Harry and Snape's Salvation (Re: No progress for Slytherin?)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 173869

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Zara" <zgirnius at ...> wrote:
>

> 
> zgirnius:
> It seems to me that by your analysis, Snape undergoes a deathbed 
> conversion. By the time he and Harry come face to face, Snape is 
> moments from death and not capable (physically) of extended speech. 
> But his decision to provide Harry with such a variety of memories 
> that trace his life from his first meeting with Lily through that 
> final year is surely the acceptance you are looking for on Snape's 
> part, and a far more meaningful gesture than a simple 'yes' said to 
> Albus Dumbledore in an earlier scene could be. Albus is not the guy 
> Snape wronged, after all.
>

Except, of course, that JKR has told us (if you believe that 
authorial intent means anything, which of course is a point of 
argument) that no such deathbed conversion happened.  That is 
(paraphrasing) "he is still a cruel, bitter, insecure man, all of 
this is still true of Snape."  As his cruelty and bitterness and 
insecurity are the very things that constitute the dark within 
himself from which he needs to be redeemed, he has by definition not 
had a deathbed conversion, and thus has not embraced the possibility 
represented by Harry.

Why did he provide the memories?  An interesting question.  Frankly, 
my answer would be he provides them because JKR wants to fill in the 
backstory and this is the convenient way to do it.  As far as your 
point about a "meaningful gesture," a "yes" and an explanation to 
Albus would have the virtue of being clear, whereas Snape's memories 
contain no sense of regret over his treatment of Harry or an 
acceptance of Harry -- at least none I can find in any way.  His 
anger at being told that Harry must sacrifice himself seems to be 
anger at being used and lied to, as he in fact indicates when he 
specifically denies caring for Harry.

If one wants a more plot-consistent reason for supplying the 
memories, maybe he had little control over what memories leaked out --
 he was, as you say, dieing after all.  Or even more likely he chose 
them out of anger at Dumbledore -- a way of saying "look what a 
cruel, manipulative liar the old man was!"

An interesting question, nonetheless.


Lupinlore