Snape's Destiny/JKR quotes (or Snape-aholics and Siriophiles)

[curly_of_oster]

No: HPFGUIDX 105303

Kneasy recently said:
In the constant to-ing and fro-ing about Snape and Sirius which 
seems to be one of the dividing lines between the fans, I think 
there's a basic mis-understanding of where some people are coming 
from. I think that I can claim credit for first using the 
identifying labels "Siriophiles" and "Snape-aholics" that highlights 
the difference.

Siriophiles *like* Sirius; they think he's lovely, sexy, maltreated 
and for all his faults basically cuddly.
 
Snape-aholics find ole Sevvy fascinating, they can't  get enough of 
him, but they're under no illusions - he is a deeply unpleasant 
character.  Most of them would/will probably be disappointed if he 
ever reforms.

Me (Lisa): 
Huh???  Clearly I have spent at least some time in a very different 
HP fandom than you have. :-)  Seriously, though, in HP fandom I have 
encountered just as many Snape fans who "like" him in exactly the 
way you're describing "Siriophiles" liking Sirius as I have 
Snape fans who find him a fascinating if deeply unpleasant 
*character*.  And by the same token, I know of a number of fans of 
Sirius who would never in a million years describe him as "cuddly."  
Some of them don't even think he's a particularly nice person.

Kneasy:
When the Anti-Snape Alliance flail away, castigating him for the way 
he treats Harry and Neville, nurses his grudges against James and 
Sirius, they're really missing the point. We know all that. It's not 
news it's canon.  For Snape-aholics the nub of the question is - 
why? What is the back-story, what are Snape's motivations?

Lisa:
But not everybody does seem to "know" these things.  I have seen it 
argued that Snape treats everyone equally, for example.  I've seen 
it stated as fact that he has such a strong "moral code" that he 
would save you even if he hates you (based entirely, as far as I 
could see, on the counter-cursing the broom episode in PS/SS).  I've 
seen it argued that his behavior in PoA has nothing to do with 
nursing a grudge against Sirius, but was rather *all* about 
protecting the students.

Personally, I agree that Snape is an interesting character, that he 
adds a lot to the books, and that there is clearly more to him that 
we have yet to learn.  However, I also think that wanting to know 
about/thinking there is a back-story and motivation for certain 
actions (say, his treatment of Harry and Neville, to use one of your 
examples) is no more valid than theorizing that he's treating them 
that way simply because he is a bitter, nasty man.

Lisa