Snape as infidel was Re: Kant and Snape and Ethics and Everything

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 150340

> >>Pippin:
> If you've chosen your religion, or your moral philosophy, or your
> House, you probably do think it's better than the others. Otherwise
> you'd have chosen something else. A philosophy of tolerance must
> take this into account, or it's useless for the real world, IMO.
> But the  excellence of a  religion or a  philosophy  or a House   
> tells us nothing about the virtues of the individuals who belong   
> to it, or even of the group as a whole, which may be under the    
> influence of the worst of its members. The Gryffindors have no 
> grounds to assume their superiority over anybody just because
> they're Gryffindors. Nobody is guilty or innocent by association.

Betsy Hp:
Okay.  I think I see Hogwarts as a bit more organic.  I mean, yes, 
there are different priorities given to each house, different 
strengths.  And I think there needs to be a recognition that each 
strength is important, is vital for a truly strong and complete 
whole (including Slytherin).

But, Slytherin's the rub, isn't it?  Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, they 
get along fine, as far as we've seen.  Students were already 
associating across house bounderies there.  But Slytherin has been 
designated "outsider", and that needs to change.  And I feel like 
it'll take a bit more than tolerance to do so.  I think there needs 
to be the sort of unification that would be impossible with the 
world's religions. (Or even the various sects of Christianity, for 
that matter.)

Perhaps the various creatures in the WW would better represent 
tolerance.  (Though again, I'd hate to try and assign a specific 
religion to each creature.  There's still that "lesser than" aspect 
that worries me.)

> >>Pippin:
> <snip>
> Harry thinks that Snape's hatred sabotaged the occlumency lesson,
> drove Sirius to the Ministry and made him kill Dumbledore, but     
> there is ample canon for disputing this and for seeing Harry as    
> having scapegoated Snape as infidels have always been              
> scapegoated.  
> Indeed in HBP we learned that  their roots of the tragedy          
> overtaking the wizarding world go back centuries, far beyond       
> Voldemort.

Betsy Hp:
Oh, I so agree that Snape has been set up as the scapegoat.  Gosh, 
Harry even admits as such a couple of different times when he 
acknowledged the lack of reason behind his hatred.  I just don't 
think JKR will leave Snape in that state.  For Harry's sake as much 
as anything.

Slytherin is the WW scapegoat, and Voldemort took advantage of that 
fact.  (As Hitler took advantage of Germany being scapegoated by 
Europe.)  But I don't think JKR will leave Slytherin in that state 
either.  And it's not that Slytherin will become Gryffindor and 
Snape will become Dumbledore (or die in the attempt).  It's that 
Hogwarts will realize that Slytherin is not "other", Slytherin is 
them.  As Harry will realize that Snape isn't this infidel, this 
other, either.  In many ways I think Snape is Harry.  And I think 
Harry needs to see that.

> >>Pippin:
> And though the series is about choices, if our choices are        
> important it is because they can affect the course of the future   
> and others besides ourselves. But that means that the choices of   
> the past and of other people can affect us too.

Betsy Hp:
Hmm, in the end though, you can only make your own choice.  You 
cannot force another person.  That's what Voldemort tries to do, and 
it's what Dumbledore is too noble to do.  And that might be why 
Dumbledore got so frustrated with both Harry and Snape and their 
inability to work together.  Because yes, Snape was adversely 
affected by James Potter, and Harry was adversely affected by Snape, 
but they both chose to hold onto their hurts.

I think Dumbledore had reached a point (or perhaps has always been 
gifted with the ability) to not take things personally.  (Luna seems 
to have this gift as well.  I think young!Dumbledore was probably a 
bit like her, though perhaps a bit more sporty.)  Both Harry and 
Snape have a hard time letting things go.  They both like to pile 
blame on some convenient "other".

It's made Snape bitter and it's cost him.  Harry is still a bit 
young, but he's heading in that direction.

Betsy Hp