Of Sorting and Snape

[allthecoolnamesgone]

No: HPFGUIDX 175763

> Siriusly Snapey Susan:
> To me, it was a stunning moment, this gift of the full
> background, this most difficult gift to give, revealing
> those things which had been hidden from all to the person
> to whom it was most difficult to allow to see. It was amazing.

> Which would probably mean I could cross-post this in Potioncat's
> One Moment thread. ;-)


allthecoolnamesgone:

I agree totally and consider this, Snape had spent the past 17
years 'concealing' his true motivation. Most of his adult life
had been a lie, his cover story. Even in the time that Voldemort
was 'gone' he had had to maintain his cover story so that when
Voldemort reappeared he could ressume his place as a Death Eater,
albeit as Dumbledores agent in place. He was a skilled Occlumens
and it appears that there were few who were. So we can perhaps
conclude that he was naturally given to concealing his true
feelings. If so his self revelation even at the moment of his
death to the one from whom he most wanted his deepest shame
concealed seems to me to be a seal on his redemption. I found
his death profoundly shocking and moving and it was probably
the only way that his message could have been delivered to Harry
for him to accept it's veracity. Alive Snape would have been to
Harry merely the cruel teacher, the killer of Dumbledore whose
mind was guarded. His dying declaration gave the proof to his
thoughts.

He is a tragic figure, his flaw was his single-minded ambition
in pursuit of knowledge which led to his sorting into Slytherin.
In any other house his life would have followed a differnt path.
Symbolic too then that it was the Snake that killed him but also
that the use of that method enabled his dying moments to be used
to complete his mission. Had he been AK'd there would have been
no gift of his memories to Harry.

allthecoolnamesgone