Curious Duality of Snape:

[garybec]

No: HPFGUIDX 99084

> > Pippin wrote: 
> > > ... But Snape's actions are often at odds with his words. ... He 
> > > (Snape) does not turn Sirius over to the Dementors. Instead he 
> > > puts Sirius on a stretcher, treating him with far more dignity 
> > > that Sirius accorded to him, and turns him over to Dumbledore. 
> 
> bboy_mn:
> 
> Well, well, well... something I hadn't considered before. Why indeed
> did Snape not simply call back the Dementors? I'm pretty sure he said
> that when he awoke, he saw the Dementors retreating to their guard
> posts. If he could see them and he thought Sirius truly needed to be
> 'kissed', Snape could have just yelled for the Dementors to come back.


Becki ponders;

I too am curious about this point, that Snape did not call the 
dementors over to finish off Sirius.  My thought is that Snape 
always points out that Harry has a "certian disregard for the 
rules", as he repeats all through the books.  Which makes me think 
that Snape is a stickler for rules, in which I am sure he does not 
have the authority to turn over Sirius over to the dementors.  Also, 
maybe he wanted the glory of catching him and turning him over.  He 
was of course up for the "Order of Merlin, 2nd class or possibly 
even 1st class, if Fudge had anything to do with it.

Be that as it may, he does show enormus self-control by doing "the right thing". 
Starting to see Snape in a whole new lumos.  

--Becki