[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's Fury (was: The Shrieking Shack-did Snape have ul

[eloiseherisson at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 85798

Alexandra:
>Hello! first of all, I'm new to the group so let me introduce myself   
    
Eloise:
A very warm welcome! 
Wonderful! A new person to talk Snape with!

Alexandra:
>>Eloise said:
>>I believe that Snape blames himself for failing to protect the Potters and
>>that his fury at Sirius is in part a projection of this.

Alexandra:
> don't believe that he was oh so sad to fail to protect the Potters 
(assuming
>your theory is correct) because this meant that Snape was a good person deep
>down and he was able to separate his grudge from reality and do the right 
thing.

Eloise:
Ah, but I didn't say he was *sad*, did I?
Let me be clear: Snape hated James. But Snape had changed sides and 
protecting the Potters was now part of his role. This is a key part of my thinking. He 
was trying his best to protect James *whom he hated* and Lily whom - well, I 
don't know what he thought about Lily; I'm agnostic on that point. Failing to 
protect them was in a way all the worse for that. 

What I think makes him angry, the thing I think he is particularly sensitive 
about, is *failing*. And in this case he failed to do something that he really 
didn't *want* to do, but had tried to do out of duty and against his 
instinct. I have always believed that Snape is *intellectually* on the right side, but 
that internally he still has a very Dark side which he struggles all the time 
to control.

Alexandra:
>Well, I think he can't, really, at least when it comes to MWPP! He kept on
>provoking Sirius in OP saying that he (Sirius) did nothing and stayed home 
all
>day while he (Snape) and the rest were out there risking their necks, 
knowing
>(or even hoping for) the effect it would have in Sirius's mind. This isn't 
an
>action of someone who thinks first of the others and then of himself. And in 
PoA
>he chose to teach werewolves the day he was substituting "ill" prof. Lupin.
>There again, he does it on purpose!

Eloise:
Oh yes! Well, I'm not sure it's exactly on purpose, I think he just can't 
help himself. I have never ever argued that Snape isn't deeply flawed, that he 
doesn't harbour grudges. He does. Massively. Mind you, Sirius wasn't much 
better...

*But*...he changed sides; he risked (and continues to risk) his neck; he is 
trusted by Dumbledore; despite the fact that he makes Harry's life a misery, 
again and again he demonstrates care for him (not in the sense of "caring about" 
him, but in the sense of protecting him).

Why? Why did he change sides? Why does this deeply flawed and unpleasant 
individual constantly seem to be trying to do the right thing? Why do we find him 
in situations where he is trying to protect first James and then Harry, 
neither of whom, apparently, he can stand?

Those are the questions that got me hooked on HP. They are the questions that 
brought me to this forum nearly two years ago. And I'm still trying to work 
out the answers.

Alexandra:
>He's human... he can't help it to make mistakes and not be perfect. And I 
think
>he has a lot to suffer for.

Most definitely! And I'm sure he's suffering now because, despite all his 
taunts, *Sirius* is the one who died the hero's death whilst he, ironically, was 
the one who had to stay hidden away and couldn't take part on the show-down at 
the MOM.

Poor Severus. I shall be devastated if JKR kills him off, but I'd rather he 
died heroically than go through the whole of the series never quite achieving 
that which he so desperately needs, never proving to himself his own worth.

~Eloise
    
    



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