Resignation & Book 7 Predictions (Way long/HBP Spoilers)

[Amanda Coleman]

No: HPFGUIDX 133784

Ljd <ladyljd at yahoo.com> wrote:
> <snip>
> There is no doubt in my mind now of JKR's intentions for Snape.  
> I've spent some time researching her interview statements over 
> the past few days.  I'm convinced of her thought processes now.  
> In short, Severus Snape was never meant to be anyone's favorite 
> character.  And Albus Dumbledore was always meant to have a fatal 
> flaw: his abundant capacity to love.  Here are the quotes on 
> which I base these opinions:

Spherissa:
I agree that JKR didn't want Snape to be anyone's favourite 
character, what I disagree with is the point to her not wanting 
this. I think she wants to surprise us with Snape's real purpose, 
and with his redemption. On first reading The Lighning-Struck Tower 
I did think OH NO, NOT SNAPE! but on further thought I realised 
this is one of Rowling's Red Herrings.

What made me think that is many of the oft repeated reasons, the
parallelism in the Cave and Tower chapters, the pause before action,
the fact that Dumbledore pleaded, I don't see Dumbledore pleading 
for his life. I can see him pleading for Snape's and Draco's though.

Also -- I don't see Dumbledore as infallible, he has made a lot of
mistakes in his trust in past books -- and in his own behaviour ie
never really talking to Harry (which, actually I think is one of the
key issues in the whole Harry Potter series, Communication -- what 
is being said to whom, by whom, how it is interpreted and how it is
believed (or not))

But to get back to my response. No. Snape is not evil. But even if 
he is evil he is still one of the bravest characters in this series. Oooh, I could just slap Harry for calling him a coward!

> Ali: Why specifically does Dumbledore trust Snape?
> JK Rowling replies -> Another excellent and non-answerable 
> question. I shall merely say that Snape has given Dumbledore
> his story and Dumbledore believes it.

Spherissa here:

Hm. JKR herself, here, isn't giving any reason to think whether she
herself believes snape's reasoning. I'm just taking it on faith that 
I think she does, and I'm basing this on the canonical support for
LOLLIPOPS. I think Snape didn't realise that ~Lily~ could be killed. 
I also think, that by this time Snape had a life debt to James. What is the cost of causing the death of someone to whom one has a life debt? Do we know? It certainly seems like it would be Bot Good 
Things and support Snape's change of camp.

Also -- a lot of fandom is prepared to accept that Regulus Black 
found out a Secret about Voldemort and then changed camps, so far as to find one of his Horcruxes. Why can't we offer the same support to Snape? Who after all was within a few years, the same age as the silly young Regulus. (And I'd use this as support for my idea of the redemption of Draco.)

> Q: What about Snape?
> JKR: Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a teacher 
> I myself had, I have to say. I think children are very aware and 
> we are kidding ourselves if we don't think that they are, that 
> teachers do sometimes abuse their power and this particular 
> teacher does abuse his power. He's not a particularly pleasant 
> person at all. However, everyone should keep their eye on Snape, 
> I'll just say that because there is more to him than meets the 
> eye and you will find out part of what I am talking about if you 
> read Book 4. No, I'm not trying to drum up more sales, go to the 
> library and get it out. I'd rather people read it.

Spherissa now:

Snape is a sadist. No doubt. But I must confess to feeling
disappointed by not seeing him teach DADA. Was there really not 
room for a couple of pages on Snape teaching a subject that made 
him happy? I would have appreciated seeing Snape doing somehting 
that gave him joy and met his view of himself.

I think something to bear in mind with this quote is when it was
stated. I'm not sure, but I think it was recently after the release 
of Book 4? So the surprising news on Snape would likely be his affiliation with the DEs and his double coatedness. I don't think 
JKR is saying he's an evil person through and through. I think what she is hinting at is: Yes, Snape is a sadist, no he's not someone you'd necessarily invite to dinner. But no, that's not all there is to him, just because he's icky in one response doesn't make him irredeemably evil in all ways. I think JKR is saying, keep an eye on Snape, he might give evidence that bad in one sense isn't bad in another.

And, come to think of it, I think this is supported by her writing 
of Umbridge. Umbridge is by no means a nice woman. But I don't think
she's ever portrayed as a DE. So -- you can be unpleasant, and do
terrible things, and not owe your allegiance to Voldemort.

In fact, look at some of Ginny's behaviour (crashing into the
commentator's stand, jinxes) and the behaviour of the Marauders and
you see that even white hats can be bullies and misuse their power.

So in short, I don't think this quote necessarily means Snape is 
evil. Though of course, JKR's deliberate ambiguity allows multiple readings.

> Q: One of our internet correspondents wondered if Snape is going 
> to fall in love.
> JKR: (JKR laughs) Who on earth would want Snape in love with 
> them? That's a very horrible idea.

Spherissa now:
She doesn't say he doesn't/hasn't fallen in love. I have a suspicion
Lily rejected Snape's love and that's when she became a filthy
Mudblood. She hurt him, and he retaliated in the strongest way he
knew, especially when she offered help to him. Snape is not the sort
of person who would like to feel he cannot do for himself. Which I
think is one of the tragedies of Snape. He doesn't allow people to
care for him.

> Q: There's an important kind of redemptive pattern to Snape
> JKR: He, um, there's so much I wish I could say to you, and I 
> can't because it would ruin. I promise you, whoever asked that 
> question, can I just say to you that I'm slightly stunned that 
> you've said that and you'll find out why I'm so stunned if you 
> read Book 7. That's all I'm going to say.

Spherissa now:
Personally I think JKR is stunned becaus she's worried her great
stunning denouement at the end of the series isn't going to be as
stunning as she'd hoped. She's surprised people have cut through her
red herrings is all.

> Q: Who's your favorite character besides Harry Potter?
> A: It's very hard to choose. It's fun to write about Snape 
> because he's a deeply horrible person. Hagrid is someone I'd 
> love to meet.

Spherissa now:

She's not saying she hates Snape here. In fact he's the first person
she thinks of when favourite characters are mentioned. Given JKR's 
fun with mysteries and misleading people I think he's her favourite
Because he's so misleading.

And I think there's more to Hagrid than we yet now.

Also... note just how stunned McG is when she finds out Snape killed
Dumbledore. Pomfrey needs to get her a chair to sit on, and she's not
saying Not Dumbledore, she's saying Not Snape, and then going into 
the whole we all wondered, but her first reaction is one of stunned
disbelief.

((snips a terrible amount of the former post))

I agree in that I don't think Snape will survive the final battle, 
but I think he will always be on the side of the good. I think he 
will protect Draco and Narcissa.

Question: How happy do you think Voldemort will be to find Snape has
ocmpletely blown his cover at Hogwarts? Though at this point I don't
know how important covers are going to be. After all -- Voldemort
didn't give his okay to the Unbreakable Vow. I still don't think 
Snape knew what Draco's task was when he and Narcissa and Bellatrix were speaking in chapter 2.

I firmly believe Dumbledore had to die. I think with Harry turning 
17 and Lily's protective magic, at least in so far as the Dursleys' house is concerned gonge-- or at least about to go -- he has given Harry some other sacrificial protection.

I also wonder about the phoenix that came out of Dumbledore's chest.

I agree with you though in that I don't think Dumbledore's portrait
will awaken for a bit... I think that traditionally each of the
portraits stays somnolent at least for a little to give the new HM a
chance to find his/her feet. Admittedly I base this on nothing but a
gut feeling, but imagine how hard it is to start a new job with the
old person who had that job looming over your shoulder the whole time
and then think how much worse that would be in Hogwarts.

Anyway... This reply is a lot longer than I had thought it would be..

Suffice to say, I find the quotes you offer to be ambiguous and I
still maintain that Snape is on the side of the good; for many 
reasons given in many threads already, but also because on a literary level I think an evil Snape makes the stories go flat, and also because on a moral/Christian level, there is always room and time 
for redemption and forgiveness.

Spherissa