Snape can do nothing right. Was: Ministry going to punish Snape...?

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 169111

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:

> Carol:
> > Had it turned out that Black really was planning to kill Harry, I
> > think even the most ardent anti-Snapers would have to reluctantly 
> call
> > Snape a hero. 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Good thing I am spared from calling him a hero then and instead can 
> call him revenge seeking bastard.
> 
> 
> Carol:
> And even as it is, the kids owe him their lives for
> > taking them to the hospital wing when a werewolf was on the 
> grounds.
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> That's your opinion, Carol. Mine is that kids owe their life to 
> Sirius Black if such mortal danger existed.
>

Leslie:

Alla, your position about Snape is obviously rock-bound and immovable.

But this brings up an issue with me and the Snape critics, which is 
that because of what I perceive as an unreasonable anti-Snape 
prejudice, Snape can NEVER do anything right.  Snape's actions, even 
if they save people's lives, or put his own life in danger, are 
always somehow wrong or lessened or called into question because of 
his unpalatable personality.  I freely admit he's an unpleasant 
person, a teacher with a very sadistic streak.  But he is also very 
brave, and intelligent.  He's an effective teacher.  And when push 
comes to shove, when the stakes are high, he always ACTS properly.

Those of us discussing the incident in the Shrieking Shack would 
likely freely admit that Sirius is brave and tries to save the kids 
by subduing a werewolf.  Can't Snape be given ANY credit at all for 
what he does or doesn't do?  My problem is that I think the Snape 
critics unreasonably hold Snape to a higher standard, while they give 
the Marauders and Harry and everyone else they happen to "like" a 
pass.  Snape can do no right.  The Marauders can do no wrong.  

While I again freely admit that Sirius acts to save the children, I 
also see Snape doing that as well.  And I find the blind defense of 
Sirius and Remus ironic in light of the fact that Sirius and Remus 
have historically put far more children in danger than Snape has.  
Yes, Sirius is trying to protect the kids.  But he also is the person 
who ripped the hell out of Ron's curtains, and scared everyone to 
death.  He also played a trick on Snape that nearly killed him.  With 
Lupin, and James and Peter, he willfully endangered the entire 
population of Hogwarts for years, by roaming about with a werewolf.  

Yes, Snape has done wrong.  He has, according to Dumbledore, repented 
of it.  Sirius still isn't sorry he nearly killed Snape.  And the 
adult Lupin is still so self-serving that he keeps a very important 
fact to himself (that Sirius is an animagus) because he doesn't want 
to look bad.  That's by his OWN admission.  He's very "nice" but he 
doesn't DO the right thing. 

I like Sirius and Remus.  But I'm not blind to their faults.  Snape 
restrained himself from killing a man who was about to attack him.  
Sirius and Lupin were gleefully about to kill a man who was pleading 
for his life.

Snape is not a very nice guy.  And I don't like him.  But he does the 
right thing.  The facts don't lie.