On the perfection of moral virtues (long)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 168911

> > Marion:
> > Gosh. Snape as the Root Of All Evil. Now *that's* original... <bg>

> phoenixgod2000: 
> Well, he isn't responsible for Original Sin, but I'm not convinced 
> he wasn't in the Garden :)

Jen: Keeping that one in just because. ;)

Marion:
> And then it turns out in DH that Snape was already working for DD 
> when that prophecy was made, and that DD, being selfappointed 
> warchief against Voldemort, ordered his spy to 'leak' the first 
> half of the prophecy to Voldemort.
> Voldemort was very close to *winning*, after all.
> What better way to stop a megalomanic-who-is-afraid-of-death by 
> dangling a prophecy about his demise in front of his nose? DD would
> know (knowing Tom Riddle intimately) that this would be 
> irresistable. Voldemort would concentrate less on taking over the 
> WW and go after this perceived threat. It would give the Order of 
> the Phoenix more time, time that they desperately needed. 
> It was simply a matter of 'give Voldemort enough rope and he'll 
> hang himself'.

> Dumbles didn't know at that time of course that two of his own 
> (Lily and Alice) would turn out to be pregnant and due in late July.
> 
> Didn't DD say something about making mistakes and being more sorry
> about things than he could tell?

Jen:  You've built a good case for this scenario.  I'll even add to 
it.  Thinking about Dumbledore in the cave, if he was reliving his 
worst memory after drinking the potion then his words could fit for 
intense remorse about what happened to the Potters and his own guilty 
conscience: 'it's my fault.'  Oh, and one other bit, the part where 
Dumbledore seems to whiten when Harry shouts out that he's learned 
Snape delivered part of the prophecy to Voldemort?  A spasm of 
anxiety perhaps, that Harry will learn the *whole* truth and 
Dumbledore's carefully constructed Plan could tumble down around him.

But...here's the problem I see with this theory and the other 
incarnations before of Puppetmaster!Dumbledore, Guilty!Dumbledore 
(#66983) and all the way back to MAGIC DISHWASHER(#39751):  
Discovering Dumbledore is behind nearly every important event in the 
story, or even the one pushing the dominos down as in this theory, 
renders major parts of the story--like the choice theme--almost 
useless.  The dramatic impact of the choices other characters made at 
crucial moments are suddenly unimportant for understanding their 
development because they are not of their own making if Dumbledore is 
pulling the strings.  Dumbledore meet Voldemort.

Anyone else want Lackey!Snape who didn't really take the prophecy to 
Voldemort but was acting on Dumbledore's orders?!?  Not me.  He's the 
man I love to hate, the one I won't defend because he's arrogant 
enough to defend himself.  That's his appeal in my eyes, he acts 
alone and makes no apologies for the route those actions end up 
taking.  I'm almost depressed at thinking how this 'gift of a 
character' might end up being just another good guy *yawn* with a 
veneer of badness separating him from the others.  If only he could 
remain with his good/bad actions and traits almost perfectly 
balanced!  Or at least that's how I read him and understand JKR's 
intentions for him at this stage of the story, before she tips the 
balance one way or another.  Can't he at least keep the actions he 
most likely *did* do wrong of his own accord (imo)?  Like joining the 
DE's and hastening to his master with the prophecy and taking his 
resentment for James out on Harry when he had an indirect hand in 
James being murdered, to name a few.  (I'll leave the tower & UV out 
until the verdict is in.)

Marion:
> We are *told* that Snape hates Harry (and I've no doubt that Snape
> actively loathes the brat after six years of backtalk, suspicion,
> hating looks and snotnosed rulebreaking) but what we've been 
> *shown* is a eleven-year-old boy who instantly hates his teacher 
> and who, for six years, is determined to continue to hate him. 
<snipping>
> I'm telling you, it's not *healthy* to be so full of hatred. It's 
> positively Voldermortish to be so full of hatred... (but more about 
> this in a later post - this one is getting too long anyway)

Jen:  Or positively Snape-like.  Again with the removal of some of 
Snape's best features!  Innocuous!Snape.  What would POA be like 
without, "Give me a reason," he whispered.  "Give me a reason to do 
it and I swear I will."  (chap. 19)  I believed him.  

Or, "Like father, like son, Potter!  I have just saved your neck; you 
should be thanking me on bended knee!  You would have been well 
served if he'd killed you!  You'd have died like your father, too 
arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black-now get out of the 
way, or I will make you."  Nope, no hatred there!  Ah, Snape.  

Marion:
> I think (I *hope*) that in book 7 the crisis will come when Harry
> finds out, somewhere at the end of the books, just before 
> vanquishing Voldemort, that his hatred, the hatred which he 
> carefully nursed and nurtured for seven long years, is simply based
> on a small boy's prejudice ("there's not a wizard gone bad not from
> Slytherin"), his inability to trust people (especially adults) and 
> his inability to interpret other people's behaviour, translating 
> every bit of criticism as a direct attack.  

> Harry has, in fact, the emotional maturity of a three year old. 

Jen:  I do hope Harry learns that he doesn't want to live his life as 
Snape has, stuck in the past by constant fanning of the flames of his 
own resentment and hatred.  I see reasons for why Snape is who he is 
and expect more coming in the tragic vein, so really the two of them 
have something in common most likely-tragic pasts that contributed to 
their flaws.  A case could be made and has that even Snape wants 
better for Harry and he's so overly concerned with Harry's choices so 
Harry won't end up like him.  Or else he just wants to make sure 
Harry gets rid of Voldemort for him. <beg>

Jen