The Shrieking Shack-did Snape have ulterior motives?

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No: HPFGUIDX 85795

jwcpgh wrote:

>It's also telling that while Snape had *two* opportunities to 
finish-
off Sirius himself (the first when Sirius charged at him, the second
when he awoke after the Dementors were driven away), he chose to do
the right thing and turn Sirius over to proper authorities (he even
bothered to put Sirius on a stretcher, which was much nicer than the
way Sirius transported the unconscious Snape [i.e. letting Snape's
head bump and scrape against the passage ceiling]). So Snape showed
a lot of retraint considering his history with, and volatile emotions
toward, Sirius.
>


I have to agree with everything you said except for that paragraph.  
To say that Snape's motives were benevolent and restrained here 
seems to be a bit naive.  To me, this opinion overlooks the fact 
that Snape probably knew that by not finishing Sirius off, and 
by "turning him over to proper authorities," Sirius would likely 
receive the Dementor's Kiss, a fate far worse than death.  Or at the 
very least he would be put back in Azkaban, which is also a fate 
worse than death.  So an alternative explanation of Snape's motive 
would be that Snape was only able to restrain himself because he 
knew he would be duly rewarded for it when Sirius received an even 
worse fate.  And Snape would also come out smelling like a rose, 
saving three students from death and bringing the most wanted wizard 
in the world to justice.  An Order of Merlin, First Class for sure.

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