Snape-the Hero -- Snape-the Abuser

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 143374

 


> Julie:
> This is a bit ridiculous, and I don't mean to  be insulting. But it  does
> seem that way to me. Snape and Harry  were engaged in a duel.
> *Neither* of them suddenly stopped and said  "Wait! An innocent
> animal is dying and I must save him!" And it doesn't  really matter
> if Snape was blocking Harry's spells, because Harry  could  have turned
> and run toward Hagrid's hut at *any* time  

Hecatesheadband: Oh, I agree it's very, very far from a Key Plot Point  or the
Massive Sole Indicator of Anyone's Loyalty. Just an offhand  comment
inspired by another offhand comment... although I would note  that
Snape does disarm Harry and then knock him down. Harry was not in  a
position to help Fang. Snape was, but he didn't. It's not the crux  of
anyone's character or any plot element. It's just the last nail  in
Snape's coffin for me.






Julie again:
Just to be really picky here, the events went as follows: Harry
tries to Crucio Snape, and Snape knocks Harry down. Harry
rolls over and scrambles back up again as a Death Eater yells
"Incendio!" and Hagrid's house starts on fire. Hagrid bellows
"Fang's in there, yer evil--!" at which time Harry tries to Crucio
Snape again and Snape blocks it, yelling "No Unforgivables from
you, Potter!"--shouting over the rushing of flames, Hagrid's yells,
and the WILD YELPING of the trapped Fang. 
 
Okay, at this point, Harry *can* desert the fight with Snape and
help save Fang. He's not beating Snape anyway, and Snape is
only parrying Harry's spells, not keeping Harry there, so if Fang's
life is more important than getting revenge on Snape, then Harry
can make that choice. Instead, he throws yet another spell that 
Snape "lazily" deflects, and yells at Snape to "Fight back, you
coward!" (This is the first coward remark, not the second when
Snape becomes truly furious--that second one comes over a page
and a half later). 
 
Basically, Fang yelps in pain for THREE pages worth of  duelling
between Snape and Harry, and neither stops to worry about saving
the dog. But please don't think I'm castigating Harry here. Harry
is caught up in his emotions. Nothing but his hatred of Snape is
getting through to him. Just as Snape is caught up in escaping 
(whether as ESE/OFH to save his own skin, or as DDM to limit
any further damage or injuries inflicted by the DEs) and is ignoring
everything else. 
 
I interpret the whole scene as completely meaningless in judging
loyalty, decency, or general feelings about animals in either  Harry
or Snape, as they act essentially the same here. But that's me :-)
 
Julie
 
 
 
 


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