Snape-the Hero -- Snape-the Abuser

[hekatesheadband]

No: HPFGUIDX 143299

(Or: Snape and cruelty to animals)
Betsy Hp:

<Because when [Snape] 
> > does visibly suffer, his suffering is described as matching
> > Fang's suffering.  And no one sane writes about a beloved and 
> > innocent pet being burned alive expecting the audience to *not* 
> > sympathize with the animal.
> 
>
Lupinlore: Except when it's Trevor and Snape is trying to poison him?
 Sorry, 
> couldn't resist that one.
> 

I'm with Lupinlore on this one, and I'll go a bit further. The burning
hut scene cost Snape the last shred of sympathy or trust he could have
hoped for from me. Betsy's right: anyone should sympathise with "a
beloved and innocent pet being burned alive." Snape doesn't - he's
completely oblivious to Fang. 

I don't know what trauma even a DDM!Snape might have been experiencing
at the moment, and more to the point, I don't care. He's obviously
aware of the whole situation - see his responses to it, and to Harry.
Harry has just gone through plenty of trauma on his own (surely a
DDM!Harry in the cave is analogous to a DDM!Snape on the tower? Though
I don't buy the latter...). He's aware of Fang's fear and agony (he's
conflated with the narrator in this scene), and when Snape runs, Harry
chooses to let him run so that he can save Fang, rather than trying to
pursue him and leaving Fang to die. 

Snape could have saved Fang at any point at no cost to himself (do you
think Voldemort would compromise himself by killing his most useful
operatives for being sentimental about dogs? If he were that dim he'd
never have learnt to spell "horcrux," much less make six of the
things). He never even tries - a simple "Accio Fang" would have
sufficed. Harry does the right thing - what any human with the
smallest scrap of decency anywhere would do - and saves Fang
immediately (i.e., as soon as he has his wand and can use it). Snape
was letting him burn alive.

So yes, between Fang and Trevor, my opinion of Snape is shot. I don't
care if I'm wrong and he still turns out to be a white hat. I say let
Harry use him for target practice.

(Can you tell I'm an animal person?;)

-hekatesheadband

Because the sorting hat is really Bono.