Maraurders/he exists

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 168271


> Wynleaf:
> When JKR wrote the scene of Filch's detention files, she had the perfect
> opportunity to reveal a few of Snape's detentions, where she could
show us
> some of *his* misdeeds.  But she didn't show us any.
 
> 
> Sherry:
> As if Snape would have allowed Harry to see any of his own
detentions when
> he's in the midst of trying to further rip Harry's respect and love
for his
> father to pieces.  

wynnleaf
Your case is built on assumption with no canon support.  There is no
evidence that Snape tampered with the files or had any detentions. 
You are 1. assuming files were there indicating Snape's never before
mentioned detentions and then 2. assuming that Snape removed these
imagined detention records.  

Assuming evidence existed which JKR has not even hinted at, and then
assuming a character destroyed or removed said evidence is not, in my
opinion, a convincing argument as it has absolutely no canon support
-- only a chain of unsupported assumptions.

Sherry
Yeah, noble guy Snape.  This was one of the scenes when I
> most deeply despised Snape, and one for which no matter what his true
> loyalties, I would never forgive him.  

wynnleaf
Regardless, Snape's motives aren't the question here.  The point is
that there's no evidence that Snape ever had a detention and JKR (who
can easily control what Snape does with detention files, you know :D )
could have chosen to allow Harry to find at least one or two detention
file of Snape's, but that didn't happen.  JKR's choice.  

Sherry
> Anyway, if JKR is trying to set people up with big revelations about
Snape,
> as Mike was trying to point out, I think--forgive me Mike if I
> misrepresent--she purposely set it up to keep Snape looking like the
poor
> helpless innocent victim.  That's a definite set up, I think, an
image that
> I hopefully expect to be torn down in the last book.  

wynnleaf
But she *doesn't* make him look helpless.  She spent an entire book
gradually showing us that he was an extremely gifted kid with a
remarkable ability to create spells, including some very powerful
spells.  So we *know* Snape wasn't helpless.

And she has then made sure we know that he became a very powerful
adult wizard. 

No, she hasn't set up some picture of Snape as "helpless."  Nor has
she set up some picture of "innocence," making sure we can see that he
could develop powerful spells and had a strong interest in at least
DADA if not Dark Arts, and obviously he later joined Voldemort.

Sherry, you make it sound like JKR has given us this picture of
young!Snape as being like Neville.  But on the other hand, many
posters seem to think her picture of Snape is more like Draco. 
Obviously those are two polar opposites.  So whatever JKR is doing, I
don't think she's setting up some obviously "helpless, innocent,
victim" to overturn -- or if that's what she wants to do, she must
have failed dreadfully.

Besides that, remember that it's not -- on paper -- the reader whose 
opinion JKR must overturn.  Yes, that often occurs.  But on paper,
it's *Harry,* the protagonist, who must have his opinion overturned. 
And Harry *certainly* doesn't see Snape as ever some "helpless,
innocent, victim."  Harry sees Snape as completely despicable and
guilty as sin.  And it's Harry whose opinion JKR will be overturning.

wynnleaf