Snape, the man we love to hate (was: Bathroom scene )

[eggplant107]

No: HPFGUIDX 165096

"justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:

> I also remember your very thought-provoking
> "Could I be wrong about Snape?" 

Thanks, but I didn't mean to imply that Snape was one of the good
guys, only that I no longer considered the idea that he was to be
crazy. It's not crazy but it could still be wrong. 

> yet he saves Harry from a Crucio and passes
> up the opportunity to kill him. 

That's when Snape says:

 "Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord- we
are to leave him. Go! Go!" 

Unfortunately I don't believe this incident tells us anything about
Snape because his actions are perfectly consistent with the Snape is
Dumbledore's man theory, the Snape is Voldemort's man theory, and the
Snape is out for himself theory.

Snape is Dumbledore's man: Obviously Dumbledore doesn't want Harry
harmed, so Snape doesn't either.

Snape is Voldemort's man: Snape is just following orders; and it's not
hard to understand why Voldemort would give those orders. After
Voldemort tried and failed to kill Harry 6 times he couldn't afford to
look like a weakling and let a underling do what he could not. 

Snape is out for himself: Snape wants to be the most powerful wizard
in the world, but 2 wizards stood in his way. Snape just killed one of
them, and as he is one of the few who know that Harry is the only one
who can kill the other, so he wants to make sure he lives long enough
to do so.

> he kills Dumbledore after an exchanged look 

That look is the one thing I have the most difficulty reconciling with
the good Snape theory. Yes I've heard people draw parallels to Harry
forcing the potion down Dumbledore's throat, but if we looked at
Harry's face at that instant what would we see? Sadness certainly, and
revulsion, and guilt, and fear; but would we see anger? Would we see
hatred etched into the harsh lines of Harry's face? I don't think we
would.

> mean and vindictive as his detentions are, 
> they pale in comparison to Umbridge's sadism.

Ok, I'll grant you that. 
 
> I care about him [Harry] and want him to 
> survive, but I really wish he would open 
> his eyes and stop seeing what he wants to
> see, especially with regard to Snape, whom
> he blames, fairly or unfairly, for 
> everything bad that happens. 

I don't care if Snape turns out to be good or bad you can't blame
Harry for hating him, not after 6 years of abuse, not after he
murdered Dumbledore right in front of his eyes. In a way I believe by
the end of the last book he hates Snape even more than Dumbledore, it
seems more personal somehow. And I can't get around the fact that this
is a needless distraction to give to the only wizard who has a chance
of killing Voldemort. If it was always Dumbledore's plan to have Snape
kill him he must have had a HUGE reason not to tell Harry about it.

> Why does Harry so quickly put the image 
> of Draco lying in a pool of blood out
> of his mind?

That one's easy, Harry had far more important things to think about
than the bloody fate of his attacker. 

> Carol, who hopes that HRH will learn 
> from their mistakes and survive into
> the Epilogue, along with Neville and,
> yes, Severus Snape

I've said before that I think and hope Harry will not survive because
I think it will make a better story, but of all the characters in the
books the one most likely to die, even more than Voldemort, is Snape.
For whatever reason Snape killed Dumbledore, and he must pay for that.
It is possible that we readers will feel some sadness when this
happens but happen it will.

Speaking of Voldemort not dying, you don't suppose he could actually
win do you? Boy, that would really stir up the pot!  

Eggplant