Snape's the Rescuer - Really?/Justice to Snape

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 170731

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" <justcarol67 at ...>
wrote:
>
> Alla wrote:
> 
> > > Julie:
> > > I missed where someone said he was "kind." 
> > 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > Um, I often make reply to thread in general, when I reply to 
> > particular post, sometimes I specify it, sometimes I forget. Sorry 
> > about that. But it was said that Snape was **kind** in putting 
> > Sirius  and kids on stretchers. I will hunt for this post if needed, 
> > I am almost positive it was Carol's, just do not remember whichone.
> 
> Carol responds:
> Not even I would refer to Snape as "kind," though I did use the word
> in a recent Snape post. Possibly this is the paragraph you had in mind:
> 
> "If conjuring stretchers to take unconscious kids, at least one of
> them seriously injured, to the hospital wing rather than leaving them
> on the grounds when there's even the remotest chance of their being
> bitten by a werewolf isn't saving their lives, what is it? It's
> certainly an act of mercy of some sort and protecting them from
> danger. (That he had no kind feelings for or intentions toward Sirius
> Black is beside the point. He thought Black was trying to murder
> Harry, remember? He took him to Fudge rather than dispatching him
> himself, which, for Snape, is an act of restraint.)"
> 
> So I did call it "an act of mercy of some sort," by which I meant that
> he was rescuing helpless people from a sense of duty or
> responsibility, not acting out of the kindness of his heart. Snape has
> seldom been kind to anyone in the books though he's occasionally civil
> or polite. I think the one exception is his treatment of Narcissa in
> "spinner's End," and even there he's sometimes firm, sometimes kind,
> sometimes noncommital. (Of course, he's not kind, and barely civil, to
> Bellatrix and neither kind nor civil to Wormtail.)
> 
> At any rate, I have no delusions about Snape. He's sarcastic, he docks
> points unfairly, he's not above petty revenge, and he's done some
> regretable things (joining the Death Eaters and revealing the
> Prophecy, for which he's expressed remorse and tried, IMO, to atone,
> and killing Dumbledore--though that last remains to be explained).
> 
> Carol, under no delusions about Snape's "kindly" feelings toward the
> "murderer" Sirius Black or toward Harry, the "mediocre" Chosen One
> whose life he has to protect if he wants Voldemort to be defeated (and
> I believe that he does)
>

Snape did the right thing when he transported everybody to the Castle,
and I think this moment is very telling. It's the only time we see how
Snape acts when he thinks nobody is around, when he doesn't have to
put on an act. And in this moment, he is calm, efficient &
responsible. Snape is good in a crisis. In this moment, we get a
glimpse of "healer" Snape, an aspect of Snape's character that usually
remains hidden. 

What is even more significant, IMO, is the way that he chooses to
transports everyone. Snape treats all his "patients" with dignity. He
conjures stretchers to carry everyone in a comfortable way, and he
moves all the unconscious people w/equal care. This is a big contrast
from the way Sirius & Remus treated Snape when he was unconscious.
After Snape was knocked out, Sirius treated Snape like a puppet - he
levitated him in a careless & undignified way, bumping Snape's head on
purpose as he went. Harry thinks that Snape resembles a grotesque
puppet. This scene is reminiscent of how the Death Eaters treated the
Muggles during the QWC - levitating them like marionettes, depriving
them of their dignity & self-determination. Similarly, James'
Levicorpus spell also treats Snape like a puppet, humiliating and
controlling him. All of these actions are reminiscent of the Imperius
curse - a curse that transforms a person into a puppet to do the
spellcaster's will. I think that JKR considers "slavery", forcing
another to do your own will, as a real evil. By effectively making
people into marionettes, the Death Eaters, Remus, James, & Sirius all
partake in this evil to varying degrees.

But Snape, when confronted w/unconscious enemies, does not. He doesn't
use Imperius or Levicorpus against Sirius & the kids. He doesn't treat
them like puppets or deprive them of their dignity. He treats them
like human beings, not puppets. And he saves both enemy and friend,
without distinction. This is a small moment, but I do think it
reflects a positive aspect of Snape's character. Snape sees all of
them as "real people," Slytherin & Gryfindor, Malfoys & Weasleys.
He saves both Harry & Draco, he brews potions for someone he hates
(Lupin) and someone he loves (Dumbledore), with equal care. In this,
Snape is almost unique in the Potterverse. That's my view of him -
Humanist!Snape. LOL. He doesn't save people because he likes them, but
because they are human beings in need of care. We don't see this side
of Snape often in the books, but IMO it is there in the background. In
HBP, Harry finally got a chance to see this side of Snape.