Snape's involvement in the murder of Sirius

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 169268

 
> > Betsy Hp:
> > Are you kidding me?!?  It's Snape at his scariest when I most 
want 
> to 
> > drag him off and do unspeakable things to him... (oh, um... too 
> much 
> > information?) <rbeg>

phoenixgod 
> I really, really don't understand the attraction to Snape. I mean, 
I 
> get the bad boy thing, because I have a bad girl thing :) but 
aren't 
> they supposed to be devastatingly handsome bad boys and not 
someone 
> who doesn't shower on a regular basis?

wynnleaf
Well, knowing people who have extremely oily skin and not the 
greatest teeth, I know for a fact it doesn't necessarily mean they 
don't have good hygene.  In fact, as much as Snape seems interested 
in keeping the potions labs clean, I'd guess he *does* "shower on a 
regular basis."  We're certainly never told he smells bad.

phoenixgod
> > But the big thing for me is, Snape is not escalating things 
here.  
> > He's taunting Sirius, yes.  But the emotional fury all comes 
from 
> > Sirius.  In many ways it's like Snape is toying with a child.  
> Which 
> > is why I have a hard time buying that Snape, after this scene, 
> sees 
> > Sirius as any sort of threat.  This scene proves to Snape, I 
> think, 
> > that Snape is the stronger man.  Sirius has gone from campus 
> golden 
> > boy to a rather pathetic man.  There's nothing there to threaten 
> > Snape anymore, and I think Snape sees that.
> 
> I will agree that Snape is more in control in this scene and not 
on 
> the verge of anger ant exploding, but I do't like the Snape as the 
> stronger man bit. I think that proves just how small, petty, and 
> evils Snape can be.  Sirius is an escapee from the worlds worst 
> prison, wrongfully accused, and is now locked away a second time.  
> Snape meanwhile, has lived a pretty good life, while actually 
being 
> a criminal, and never sent away to where he probably belongs.  
> 
> Sirius held it together for fifteen long years, held it because of 
> love for Harry and loyalty to his dead friends.  Sirius may be 
> broken (although a characterization I don't like from OOTP, it 
does 
> fit) but I don't think he should ever be characterized as pathetic.
> 
> Snape on the other hand...

wynnleaf
Snape should be considering Sirius' state of mind after 12 years in 
Azkaban (although by the kitchen incident, Sirius had been out for 2 
1/2 years).  But Sirius has always managed to do and say things to 
prove how much he detests Snape for existing.  Practically the first 
thing Snape heard Sirius say about him in the Shrieking Shack was 
that the prank that almost killed Snape "served him right."  And 
this after having nothing to do with Snape for over a dozen years. 

By OOTP, Snape is living an extremely stressful life, what with a 
full-time teaching load, acting as head of house to kids that 
include Death Eater's children who can carry tales about Snape to 
their parents, working as a spy in Voldemort's camp, not to mention 
the general stress that year of dealing with Umbridge.  Snape's life 
*is* at risk practically 24/7, or at least the threat of exposure is 
always there.  

When Snape goes to Grimmauld Place, we don't know who generally 
starts any unpleasantness between Sirius and Snape.  In the kitchen 
scene, it's my opinion that Sirius' opening remark about Snape 
not "giving orders" in "my house" is not only very rude, but also 
intended to provoke Snape.  Sirius starts the confrontation.  It was 
also Sirius that drew his wand first.  We don't know if Sirius 
usually started any of their verbal confrontations at Grimmauld 
Place, but since this is the only example we've got, it seems very 
possible that Sirius *did* try to provoke Snape regularly.  

Further, we get a bit of evidence that Sirius was drinking fairly 
often.

Combine a very edgy Sirius, who is drinking too much and 
intentionally trying to provoke, with Snape who is living under a 
high degree of stress anyway, and now has to come and go to 
Grimmauld Place where someone who (in Snape's opinion) is 
unrepentent about having tried to kill him and is still trying to 
provoke him --- well, you're just *bound* to get confrontations.  I 
don't exactly blame *either* of the two.  

In some ways, the bigger problem was, in my opinion, Dumbledore 
mishandling the whole situation.  Note that Dumbledore didn't seem 
to have told Sirius ahead of time about the occlumency lessons.  I 
tend to think Dumbledore probably considered Sirius a "loose canon" 
and therefore didn't trust him as much.  I don't mean Dumbledore 
distrusted him as one would distrust a traitor, but as one would 
distrust someone who you couldn't count on to be responsible, follow 
orders, or avoid reckless actions.

wynnleaf