Snape-the Hero -- Snape-the Abuser

[hekatesheadband]

No: HPFGUIDX 143314

> Pippin:
> Um, where are you getting all this? Canon is very clear about what
happened.
> Snape  fled because Buckbeak chased him off.

I'm getting it from pages 562-564, Raincoast edition (don't know the
American page numbers, sorry). Snape stood there taunting Harry for
however long - doesn't much matter, at least from my perspective. He
was quite aware of his surroundings, and he snarled at Harry and did
nothing to help Fang. As for Harry: he didn't have his wand and Snape
was preventing him from moving, thus from helping the dog. He does
note in passing an urge to "give [Snape] chase," but nonetheless he
turns immediately toward the hut, wasting no time in a useless effort
despite the circumstances. Yes, Hagrid has beat him to the task.
Nobody was blocking him.

Pippin: > If Snape deserves karmic punishment for endangering Harry
with his
> sarcasm and malice, even if Harry didn't come to harm through them, 
> then shouldn't Lupin and his pals suffer karmic punishment also for 
> endangering the innocent villagers of Hogsmead? The Marauders can't be 
> excused for their youth if the outings lasted into their seventh
year when 
> they were adults. 
> 

Snape deserves punishment for leaving an innocent, sentient animal to
burn alive for the sake of his petty grudge. The taunting is
immaterial. This goes no matter what spin we put on the Marauders'
behaviour. My take is that they, in their teenage recklessness and
rashness, honestly failed to consider that running around at night
when people were in bed, with Remus in their care, was as dangerous as
it was. (Snape can't claim adolescent stupidity for trying to poison
Trevor - even if Neville shouldn't have had him in class, it wasn't
the toad's fault.) And when James realised what a mistake that was, he
risked his life to right it. 

If you interpret them as malicious, however: James died a premature,
violent death knowing that his beloved wife and infant son would
probably be killed within minutes. Sirius spent twelve years in
Azkaban with the dementors for a crime he didn't commit, then another
year locked inside a madhouse of another kind, and was then murdered
by his own kinswoman. Remus has spent his post-Hogwarts existence as
an impoverished, chronically ill, pariah. Peter, I'd agree, has it
coming, for reasons that need no reiteration.

So my karmic view of Snape: redcaps and dementors have to eat something.

JMO,
hekatesheadband

Because the sorting hat is really Bono.