ACID POPS vs LOLLIPOPS (was:Re: Whom does Snape REALLY love?)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 139224

> >>Neri:
> So you are basically saying that there are no romantic overtones in
> this chapter, only some innocent drama, and all the rest is in my
> dirty mind <g>.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Yup! <bg>  Not that you're alone.  The Snape/Narcissa fanfic and 
fanart are pouring out everywhere.  (Not coming close to the 
Harry/Draco stuff of course.)  However, within the context of canon 
I don't think this scene showed Snape and Narcissa as two hearts 
beating as one.  (Book 7 may well prove me wrong, but for the time, 
here I stand. <g>)

> >>Neri:
> <snip>
> Snape's hand twitching shows that he's fully aware how critical
> this Vow is. Such a sacrifice and such a commitment for Narcissa  
> make no sense. Unless Snape objective is to win Narcissa'a love,  
> in which case the bigger the sacrifice and the bigger the         
> commitment – the bigger are Snape's chances. 

Betsy Hp:
I do agree that a mad passion for Narcissa might have motivated 
Snape taking the Vow.  But there are a plethora of other theories as 
well.  And since I really didn't see Snape expressing any mad 
passion for Narcissa (or any hints thereof) leading up to the Vow 
it's hard for me to accept that particular theory as the correct 
one. 
 
> >>Neri:
> I'm not familiar with any canon about a "right neighborhood" where
> single Wizarding pureblood aristocracy live.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
"He lives here?" asked Bella in a voice of contempt.  "*Here*?  In 
this Muggle dunghill?" (HBP p.20)

Apparently if there is a "right" neighborhood (and there's *always* 
a "right" neighborhood) Snape has chosen to settle very, very far 
from it.  Also, note that Bella said "lives here" not "hiding out 
here" or anything else suggesting this is not Snape's usual place of 
residence (while not teaching of course).

> >>Neri:
> That still hardly explains why Dumbledore believes this "remorse" 
> is so strong that it makes Snape risk everything for the Order    
> today, fifteen years after the fact.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
My guess is because Dumbledore believed Snape's remorse to be 
genuine.  And a genuine feeling that your mistake caused the death 
of maybe your only true friend would be a thousand times more 
binding than any magic vow or debt.  (That love thing again.  Don't 
make me quote the Princess Bride! <g>)

> >>Neri:
> (BTW, regarding Snape's acting ability, "remorse" is precisely the
> word he uses in order to describe to Bella how he had deceived
> Dumbledore. "I spun him a tale of deepest remorse" he says without 
> any sign of emotion. So does this mean he can't be feeling deeply  
> about this remorse? And if he can, might he also be able to hide   
> passion behind blank face?)

Betsy Hp:
No.  Completely different things.  One is a well prepared lie with 
probably a few grains of truth to wrap it around.  Another is an 
overwhelming feeling that overrides comman sense and binds you into 
an Unbreakable Vow you'd have otherwise avoided.  Snape is 
passionate, but I'll bet he's also a hell of a poker player.

> >>Neri: 
> And I also think that all this "Dumbledore can't tell Harry about 
> Snape and Lily because Harry will never understand" was overplayed 
> by the LOLLIPOPS crew.
> <snip> [also, I edited out the hyphens for formatting reasons - 
Betsy]

Betsy Hp:
Not by me! <g> Because while I think the reveal will be Bang-y for 
Harry, I think Dumbledore kept it a secret for Snape's sake.  It's 
private.  And Dumbledore, generally, respects a persons privacy.  
(He tells Harry to keep his knowledge about Neville's parents to 
himself in GoF, IIRC.)
 
> >>Neri:
> <snip> 
> Snape points a wand between Sirius' eyes and whispers "Give me a  
> reason. Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I  will". He says  
> it twice so there won't be any doubt. Now what could he mean      
> by "give me a reason"? The man betrayed the woman Snape love to   
> her death, didn't he? What "reason" is Snape looking for? This is 
> Snape during his greatest rage explosion in the series and he     
> can't control his emotions, right?
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Oh, this was definitely Snape quite ready to kill Sirius for 
everything he had done.  (I totally agree that Snape holds Sirius in 
the utmost contempt.  From Snape's POV Sirius was a coward and a 
fool.)  However, Snape is not a murderer (or at least, can't appear 
as one to Dumbledore) so he wasn't about to cold-blood off the man.  
But if Sirius gave him a reason...  (I'm *positive* YMV on this one 
<bg>.)

> >>Neri:
> <snip>
> Let's accept the sad fact: LOLLIPOPS might seem like very         
> attractive plotting to us, but it has about zero canon to support 
> it, and a lot against it.

Betsy Hp:
It's all about the plotting, I agree.  Little canon support, yes.  
But canon *against* it?  Where?

> >>Neri:
> Sirius, James and Lily (and now also Dumbledore) were all safely
> disposed of before the climax.

Betsy Hp:
Who's to say Snape's part of the tale won't get wrapped up before 
the climax of book 7?  Anything that's not specific to Harry 
*should* be wrapped up before the big finale.  Frankly, if it 
doesn't involve Harry it probably shouldn't even be in book 7 at 
all.  Which is why I have a problem with ACID POPS.

Betsy Hp who edited rather ruthlessly, yay!