whose redemption will aid the hero?

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 144539

 
Sherry wrote:
Harry is the hero;
the books are named for him, and the author  actually likes him.  Too much
back story for Snape, too much heroism and  redemption for him, and it would
take the focus off Harry.  If Snape is  to be redeemed, it's got to be in a
way that benefits the hero some way, not  in a way that turns Snape into the
hero.  Like it or not, it's still  Harry's story.  Harry is the only one who
can vanquish the dark  lord.  i've become pretty firmly convinced, that if
Harry receives help  on his way, it will be his friends, or even his enemies
from his own age  group, who will be the greatest sources of help, not the
adults, not even  Snape.  It's why both Sirius and Dumbledore had to die.  If
there's  a redemption story that will aid Harry, I expect it will be Draco,
not  Snape.  i think JKR began to lay the ground work for that on the  tower
in HBP.  Both Sane and Malfoy would be way too much redemption for  one book!

 
Julie:
I don't think it's too much. Now if Voldemort, Wormtail and Bella line up  to
be redeemed too, then I'll agree! ;-) But unlike those three, both Snape  and
Draco have been portrayed with a degree of ambiguity about their  inherent
characters. No need to state how with Snape, but with Draco the fact  that
he's simply digested his father's views without once questioning them  is
what makes final judgment on his character still pending. Along with  the
fact that he couldn't kill Dumbledore. And that he's still a boy. That  leaves
room for change, for said boy to consider for the first time *his*  feelings 
and *his* real beliefs, rather than those drummed into him by his father. 
 
That doesn't mean Draco *will* change appreciably, but it certainly  leaves
open the possibility. Along with the possibility that he could assist  Harry
and his friends in some way, as you mention  above.  
 
Snape, BTW, has already changed in a way that is going to aid  Harry.
Or he hasn't. Either he's remained DDM, he was faking it all along, or  
he flipped back to Voldemort's side on the Tower. So it's done for  the
most part when it comes to Snape and whether he is to be redeemed.
If he's DDM, which I suspect, then he's been redeeming himself all  along,  
at least for his actions as a DE, by spying on Voldemort and doing the 
bidding of Dumbledore, and perhaps keeping Harry  alive. So it won't be
a matter of Snape being redeemed *in* Book 7, but of his redemptive
pattern throughout the books being *revealed* in Book 7 (er, why does 
that phrase "redemptive pattern" sound so very familiar? ;-)
 
I for one hope to see both Draco and Snape redeemed, at least on
some level. That doesn't mean they shed all responsibility for their
past actions, or that either of them will become cuddly with Harry,
but that they've at least attempted to atone for their mistakes. And 
I  don't see any way two redemptions negate Harry being the hero
of the series :-)
 
Julie 
 
 








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