Facilis descensus Averni---Snape's little problems

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 140427

Ericoppen wrote:
<snip>
> One reason that I think D'dore kept Snape away from DADA, even 
though 
> he's a stone expert, is because in JKR's world, the Dark Arts are 
not 
> only corrupting to the body and soul, they're _addictive._  Snape 
> might be like a dried-out alcoholic, who's okay as long as he 
doesn't 
> start drinking again.  But if he fiddles with Dark Arts, even in 
> passing, he's already done himself enough damage for them to be
much 
> more dangerous than they might be for someone who'd never had 
> anything to do with them.


Alla:

My only comment would be complete agreement, actually. This is also 
one of the reasons why I have so much trouble believing that 
Dumbledore would ask Snape to kill him - suddenly all the fighting
for 
Snape's soul, fighting to keep him clean from Dark Arts is deemed 
irellevant, IMO.

Lealess:
> I can see the attraction of this argument, as it echoes what Rowling
> said herself, that the DADA position would bring out the worst in
> Snape (although I think she was being tongue-in-cheek). 


Alla:

I think JKR was being honest when she said that - I don't think this 
is a complete story, but I think this part is true. JMO, of course. 
Is  there any reason  that you are saying that she was joking?


Lealess:
 But this is
> also like saying firefighters work in their professions because they
> like to start fires, pharmacists because they want to mess around 
with
> drugs, psychiatrists because they're screwed up, and so on.  There 
may
> be kernel of truth for some professionals, but not for all.  Do you
> think Lupin was corrupted because of his year teaching DADA, or
would
> have been had he continued teaching it?  He had as much experience
> *being* a Dark Creature as Snape had with Dark Arts.  Had the real
> Moody taught DADA, would he have been corrupted?  He had the
> experience of fighting the Dark Arts, seemingly using its own 
methods.
> 

Alla:

I think your analogy is flawed. The big difference between Lupin, 
Moody  AND Snape on the other hand would be that they had no 
attractions to Dark Arts in  the first place, as far as we know.

They were teaching or  in Moody case would be teaching the Defence 
against Dark Arts. They as far as we know  never meddled in Dark Arts 
itself - Snape DID. He  was part of the DE, after all.

I think that Lupin and Real!Moody would have much less or none at all 
danger to be addicted to Dark Arts,since all they would be teaching 
are ANTIDOTES, so to speak to Dark Arts.

Now, of course they have to know some Dark Arts in order to teach 
defence correctly, I suppose.

But I think there is a big difference of learning something in order 
to know how to defend it, OR already LOVING Dark Arts as much as
Snape 
did ( and we know  that he invents those dark curses, as teen) and 
then getting the position,where he can be able to enjoy them again, 
even though he is supposed to teach defence.

Again JMO of course,

Alla.