Snape's Karma (was: Snape and Lupin's Character Arcs (was: Lupin's Char Arc))

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 119539


> Pippin wrote:
Yeah, he's a jerk all right. But that's not a crime. It's bad karma, 
if you believe in that...<

> Lupinlore answered:
I agree that Snape has accumulated a load of bad karma, and I'm 
anxious to see it discharged.  One way is for him to do something 
spectacularly good (something he has already done just doesn't cut 
the mustard in a literary sense). <SNIP> 

>Lupinlore again: (I think!)
Personally, as I have said before, I don't think Snape has it in him 
to do something good enough to discharge the "bad karma" he's 
accumulated through his cruelty to Harry.  Therefore I tend to think 
he will die in the end.<

> Juli replied:
I don't think Snape will die, there just isn't any surprise in that, 
If Snape's got bad karma it's because of what he did as a DE, but 
he's been working for the good side for about 15 years now, I'd say 
bad karma is all gone.

Betsy:
Hmm...  The karma question is interesting.  I think Snape has stuff 
to work out, but I doubt that its outcome would be his death.  
Instead, I think he's going through a sort of karmic cleansing right 
now.  Snape is being forced to deal with his old issues with the 
Marauders, first by a child the spitting image of his worst rival, 
and then by the actual reappearance of Lupin and Sirius.  And not 
only are these three reminders around Snape, but Snape is being 
forced to work with them. (I think it's a delicious twist that in 
order to right whatever wrongs he did as a DE Snape has to face that 
part of his Hogwarts days he'd most like to bury.)

I think the ultimate of karmic justice would be for Snape and Harry 
(and maybe Lupin too?) to gain a certain amount of respect for each 
other.  I don't need them to go skipping off into the sunset 
together, the best of friends, but civility would be nice.  Instead 
of some great act of goodness I think Snape needs to let go of his 
old hatred of James and finally work with Harry.  Like an adult would 
do.  (Obviously, Harry needs to work through his hatred of Snape 
too.  And I think the very irrationality of his hatred of Snape at 
the end of OOP hints towards some sort of reconciliation -- or maybe 
a duel to the death *eg*.  But I predict growth for Harry and healing 
for Snape.)

Betsy, who loved OotP very, very much.