Why did Snape react so angrily to being called a 'Coward' ??

[Deb]

No: HPFGUIDX 134633

plittleuk wrote:
> Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else (apologies if I have 
missed 
> it) but the manner in which Snape reacted to Harry calling hime a 
> coward when he was trying to escape the grounds seemed very OTT to 
me.
> 
> Think about it - if he was really desperate to escape the scene as 
> quickly as possible, having someone (particularly Harry) question 
his 
> courage would be hardly likely to slow him down would it ?
> 
> The reaction "DON'T CALL ME A COWARD...." in my eyes could be 
> construed along the lines of 'if only you understood the things 
that I 
> have done, am doing and will do for you, you would not call me a 
> coward'.
> 
> This was the biggest indicator for me that Snape is on the side of 
> good - I found it a very odd thing to make a point of taking Harry 
to 
> task on at such a time when he had to get away.
> 
> 


  Consider what Snape has just gone through... Here is a man who is 
a superb Occlumens - someone who can keep his innermost thoughts, 
emotions, memories successfully hidden from the best Legilimens of 
all times, LV. He has just killed, or at the least helped to cause 
the death of, AD who was at the very least his mentor at Hogwarts, 
someone who unfailingly trusted him and said so to anyone who 
questioned that trust. Whether SS and AD had an Unbreakable Vow 
between them, or some other powerful spell, or merely true respect 
and trust... no matter what the motivation for hurling the AK at 
Dumbledore, Snape knows that AD is dead. And if there were spells, 
or vows, or other enchantments between them those now are gone, 
voided by AD's death. And if the motivation was the true respect and 
trust .. then those too are gone. If there is a master plan created 
by Dumbledore... then he was the only one (most likely) who could 
have proven the truth. So Snape now has to shepherd Draco back to 
LV, face LV without the back up of Dumbledore or the enchantments or 
the knowledge that one person alive in the world trusts him, 
respects him, and regards him as a valuable and courageous person. 
LV does not (most likely) truly trust anyone.. he is too suspicious 
and paranoid. Though he has accepted Snape back into the DEs and has 
sent him back to Hogwarts to spy for him, I would suspect that LV 
has some way of knowing if one of his DEs betrays him. Perhaps the 
Dark Mark is similar to the hexed parchment that Hermione collected 
the signatures of the DAs with... if some one betrays then they will 
be identified most dramatically. 
 And my interpretation of LVs listing of the DEs who did not 
apparate to his side at the cemetary in GOF is that it was Snape he 
felt was "too cowardly to return". And if as has been speculated the 
Marauders in their tormenting of Snape also called him a coward... 
well Snape is balanced on a very thin tightrope, trying to carefully 
cross the chasm between Dark and Light, trying to find the true path 
that will insure the safety of Harry, Draco, all students at 
Hogwarts, and the Wizarding World. If I were in Snapes' position I 
too might scream DON'T CALL ME A COWARD!!!  
 Now it maybe be apparent, but I'm in the Snape-is-good camp. I 
think, as has been speculated before, that Snape has been  working 
closely with AD to implement a plan to bring LV down by training and 
guiding to the point that he is capable of fulfilling the prophacy 
and his own destiny. I think there was an Unbreakable Vow between SS 
and AD. As described in the scene between Snape, Narcissa, and 
Bellatrix an Unbreakable Vow has 3 parts to it. So what might 
(speculation!) such a vow consist of....? 
   Part one:  AD: Will you, Severus Snape, watch over and protect 
Harry Potter while he gains the skills needed to fulfill the 
prophecy and his destingy?
              SS: I will

   Part two:  AD: And will you, to the best of your ability, provide 
him with the training and direction he needs to gain those skills?
              SS: I will

   Part three: AD: And will you follow my orders in every particular 
no matter how much you do not want to do so, even if I order you to 
do something that will void this Vow?   
              SS:  I will

See I think that in the Spinner's End scene Snapes' hand twitched 
because he was momentarily worried that the 2nd Vow would be in 
conflict with the first one. He knew that Dumbledore might order him 
to kill him to save Draco from staining his soul through an act of  
murder.  So Snape makes the 2nd vow, tells AD about it, and between 
them they consider as many ramifications as possible and AD says 
something to the effect of "well of course you must kill me if it 
comes to that. You must not allow Draco to be the one." And Snape 
argues with AD (as reported to Harry by Hagrid) because he truly 
does not want to kill AD! 

  So there is may wheezing waffle for today... make of it what you 
will

 Deb  - my wand is 10" long, rosewood with a core of unicorn tail