OFH SNAPE was: Script from JKR's reading/ About Snape and

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 157078

 


Wynnleaf:
>And even if the
>forest conversation was not  about that, if DD's "please Severus" was
>having to plead with Snape to  AK him, that clearly indicates that
>Snape didn't want to AK DD.   And *that* means that Snape would
>rather choose to die than kill DD,  even with DD telling him to do
>it.  That's really hard for me to  believe if Snape dislikes
>Dumbledore.

PJ:
IF, IF, IF....  Sorry but I see nothing in canon that "clearly indicates" 
anything of the  kind. The whole thing from start to finish won't be fully 
explained to  anyone's satisfaction until the next book and until then *any* 
meaning we  attribute to that scene is pure supposition... On my part as  
well!

All that canon gives us about Snape in that scene are the dry  facts.  Snape 
strides onto the tower, pushes Draco roughly aside,  faces Dumbledore with a 
face full of hate and loathing and then AK's  him.  *Seemingly* with no more 
thought than when he was shooting  flies in his bedroom...

Where is the momentary look of regret for  having to kill the greatest 
wizard?  The torment and indecision for  having to kill his protector?  The 
ANGST that *should* be mentioned,  should be *seen* even if  only briefly if 
Snape truly didn't think  AKing DD was a great idea?  I find none...  What I 
see is that  Snape is alive and well but Dumbledore isn't...

Is it possible that  Snape no longer needed Dumbledore's assistance with his 
plan?  Is it  even possible that Dumbledore had become more of a liabliity 
with his  sudden interest in Horcruxes than helper in the "great plot"?  I  
think it should be considered...

PJ


Julie:
I agree that canon doesn't *clearly* indicate Snape didn't want to kill  DD.
(Heck, when does canon clearly indicate ANYTHING about Snape?!) But
canon does give us some clues which clearly indicate a *reasonable  basis*
for believing that Snape didn't want to kill DD. (Of course, you can  see 
other reasonable explanations for these canon points, but that doesn't 
and can't exclude the "Snape didn't want to kill DD" possibility.)
 
Firstly, you said Snape AK DD with seemingly no more thought than
swatting flies. In fact Snape stood looking at DD for a long moment,
thinking we don't know what (not yet anyway). Given that DD said 
"Severus...please..." and only then did Snape AK him, it's a valid
argument that perhaps Snape was experiencing indecision, and DD's
words forced the decision. 
 
Secondly, you ask where is the angst and torment in Snape at 
having to kill his protector. And you mention the regret that we 
should have been *seen*--even briefly. But we DID see torment,
angst, and quite possibly regret on Snape's face briefly. Harry
saw it too, right after he called Snape a coward. Snape's face was
described as contorted "as if he was as in as much pain as the
yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them."
We don't know why Snape felt such deep pain, but again, it is
a valid possibility that he felt that pain over having to kill DD. 
 
Thirdly, if Snape doesn't care about DD, and is getting rid of the
old man with no hesitation or regret whatsoever, then why isn't
Snape congratulating himself on a job well done? Why isn't he
telling DD just what a liability the old man has become? We know
Snape has NO compunction about pointing out the faults and
weaknesses of others. Why miss this opportunity?
 
And why does he care at all if Harry calls him a coward the
second time (he certainly didn't care the first time), when he
was just getting rid of an annoying hindrance? Why pain at 
that? Maybe because killing DD took more courage than
anything Snape had ever done? Because DD was the closest
thing to a friend--and perhaps a father--that he had? Because
it hurt to lose him, and it hurt that much more to be the one who
killed him? The facts as presented in canon can easily support
this interpretation.
 
Again, you don't have to believe any of this. There are no doubt
several plausible explanations for Snape's actions and apparent 
emotions during this scene. DDM!Snape who cared deeply for
DD and only killed DD because he had promised to do so (and
because DD added that "please" at the final moment) is one of
those plausible explanations. That's all I ask you to accept :-)
 
Julie 


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