Hermione and 'Evil is a strong word' (WAS Re: CHAPDISC: HBP30, The White Tomb)

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 165839

> a_svirn:
> That's just it I don't see why she would hesitate to call him thus.
> He *is* a murderer, after all, even if he killed for "the Greater
> Good" (not that I believe that such thing exists, but for the sake 
of
> argument.)

zgirnius:
I figure the hesitation is for the moment it takes for her to recall 
that there are degrees of murder. I don't think she believes the 
killing to be premeditated. He was not in on Draco's plan, as she 
knows because she saw he made no move to join in until Flitwick was 
sent for him. Also, as Carol pointed out (thanks for the canon, 
Carol!) Hermione knows Snape was bound by an Unbreakable Vow to 
protect Draco. She may not think he believed it could ever involve 
killing Dumbledore (even if we know better).

> a_svirn:
> Actually, the only "shaky" part is that it was the reason for
> Dumbledore's trust in Snape. But she has no alternative explanation
> for that trust anyway.

zgirnius:
That does not matter. That the reason she has been given is wrong 
implies there was another. She can deduce its existence without 
knowing it.


> > zgirnius:
> > It comes down to what Hermione means by her little comment, then. 
<snip>
> > One might call a
> > person evil for doing one evil thing, or one might think of the
> good
> > the person has done/may do in the future and hesitate
 
> a_svirn:
> But that's not the case as far as Snape is concerned. He is not an
> essentially good man who suddenly fell from grace through a moment's
> weakness. He is an extremely unpleasant man with a murky past, and
> the only reason why he was tolerated in the order was that
> inexplicable Dumbledore's trust. 

zgirnius:
This is your opinion. I do not share it, and I do not see why 
Hermione must. Hermione is aware of the following good actions of 
Snape, which have occured over the past six years:

1) Saving Harry from Quirrell in PS/SS
2) End of PoA - I think she would believe him sincere in his comments 
to her and Harry in the Shack - in other words, he was after Sirius 
because he was the traitor
3) Revealing his Dark Mark to Fudge
4) Teaching Harry Occlumency (I think she did read up on it, and has 
reason to believe Harry's reaction is typical in the early stages)
5) Not providing Umbridge with Veritaserum in OotP
6) Sending the Order to the MoM (and checking on Sirius)
7) Saving Dumbledore's life
8) Saving Katie Bell's life

The bad actions you point to (except the murder of Dumbledore) are 
all in Snape's, as you say, murky past. Hermione has not seen them, 
and has conflicting accounts of them. I think it is entirely possible 
to take all this, decide Dumbledore had a good reason to accept 
whatever it was Snape told him on VoldWar 1, believe Snape did make a 
colossal effort to reform and achieved some good through it, and 
then, as you say, 'fell from grace'.

I also think Hermione probably has some admiration for Snape despite 
his classroom manner and treatment of her. She was quite impressed 
with his defense of the Stone in PS/SS. She persists in trying to win 
his approval, and likens his teaching of DADA to Harry's. She 
tolerates him in her ordinary school life, I think, because she 
believes he brings something of value to the table (his knowledge and 
skills, which he is able to communicate to her). Likewise, I think he 
has been of some use to the Order in the past, it is just forgotten 
in the shock of the murder. (And can be dismissed now as just keeping 
his cover).

a_svirn: 
> It seems that Hermione is the only one who doubts Snape's evilness.

zgirnius:
Hagrid has yet to accuse him. Even if she were alone, it would not 
make her automatically wrong. 

*from elsewhere in this conversation*

> Carol wrote:
> zgirnius (listing Harry's accusations against Snape, not her own 
views):
> he got them killed,

zgirnius:
LOLOL. Thanks for clarifying that, Carol! 

> Carol:
> I don't se Weak!Snape anywhere. (Weak!Lupin, yes.) She's seen him
> display exemplary courage. 

zgirnius:
There is such a thing as a moment of weakness, which even usually 
brave people can have. *I* don't think that's what happened, but then 
I know the entire contents of the Vow, so I know Snape had all year 
to think about what he would do when faced with the decision he had 
on the Tower. Hermione doesn't. 

As you point out, she knows Snape swore to protect Draco. This seems 
a Vow extremely unlikely to require the killing of Dumbledore to 
fulfill, on the face of it.

Though, now that I think about it...Harry did not tell her and Ron 
about Dumbledore and Draco's conversation, did he? That's the one bit 
she needs to start thinking in a DDM! direction, it seems to me. She 
may be thinking Snape killed Dumbledore to protect Draco and save his 
own life. If she knew about the entirety of the conversation, she 
might start wondering what Dumbledore would have wanted Snape to 
do....