Secrecy (Was: Re: It's over, Snape is evil)

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 137573


> And why should the reversal be about Severus?  We have two more 
> candidates for redemption -- Wormtail and Draco.  Are all of them 
> going to be redeemed?  That would make for a good moral message but 
> would be, from a literary standpoint, extremely over the top. Two I 
> could see, I guess, but even that seems like straining the point.   
> Is Severus truly the best candidate for redemption?
> 
> Lupinlore

HAHA! Sharp as a blade Lupinlore! Your argument is brilliant and
absolutely commands a good reply. Now not that I would claim to
believe Pippin can't give one, not at all, I'm impatient to read it
actually, but in the meanwhile, I can't ignore this challenge myself.
I *have to* state my case because, quite simply, I think Snape is the
*ideal* candidate. (And I am sure Draco wil be also redeemed somewhat
as well, but not Peter, but neither is a candidate the likes of Sevvie)

So why, you might ask, is Severus Snape the one who would be the ideal
redemption. And here is my answer:

1. Choices - In the HP Series, we have more than enough evidence to be
going on basing much prediction on the theme of Free Will Choices. 
Now in comparison to the other two candidates Snape has the choices
thing tied in a nice neat bow for the finale. Draco OTOH is too young
to be the prime suspect in the series as someone who *BIG BANG* has to
face his choices, and while Peter OTOH is set up to now as one who is
far too indecisive to really be able to make any connection to his own
choices before he meets his end. At least he might try to repay Harry
in the end, a last minute sort of decision, not much of a redemption
can be imagined in Peter, for mine.

Now Snape on the other hand. Lets *look*. Starting with the ABC's of
Snapes' Choices

A. He chose Dark Magic. Very young, Snape was deeply enamoured of the
mysterious Dark Arts. Now lets not be blind to the facts, Little
Sevvie did *know* that there were evil Wizards out there wreaking
havoc with these forces, he was *aware* that these dark powers were
the tools of those who did not do *good* in the world. And yet,
compelled by some sensibility in him. He *chose* them for himself. 

B. He chose his Hogwarts image. This image Sevvie projected of himself
towards his fellow students was /something else/ consider it for a
moment, in all its calculated and pre-determined glory. To his
Teachers and Head of House, he was a quiet, gifted boy. To many of the
*other* students he was a fearfully dangerous young man dabbling in
curses that most of them couldn't recognise. To one unique student,
Lily Potter, he was apparently harmless and well behaved. To his
enemies, James and Sirius, he was a real nasty piece of work sneaking
and conniving against them, he was a "Sniveller" they thought, and he
was definitely something that they didn't like, based on principle.
Snape chose very young to be whatever to whomever as long as it suited
his purposes. He was treated well by his elders (read no detentions,
and getting away with some nasty business on the Marauders), those who
were no harm to him were either scared of him or otherwise weren't
really aware of his darker side, and those who sought to confront him
were treading on dangerous ground in his eyes, and deserved to be out
of the way. The spy game was 'easy' enough for Sevvie, since he'd been
wearing masks all his life already.

C. He chose to go after Lupin. Hoping to get the Marauders expelled
for mischief? Probably. He most likely hoped that he could find out
something incredibly juicy about Sirius and James, he probably was
only part interested in Lupins ailment, if it was something he could
use to remove the bothersome bane of *their* existence in his life.
This is an interesting one because it reveals a very stupid choice on
Snapes behalf, he chose to wander into the kind of danger that he
could have *known* Sirius and James *lived for* unprepared and
vulnerable. It was a choice with very grave consequences. But he
didn't pay the price of his folly, he was saved by someone, someone
*he thought he knew* to be a coward and a fool, someone who he could
never forgive for knowing the real Snape so so much better than he
knew himself. That person was James Potter.

D. He chose the Death Eaters. Sevvies choice to join the DE's was
probably not light. To basis of it was most likely that he wanted to
practice his precious Dark Magic. It's doubtful that he cared for
Voldemorts ideals, too passionate, too harebrained. It's unlikely he
thought of Voldie as a master. He was just Powerful, so that made him
useful, plus he wanted to get rid of this stupid ban on the Dark Arts
that the fool dogooders in all their hypocrisy had the nerve to
impose. Here in this place Severus made a clear and unambiguous
choice, to join with Voldemort, who had what he wanted. And it was all
fun and games and Dark Arts Power for a while, just as he had hoped
and nobody really knows him, again.

E. He chose to tell Voldemort the Prophecy. Given all this previous
argument to Severus character, it actually seems an odd choice that he
would even *bother* with the Prophecy. Does this begin to show the
cracks in Severus' mask which he has long since forgotten that he's
wearing? I think yes. I think Sevvie makes this choice almost out of a
very dirty bad habit that he'd been supporting himself in for so many
years that he doesn't even realise he's doing it anymore. And then the
awful truth hits him. He realises that this pursuit hasn't gained him
anything. In fact, worst of all, Voldemorts reaction is going to
*lose* him something (insert your own pet theory - Lollipops - Life
Debt - etc), he doesn't like this habit anymore. And he wants out.
Naturally, Snape is a very clever boy, and he knows just how to do that. 

F. He chooses to go to Dumbledore. Now I am speculating. But I believe
that the first time Snape went to Dumbledore, he wasn't all that
sincere. He was just trying to save his own skin. Fortunately for him
Voldemort has already sent him to spy on DD, so he is in the very
lucky position to have the perfect safety net readily available. First
he confesses Voldemorts plan coupled with his disgust and sadness over
it to DD. He says he wants to turn Double Agent, and DD gives him some
help (Insert protection for his Mother/Father here and) a full time
job in his *second* favourite subject.

G. He chooses to be a Double Agent. Dangerous business always playing
either side of the board. But Snape is again wearing a mask, and again
in a comfortable position of influence and dignity no matter who he
deals with. He is comfortable with his choices as he was in school.
Nobody knows who he truly is.

***H,I,J,K*** Dumbledore chooses to trust Snape. 
We have just looked at Snapes major choices up until the day that
Dumbledore chooses to trust him, give or take a few. So what is it
about these choices that reveal to DD the man Snape truly is? Is it
perhaps that he became habitually loyal to Voldemort rather than
deeply (speculation)? Is it perhaps that he thought of his mother when
asking for help (pure speculation)? Is it because he could have been
observed wearing many faces when he was a young boy and DD could see
that his true nature was something more vulnerable and innocent than
those masks? Or is it because he was awoken from his slumbering
loyalty to the DE by the image of someone as pure and wonderful as
Lily, and someone as good and brave as his old enemy James suffering
at Voldemorts hand? 

I think it was this. The pattern of Snapes choices lead him in only
one direction, deeper and deeper into the darkness. And Dumbledore
saw, something remarkable about Snape in that very fact. DD saw that
Snape ensnared himself with his choices, and that he always found it
hard to accept his own responsibility for that, which made him appear
to be a remarkably evil and bitter person. And Snapes choices revealed
one other thing about him, they revealed that when he had repeated the
pattern that lead him down to the whomping willow that fateful night
in his school years, when he had again lead himself to darkness and
stumbled into a minefield of his own making, he had *learned* from his
first mistake that he might have underestimated the other side, the
light side. He *learned* from James gallant rescue of his arch enemy
that when confronted with the utmost darkness *there is another way*
that you might not have seen before. And he hadn't forgotten it.
Although he still blamed James and Sirius for his near death
experience, although he never conciously or openly admitted that he
was wrong about James, Dumbledore saw in Snape something that Snape
couldn't see for himself. DD saw that Snape remembered James. And he
knew from that moment, although Snape was not a good person and
probably never would be, DD knew that Snape could *choose* to have
James Potter ride in again and save him. He could see that Snape saw
the worth of his old enemies deeds and measured them against
Voldemorts. He was happy enough to know that at least, even if he
never admitted it, Snape remembered James. (In a good way).

So this is why Snape is the perfect candidate for redemption IMO.
Because it's all there in his head. He can remember that he's been
here before, many times before, in a nightmare of his own making. The
first time James saved him, the second time Dumbledore saved him, The
third time he will only have Harry's mercy, and if Harry can't save
him noone can. He has a lot to beg Harry's forgiveness for. But first
he has to realise again that he wandered too deeply into the darkness
and he has to realise again the worth of James deed, and Dumbledore's
deed. Its his turn to repay his debt, and redeem himself before Harry. 

That's some of my argument. Any comments?

Valky
Who is truly sorry to Saraquel for seeming ignorant, but the Love
thread posts are on their way, I promise.