Is Snape nice or good?

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 127398


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> Magda:
>
> I don't think it's that philosophical a question.  At the end of the
> day a good guy is someone who's on the side of right, not someone
> who's just pleasant or nice or "not a git" or "people like us".

Does that mean that everyone who is on the side of right is 
automatically good?

[I think there are more distinctions to be made than that.]

> I would phrase your principle a different way: it's important to be
> able to look past the superficial into the real person before judging
> them.  Harry hasn't yet learned this lesson; it's still rather scary
> how he handed over the map to Fake!Moody in GOF largely on the basis
> of an apparent mutual distaste for Snape.

I don't disagree that it's important not to be fooled, and not to fall 
for the superficial.  Harry and others surely need to learn that 
distinction.

What I would disagree on is the (perhaps implied--correct me if I am 
wrong) labeling of everyday behavior as belonging to the superficial.  
It matters what one does in the grand scheme of things, but you can't 
completely separate that out from the everyday actions taken.  It's 
not like anyone operates on a strict split of everyday actions as 
opposed to Big Important War Actions.  OotP showed that the two things 
can't be separated that neatly, if at all, particularly when it comes 
to issues like trust, communication, and interaction.

-Nora thinks that intent is probably an important part of JKR's 
horizon, too