Snape vs. Sirius (was: Snape's Stubbornness)

[katevldz]

No: HPFGUIDX 127071



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" <horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:
> 
> >>Bonnie: 
> <snip>
> >In chapter 21 of POA:
> >" 'You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?' Snape 
> whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face. 
> >.......'Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of 
> sixteen,' he breathed.  'You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster?  You 
> haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?' "
> <snip>
> 
> Betsy:
> Because Sirius tried to *kill* Snape?  
   <snip>

I just have a question, really, (not just to Betsy, to anyone who wants to jump in).  And I 
am not trying to be snarky, I am really curious.  Often times on this list, when reference is 
made to Sirius relaying some fact about Voldy War I and its aftermath, or something about 
Snape, or the Death Eaters or really anything for that matter, a popular rebuttable here is 
that Sirius has issues and is therefore not to be taken at face value.  He spent so much 
time in Azkaban, he must be unstable, or he hated Snape, was a bully in his youth, was 
mean and snarky, has ulterior motives, so on and so forth.  

What I don't understand is why some people are so quick to believe Snape is putting forth 
accurate information in the above scene.  I think we can agree that Snape has his issues 
too. Snape is absolutely furious in this scene, perhaps not really thinking clearly.  It seems 
that we should be taking Snape's angry words with the same grain of salt with which 
people regard Sirius, in order to be fair about it. 

So, if someone could please explain to me why they do believe Snape in this scene, that 
Sirius indeed meant to actually *kill* him, I'd be really interested.  

thanks and best regards, Kate