Retribution for Snape the Teacher

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 143964

lupinlore wrote:
> The question is what would
> make for an ending that brings the story's wheel to a balanced and
> well-written end.  That requires, IMO, an amount of sermonizing
> about Snape in the form, as we have discussed on another thread, of
> a third party intervening to confront, chastise, and yes, humiliate
> Snape in much the same way Dumbledore confronted, chastised, and
> humiliated the Dursleys.  And yes, it requires a certain amount of
> fire and brimstone raining onto Snape's head for his abusive
> behavior toward Harry and Neville.  Allowing him to go unpunished
> for that would be questionable on any number of fronts, literary,
> emotional, and yes, indeed, moral.

Miles:
I completely disagree.
To begin with your last "front", moral: I am not quite sure whether I
understand your idea of moral in this situation. Let's have a look. If Snape
is evil and on LVs side, then we can expect him either die (most probable)
or being sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life. Or he is DDM!Snape, then
he may survive (I doubt it very much), but will be doomed and an outcast for
the rest of his life. And your opinion is, that apart from this (dead,
doomed, or both) he should be punished for his deeds in potion classes? This
is kind of kicking someone who is on the ground already or whipping a
corpse, isn't it?

I understand your idea of confrontation, and I agree that it can do good
under certain circumstances. (Your example of Churches in New England sounds
awful to me, but to discuss this would be too much off-topic.) But IMO those
circumstances will not arise from the situation we can expect in the last
book.
Just recall the starting position - there is a lethal threat to the WW, and
Harry is on his way to 'finish' the most powerful wizard of the world (or at
least of Britain...). We can be sure, that there are people to die and
suffer. And you really expect, that in such a situation Snape, Harry,
Neville and some arbitrator will sit down, confront Snape with his faults
and make him apologise? And *this* is to be good literature, and if Rowling
fails in doing this, the entire series has decisive weaknesses concerning
it's literary worth?

Your understanding of moral seems to be kind of mathematical, and IMO it is
not appropriate to take this as a criterion for literature in general or
Harry Potter in specific.
To jump into the story, it would not be inside the character Harry Potter as
well. Yes, he loathes Snape, and he seeks revenge. But not for anything that
happened in any potion class. He wants revenge for Dumbledore's death. If he
will learn that Snape is DDM, his desire for revenge will run dry, and he
will be unconcerned about potion classes. (If Snape is not DDM, he will not
care for them either).

Just imagine the situation:
Harry: You killed Dumbledore!
Snape: Dumbledore ordered me to do it! (proves it).
Harry: Oh, I see. But you were nasty in potions!
Snape: I'm so sorry!
Harry: Ok, let's kill Voldemort.

Speaking of bad literature and emotional inconsistencies of characters...

Sorry, getting a bit sarcastic, but I really cannot think of a solution that
would meet lupinlore's and my own demands on good literature.

Miles