Snape's Cruelty Has Purpose /Why I Hate Snape/Snape's Worst Memory

[KathyK]

No: HPFGUIDX 150647

Deb wrote:

>    Barty Crouch Jr (aka Fake!Moody) is LVs "most loyal servant" and 
> probably likes all DEs as long as he thinks they are loyal to his 
> Lord and Master, LV. But when he drinks Polyjuice and becomes Fake!
> Moody he has to take on the persona and attitudes and behaviors of - 
>    Alastair Moody - the real one - who is an Auror and yes *he* 
> hates the Malfoys, is suspicious of Snape and isn't convinced like 
> DD was that Snape has truly renounced his DEness. Soooo BCjr has to 
> be a very good actor in order to impersonate Auror Moody for nearly 
> a whole school year and give voice to things and do things that are 
> contrary to what he really believes.  

KathyK:

I certainly agree Crouch Jr had to do a fair bit of acting to
impersonate Mad-Eye for a year, but he does hate Death Eaters "who
walked free."  He says this as Moody back in Chapter 25 of GoF and
then agin in Chapter 35 when he has revealed himself as LV's follower
(he called those who avoided Azkaban, "scum," "treacherous cowards,"
"worthless bits of filth," etc).  He was not feigning hatred toward
the Malfoys or Snape.  He *hates* them rather violently.  That part of
the Crouch!Moody bit was not an act.

 
Deb wrote: 
>      The vow is real yes. But his acting is in his Spin Doctoring - 
> in his shading of nuance of meanings when he is answering Bella's 
> accusations and when he is agreeing to help Narcissa thwart LV's 
> plans for Draco. Isn't that some trick to say in front of Bella that 
> he will protect Draco when all three of them suspect LV believes 
> that Draco will fail - and maybe even hopes he will fail - and that 
> LV will kill him if he does? Yet Bella a very staunch LV supporter 
> agrees to be binder for this Vow ... against LV's interests! 

KathyK:

I just went through the wording of the UV (I'm sure everyone else
already has a million times, but I haven't done so).  Nothing Snape
promises goes against Lord Voldemort's wishes or interests as I
understand them from the Spinner's End chapter.  Voldemort wants Draco
to kill Dumbledore.  Expecting or hoping Draco will fail so he can
kill him does not change this.  Narcissa asks Snape to watch over
Draco while Draco tries to complete his task.  Snape promises to
protect Draco to the best of his ability.  Then he promises to
complete the task should Draco fail.  The end result is still a dead
Dumbledore.  

Can you explain how you think the UV goes against LV's wishes?  'Cause 
I'm not convinced protecting Draco to the best of Snape's ability
includes protecting him against Voldemort should Draco fail.  And
that's the only part of the vow I can see causing problems *if* it is
taken as a blanket protection of Draco and LV still wants to kill him
after Dumbledore is dead.  

Deb wrote:

> I think that LV would expect 
> that any loyal DE would "hate" the person who brought LV down, don't 
> you? 

KathyK:

Well, yes.  But Snape could still have created a role for himself
where he *didn't* hate, pick on, or ridicule HP or other students and
still would be able to explain away any sort of perceived favoritism
(or complete indifference) toward Harry, IMO.  (This concludes the "me
too to Magpie" portion of my post).


Deb:

> I can only sincerely hope that Book 7 will answer most of the 
> question "Who is Severus Snape really?"

KathyK:

Me too.  And I hope the answer is "A Really Bad Guy" <vbg>