Snape's Role/ dark magic

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 176475

>  Ted:
> I totally agree with that there are many ways to interpret many of
> Snape's behaviors.  It would be awfully hard to be kind to the son 
of
> your most despised enemy.  Even more so if the mother was the woman
> you loved and lost.  Harry's behavior toward Snape certainly didn't
> make it any easier.  Both Harry and Ron learned with Kreacher that
> sometimes you reap what you sow when you treat people badly.

Alla:

So, what did Harry reap when he showed up on that first lesson? When 
he has not seen Snape before in his life?

 
> It is also certainly necessary for Snape to keep up his image with 
the
> death eaters as well,

Alla:

Except we **know** now that Snape was not maintaining any image with 
the death eaters when he mistreated Harry, no?

He was doing just that – mistreating Harry because he wanted to, no?


Ted:
...but I never got the feeling that Snape truly got
> past his own selfishness and bitterness toward James and Harry.
> That's what makes it hard for me to see Snape heroically.  Still, I
> agree with many of your points.  I also think that Snape, more than
> any other character, helps demonstrate the power of love in this 
story.

Alla:

Exactly. I do not even care if he never got past his bitterness 
towards James, although one would think that Snape helping to make 
James dead should sort of satisfy his revenge for the school years, 
but whatever - they were enemies in school. If Snape wants to 
continue hating dead man, that's his legitimate choice.

But do I think Snape owed Harry to see Lily in him? To try no matter 
how freaking hard it was for him do so. Oh yes. Partially because of 
you Snape this boy has no mother and no father. Grow up and treat 
him decently, says me :)


Because you see, before book 7 I kept saying that to believe Snape's 
remorse I need to hear it from him. Well, I see that he was 
remorseful for Lily, but what makes it so very hard to respect him 
all together is that I saw **zero** remorse for what Snape made 
Harry's life into, for what he shaped him to be. As far as I mknow 
Snape was perfectly fine with Harry being marked, his sufferings 
because of that, etc. I find it despicable. And I refuse to cut 
Snape any slack for that.  IMO of course.

> 
> lizzyben:
<SNIP>
>> And we never get a definition of what exactly constitutes "Dark
> Magic", or why it's so awful. We're supposed to think Snape was bad
> for being into the "Dark Arts", but it's the Marauders who we see
> using hexes & jinxes for fun, becoming Animagi, & creating a 
magical
> map that's full of Dark Magic. But then Lily says that James & co.
> don't use Dark Magic. It's a puzzle. It starts to seem almost like 
a
> cultural thing - Those weird people w/their weird customs & weird
> magic that isn't like the normal magic we use at all.

Alla:

Well, if we go by that quote, curses are much worse than hexes and 
jinxes, imprecise as it is.