"Bad Snapers," Karma, and the End of Snape

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 175886

> Lupinlore:
> > the venomous, bile-filled
> > man was killed by literal venom, thus ending his physical life in 
> > much the same way he had ended his emotional life.  The potions 
> > master, and presumably master of poisons, was killed by poison. 
> > The man who spent so much time showing favoritism to the House of
> > the Snake was killed by a snake.  The spinner of webs was caught 
> > in a trap that he evidently did not see coming (i.e. he seemed to 
> > know nothing about the Elder Wand).  The sarcastic, cruel voice 
he 
> > used to torment his students is silenced by the symbol of his own 
> > house.  The man who loved the Dark Arts was slain by the Dark 
Arts. 
> > The man who has abused Harry for years must rely on Harry for one 
> > last glimpse of the woman he "loved."  And Severus Snape, who 
> brooded
> > and nursed his bitterness about the Prank for twenty years, ends 
up 
> > dead on the floor of the Shrieking Shack after all.

> Judy:
> This post strikes me as very strange because on the one hand it 
seems 
> to be saying that Snape is an awful person because he was vengeful 
> and vindictive, yet it also seems to say that revenge against Snape 
> is a good thing. Lupinlore, do you think revenge is bad, or don't 
you?

<snip>

> I don't see Snape's death by Voldemort, by the Dark Arts, 
> by a snake as being some sort of karmic justice at all.  I see it 
as 
> a willing sacrifice by Snape, as something he's knowingly risked 
ever 
> since he tried to save Lily. 

zgirnius:
As I see it, Snape *was* one of the characters that definitely 
received karmic punishment. Only, this did not happen during Harry's 
schooldays. Nope, angry young Sev cared about nothing and noone and 
joined the DEs. Only to discover that, by doing so, he caused the 
death of the one person he *did* actually care about. Oops.

But yeah, DDM!Snapem who moved hismelf into the role of Voldmeort's 
right hand man for the greater good, getting killed by Voldemort for 
whatever reason, is no more karmic that Neville getting beat up by 
the Carrows for refusing to practice the Cruciatus Curse. Both 
consequences are ones a rational person could foresee as possible 
outcomes for the (right) actions each undertook.

> Judy:
> But if I were Snape, bleeding to death in that shack, I 
> think I would have been pleased, knowing that all was going 
according 
> to plan (Nagini was under protection), I had just completed my 
> mission and given the information to Harry, and I had gotten to be 
> DADA professor, and Hogwarts Headmaster to boot. Frankly, I think 
> that ever since Lily died, Snape had felt that life was a burden. 
He 
> meant it when he told Dumbledore that he wished he were dead. He 
only 
> hung around to complete his mission.  I don't think he minded 
dying.  

zgirnius:
Well, he did not know that Harry would look at the memories, unless 
this is what he saw in Harry's eyes as he died. Nor does he know for 
sure that Harry would act on them. (Though, since I believe Snape did 
respect Harry's courage on some level, I think he probably believed 
he would). Nor does he know Harry will live, and go on to the final 
defeat of Voldemort (both of which I think he would care about). So I 
guess that scene was a lot sadder for me, though I do agree that 
Snape probably had little use for his life other than wanting to get 
his job done.

The dead people in the afterlife seem to know what is happening, 
though, so at least he knows now. <g>