What might Snape consider cowardice?

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 163648

Kemper wrote:
> In the Chapter discussion, colebiancardi synopsized:
> 
> Snape drops the big truth on Harry - he tells Harry that he, Snape, is
> the Half-Blood Prince. Harry tells Snape to kill him like he killed
> Dumbledore and again he calls Snape a coward. Snape yells at Harry,
> his face looking inhuman, "DON'T CALL ME COWARD!"
> 
> I, Kemper, wondered in one of my answers, what does Snape consider to
> be cowardice?  Even though some have suggested that he loses his cool
> hear because of some Marauder issues, I'm having difficulty buying it.
> 
> What would Snape consider cowardice acts during the events in the
> Lighting Struck Tower or the Flight of the Prince?
> 
> Kemper, who realizes his question in the Discussion may have been
> overlooked... or probably more accurately, underread
>

Potioncat:
I suddenly saw the events on the Tower as Harry (and probably Alla) saw 
them. It's really hard for those of us who have been at this awhile to 
separate Alphabet!Snape from Snape. (I love Alphabet!Snape...I should 
go back and see who came up with it.)

Now, Harry has his own filter, different from Draco, different from the 
readers. But to Harry, Snape shows up, sees a helpless, injured, 
wandless old man and AKs him. Oh, yeah, real brave, wasn't it? If that 
is real!Snape, then he's protesting at something that is true.

However, some version of DDM!Snape who has made a difficult decision, 
with or without any planning, has done something very horrible and very 
brave. If he knows he's brave, and he shouldn't expect Harry to 
understand, then why the reaction?

Someone else has just pointed out that Snape taunted Sirius with 
cowardice. So it is an issue between them, isn't it? And between Snape 
and the other Marauders? Now, I have to dig deep for a long running 
debate between me, Carol(I think) and one of our Australian members. 
All I can remember is the name started with a V and I'd recognise them 
at once.....(showing my age)

So, the point is, the debate had to do with the name Snivellus. While 
Carol and I maintained that the Marauders could have discovered a young 
Severus crying,(snivelling) and gave him the name, the other point of 
view was that snivelling itself denotes lack of character, as 
in "snivelling coward."

So, to Kemper's question, I think Harry's use of the spell recalled to 
Snape's mind James, and the accusation of 'coward' hit an unhealed 
wound and he reacted as he did. I think Snivellus has to do with some 
event that the Marauders identified as cowardly. Whether Snape thought 
it was or not is a different matter, the charge is still powerful.

At least, that's my theory. I know it comes right back to the 
Marauders, but I think it must, given how the dialogue between Harry 
and Snape plays out.