What might Snape consider cowardice?

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 163651

> 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.
<SNIP>

Alla:

Yep, Potioncat, that is one of many things that I love about you - 
that while being a Snape fan, you can still put yourself in Harry 
shoes.

Harry just had what probably was one of the most horrifying 
experiences of his life. Feeding that potion to Dumbledore, trying 
desperately to save him, being unable to and here we go Snape shows 
and finishes the job, fast.

Yes, Potioncat again to what you said - that is real brave for me - 
**not**.

Potioncat: 
<SNIP>
> 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.
><SNIP>


Alla:

Yeah, Okay, so hopefully this paragraph will save this post from 
making it to be complete **me too*, even though I also agree with 
general idea of it.

I absolutely think that accusations of cowardice that hit Snape the 
most was something connected to Marauders. Not because I believe 
that Snape did the **brave** thing on the Tower, of course not. You 
describe very nicely what I believe Snape did.

BUT
if Snape is ESE, why would he care that Harry calls him a coward, 
since if he made this decision, he made it conscientously, etc. If 
he is DD!M, again, why would he care about Harry's name calling, 
since supposedly they cooked this plan with Dumbledore and Snape 
should be well prepared himself to hear accusations worse than that?
I happen to believe that it was somehow connected to Lily, that 
Snape dearest acted as a real coward to her at one point in his 
life, and may still regret it.

I like the speculation that Snape was too cowardly to pursue Lily 
openly since as half blood, who wanted to be accepted by purebloods, 
he would not dare to show the world his affections for muggleborn 
witch, but it can be anything.

Alla, who cries for Dumbledore and Harry every time she rereads the 
Tower, and who does not spare anything but disgust for Dumbledore's 
murderer.