Sirius vs. Snape

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 99359

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "snow15145" <snow15145 at y...> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> In all fairness there's one thing that appears to be left out in 
> the "Ruthlessness of Sirius and Sympathy for Snape scenario" which 
> is; that no one twisted Snape's arm to go to the Shrieking Shack. It 
> was Snape's own free will and choice to make that decision. Yes, he 
> was enticed to go there but it was still Snape's animosity and 
> suspicious behavior that would have caused his own demise. Snape 
> followed the marauders in an attempt to find out what they were up 
> to
 and possibly get them thrown out of Hogwarts for it. Sirius did 
> take advantage of Snape's curiosity, but in the end
 if it were not 
> for James
 Snape's "worst memory" would have defiantly changed.  
>

I'd made a resolution not to get involved in another Snape/Sirius
thread before the next blue moon, but of course I can resist everything
except temptation.

I first posted last year that DD and Snape were the best double act in
the WW. DD knows what Snape's doing, knows how he treats the kids
and is fully aware of his antipathy towards James, Sirius and to a lesser
extent Lupin.

Another little chore that DD has dumped  on Snape's plate is to "keep an
eye on young Potter. Make sure nothing disasterous happens to him."
The number of times in the books when Harry is up to something and
Snape just happens to be wandering about in the vicinity beggars belief.
Harry has a watch-dog cum guardian at Hogwarts and his name is Snape.
It's a chore;  it's frustrating; it's boring. But Snape does it. And to do =
it
he doesn't have to like Harry and Harry doesn't have to like him. In fact
it adds verisimilitude if Harry thinks that Snape is out to get him. It's
quite possible that Snape would find this amusing, he's that sort of
person. But as DD's leg-man he's the one that  does  the running about 
after Harry. That's the primary reason why he went to the Shack - because
Harry was there with some very odd and potentially dangerous people.

Snape is not nice, So what? But he is fun. I took this into account when
coining the two labels - Siriophiles for The Sirius Black Adoration and All=
-
Purpose Fan Club and Snape-aholics for those that want to see Sevvy
on every page. Snape-aholics don't neccessarily like Snape's character,
but they do savour it. It's something sharp and astringent to counter
the slightly sickly-sweet fakery and hypocrisy of Sirius.
Snape is what he is; he offers no excuses. Sirius pretends to be
something he isn't. He's different things to different people. If he
hadn't spent years in Azkaban I could see him being very like Bagman;
and that says it all.

Other posters have highlighted Sirius's hypocrisy in this thread but
no-one has mentioned that in the Shack, before Lupin arrives, Sirius
has a fair go at strangling Harry - more than just holding him off:
"The  fingers tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew.
Then he saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of
Harry with a grunt of pain."

Yes, Sirius obviously cares for Harry very deeply. He just has a funny 
way of showing it sometimes.
Conversely, Harry's care is one of Snape's functions - and he's not
interested in showing it. He *enjoys* baiting Harry  and his little group 
of supporters. It's probably the best in-door sport Snape has indulged
in for years. Sirius desperately wants to be loved; Snape doesn't give
a toss, just so long as Harry follows the instructions of wizards who
know what they're doing and what they're hoping to achieve.

Snape and Sirius know each other of old. To Sirius Snape is the nasty,
sneaky Snivellus to be obstructed on principle. To Snape Sirius
is the cowardly would-be murderer who'll hex a disarmed person.
Right or wrong has little to do with it anymore.
 
Harry of course, hasn't a clue what's really going on.

Kneasy