Snape/Lily love or obsession

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 173371

 
> Dana:
> Sorry could not resist but why believe Harry now? Before DH Harry's 
> point of view on Snape has always been a major point of debate but now 
> suddenly he is right? If he is not a good judge of character when he 
> witnessed and experienced Snape's behavior towards him then why is he 
> now? Snape truly hated Harry and his dad that character assesment is 
> also still very much part of canon!Snape. Is the Harry filter suddenly 
> a reliable witness while before these revelations it wasn't? 
>  

colebiancardi:

Well, it could be because of two important things: 

The first being that Harry saw Snape, objectively, through the
Pensive.  Those memories, good & bad, are not biased towards Snape and
shows Harry Young!Snape, Teen!Snape, DE!Snape and DDM!Snape (or
LILY!Snape).  Harry gets privy to Snape's motivations and what Snape
did.  Harry also gets DD's assentment of Snape - that Snape is not a
coward and brave, and that Snape, in *his own way*, loved Lily for
years.  Those Pensive moments are not candy-coated.  

The second being Dumbledore's conversation in King's Cross. 
Dumbledore states "Poor Severus"  and Harry retorts "That bit didn't
work out".  Then Harry & DD sit without talking - for the longest time
yet.  I think Harry, by viewing the Pensive scenes and talking to DD,
 came to that conclusion.  Harry's filter has been lifted.


Don't forget that Harry's filter has been lifted before - in another
one of Snape's memories, back in OotP.  Harry, up to that time,
thought his father was the best, greatest, wonderful,
could-never-be-a-git;  yet after he saw those memories, he was torn,
conflicted; felt empathy with Teen!Snape.  He even asked Lupin and
Sirius about it and questioned why did his mother even marry James. 
They confirmed that James was a bit of a-hole.  So, Harry is well
aware that the Pensive memories aren't *fake* or *false* (unless you
are Slughorn and even then, it is pretty clear they've been tampered with)

Harry's judgement of Snape's character in the past *was* wrong.  But
that was because Snape never let anyone get close to him, break down
those barriers, let them inside.  That was his job - to be a spy and
he could not have Harry romping around in his past with the chance it
could get leaked out to LV.

Also, for what Snape did, regardless of his initial motivations, he
was *brave* - very much so.  He could have just rolled up and off'd
himself after Lily was killed, but he didn't.  He continued to do the
dirty and dangerous work of a spy and he was, after DD died, alone. 
He had no living being to confide in.  Only portraits.  And that is
extremely sad, IMO.  To be left like that, hanging on a string, with
no one to save you if you got caught.  And the rest of the WW thinking
you were an evil DE bastard  who murdered DD.  

It wasn't until Snape died, that they knew the real truth.

colebiancardi