Of Sorting and Snape

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 175835

Pippin wrote:
<snip>

> I think many Snape fans (and I am definitely including me) invested
so much in a Snape who wasn't about vengeance. But he is, he really
is. "Vengeance is sweet" he breathes. Much as I would have hoped he
was acting, he wasn't.  Snape wanted retaliation for each and every
injury, real or imagined. 
> 
> Ironically, he got more revenge than he wanted. 
> 
>  Between relaying the prophecy and his interference in the Shrieking
Shack which led to Pettigrew's escape, those whom Snape hated ended up
dead, just as Harry said: all the Marauders and Harry himself. 
> 
Carol responds:

I'm rather pressed for time and can't give you a detailed response
here, but don't you think that you're laying a little too much at
Snape's door? What, exactly, happened because of his interference? Not
vengeance, just Harry actually listening to Lupin's and Black's story,
as he might not have done if Snape hadn't tried to take matters into
his own hands. And if Snape hadn't "interfered," who would have
conjured the stretchers to get the kids to the hopsital wing and Black
off the grounds (admittedly into Fudge's hands temporarily)? 

None of it would have happened if Lupin hadn't rushed out without his
potion, not to mention Black breaking out of prison to kill Pettigrew,
dragging Ron into the Shcck, etc. And if *Harry* hadn't "interfered,
Lupin and Black would have killed Pettigrew and voldemort would not
have been resurrected a year later. Also, Lupin and Black would have
been murderers. Pettigrew's escape can be traced to a number of
people, chiefly Black, Lupin, Harry, and Pettigrew himself. Snape is
the least responsible of the group, IMO.

At the time of PoA, he still thinks that Sirius Black murdered
thirteen people and betrayed the Potters to their deaths (it's surely
Lily's death for which he wants revenge). Later, he learns that the
traitor was Pettigrew, whom it's much less satisfactory to hate (an
experience shared by Harry). Perhaps Black's innocence with regard to
the Potters' deaths (neither he nor Lupin is very "innocent" in terms
of their behavior in PoA) forced Snape to see his own role as
eavesdropper more clearly once he can no longer scapegoat Black
(compare Harry's scapegoating of Snape with regard to Black's death).

At any rate, revenge is *not* what it's all about for Snape. It's all,
or mostly, about Lily and about protecting Harry (and helping him to
defeat Voldemort even when he thinks Harry must sacrifice himself).
The whole point of "The Prince's Tale" is to show that it isn't about
James Potter or Sirius Black at all. And if there's any revenge that
Snape still finds "sweet" after PoA, it's against Voldemort. But in
HBP, at least, his focus appears to be on saving lives. That's hard to
chalk up to revenge.

Pippin:
> But Snape was allowed to finish the task which Dumbledore set him,
even if he did not live to see victory, so I would like to think he
died redeemed.  After all Dumbledore made it to the next world, if in
a more damaged state than Harry. 

Carol responds:

The only "damage" to DD is his still-broken nose and his half-moon
spectacles. Perhaps he thinks he *deserves* to retain the broken nose.
His blackened hand is completely healed and he looks younger than
Harry remembers him. The twinkle in his eye is restored, as well.
James, too, still wears his glasses, so either myopia/astigmatism or
whatever continues into the afterlife (boo!) or they appear as Harry
expects them to appear, glasses and all. *Harry's* missing glasses
symbolize his cleared perception (IMO), but a less prejudiced and more
compassionate view of Snape and his own mission, but neither James nor
DD shares that epiphany. Nor is he actually dead; he's just making a
visit to the afterlife (like an epic hero from Greek myth). When he
returns to the world of the living, he needs his glasses again.

At any rate, I think that Lupin's and Black's more youthful
appearance, the one healed of lycanthropy and the other of the taint
of Azkaban certainly suggests hope that Snape, too, can be healed of
sin and suffering through repentance and/or heroism.

Carol, agreeing that Snape appears to be redeemed but not that he's
chiefly motivated by revenge