Harry Forgiving Snape (Re: Grey!Snape and Character Growth )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 162870

> Betsy Hp:
> I also don't understand why Snape's loyalty is suddenly crystal
> clear.  Haven't you moved away from Grey!Snape here?  Snape is 
> Dumbledore's man and has been for the entire series.  What's gray
> about that? 

Jen: Because it's not about the loyalty issue to me!  Snape's loyal, 
great, what does that mean for Harry?  Harry will find out he was 
wrong, he'll discover Snape was salvaging a bad situation on the 
tower or following orders or whatever happened, but that's *not* 
going to lead to the bigger issues of compassion or forgiveness on 
Harry's part.

Loyalty is the obvious, in our face dilemma after HBP but it's not 
the crux of the Snape/Harry storyline.  Harry needs to learn what his 
power is before facing Voldemort for the last time and the quickest 
way there plot-wise is forgiving Snape.  By necessity, that requires 
Snape to be someone who has done deeds that *require* forgiveness--
big things, seemingly unforgiveable things because otherwise what 
would Harry's forgiveness mean?  So no matter what we might think of 
Snape or his actions, JKR is saying handing over the prophecy, the UV 
and killing Dumbledore were all almost unforgiveable deeds done by 
Snape.  Dumbledore may have forgiven Snape, but he is not the one who 
was most affected by Snape's deeds. And if Snape is ever going to get 
out of the situation he finds himself in now because of his own 
choices, he is dependent on Harry's mercy and the defeat of Voldemort.

Jen R.