Snape Reduced (was: Re: Villain!Dumbledore...

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 177751


> 
> Betsy Hp:
> But it was still Snape operating under the watchful (though 
> dead ::shudder::) eye of Dumbledore, IMO.  I'd been eagerly 
> anticipating Snape acting on his own, and was disappointed.  (I'd 
> been eagerly anticipating Harry acting on his own, for that matter.  
> Another disappointment.)

Pippin:
"We are honor-bound to give service to the present Headmaster
of Hogwarts!" cried a frail-looking old wizard whom Harry 
recognized as Dumbledore's predecessor, Armando Dippet.
"Shame on you, Phineas!" __OOP ch 22.

Dumbledore's portrait is honor-bound to serve Snape, the
current Headmaster. If Snape takes the portrait's direction and
not vice-versa, it is because they both so  choose. That
*is* acting on one's own, just as Percy was acting of his own
volition when he served Fudge.

Betsy_HP 
> And where I thought we'd learn that Snape's redemption came about 
> because of his own inner principles, instead, he was motivated by a 
> (IMO) bizarre, sad, and incredibly unhealthy fixation on a random 
> girl.  It was a huge let down for me. 

Pippin:
There was nothing random about Snape's love for Lily. They were
best friends. Their relationship was dysfunctional, the elephant
in the living room being Snape's anti-Muggle feelings, which
Lily enabled to some extent by making excuses for him. But
I don't find that *incredibly* unhealthy. Most relationships have
some dysfunction in them.  His lasting grief might have been
unhealthy under normal circumstances, but it seems that only in the
memory of his loss could he find the courage to defy Voldemort.
In that he's no different than Dumbledore, Slughorn, or Harry
himself.

But that is a principle, valuing a lost love over anything
Voldemort could provide, including other women. Nor
is Snape a stalker. He does not attempt to see Lily after
she makes it clear she will not accept his apology. One
incident doth not a stalking make. 

He does not react to seeing her in her nightdress, and she's
not concerned to appear in it. I read that as Snape not seeing
Lily entirely as a sex object, and being seen so as not a concern
of hers.

Harry also  cried when he read Lily's letter "brushing the wetness
from his eyes" was that unhealthy too? I mean, Mum's been dead
for years, kid, get over it :) Oh, and Slughorn also tears up when
he remembers Lily. She was apparently an extraordinary person
and lots of people still miss her. What's wrong with that?

> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Yes, Snape did those things.  And it was very brave.  And then, in 
> DH, he did nothing with Draco.  Why'd he even save the boy (life and 
> soul) in the first place?  

Pippin:
If it's Draco's soul that matters, and it's safe, what else needs to
be done? Turn the boy into a cog in Dumbledore's plan?
Draco was given his freedom, or as much freedom as he could
have with Voldemort still at large. Being hidden by the Order 
would be a second best option for a DE, since it's not possible
to hide from Voldemort if he really wants to kill you. The best 
option is to have Voldemort consider you not worth killing. 
As long as Voldemort is no longer planning to kill Draco, he's 
safer not running away.

> 
> Betsy Hp:
> I have done, Carol.  And, since we cannot ignore DH, I see Snape as 
> much reduced. From risking his life and soul for a student (Draco) 
> and dominating the attacking DE's with a glance (HBP), Snape as 
> headmaster cannot keep his charges from being permanently scarred.  
> Cannot control a rather stupid (as per the books, anyway) pair of 
> DE's.  And does nothing to help a family I thought were his friends.
> 
Pippin:
What he does to help the family that were his friends is to
bring about the end of the war as quickly as possible. Dumbledore
has a plan and Snape trusts that it will result in the Dark Lord's
downfall ASAP, as indeed it does. 

I thought, from the way that McGonagall had no trouble at all
controlling the Carrows (I thought her "gallant" was the
ultimate in sarcasm) that like Umbridge, the Carrows had to be
endured despite the damage they caused. Getting rid of 
them would not address the root of the problem, which is 
a powerful outside agency interfering at Hogwarts. Like
Umbridge, the Carrows are only emissaries.

Pippin