSON LONG:
Professor Snape has always wanted to be Defence Against the Dark Arts
teacher. In book five he doesn't get the job. Why doesn't Professor
Dumbledore let him be the DADA teacher? 
JK Rowling:
That is an excellent question and the reason is. I have to be careful.
not to say too much. However, when Professor Dumbledore took Professor
Snape onto the staff and Professor Snape said he'd like to teach Defence
Against the Dark Arts please and Professor Dumbledore felt that it might
bring out the worst in Professor Snape, so Dumbledore said: "I think
we'll let you teach potions and see how you get along there." 
<SNIP>
Interesting I thought...I just can't make up my mind about Snape..
Full transcript is at http://www.mugglenet.com/jkr-royalalbert.shtml
I miss Sirius...
Beth :-(


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