Likeable Regulus (Was: Villain!Dumbledore)

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 178017

Prepostrus:
> As for Sirius... his treatment of Kreacher, while regrettable, is
> expected.  <snip> As for never stopping mistrusting Snape?
> This is a basis on which to judge a person?  

Carol:
No. It's a basis for liking or disliking a character, which is what
we're discussing. Purely subjective, but that's the topic of the post.
>
Prepostrus: 
<snip>> 
> Sirius went away to that hellish prison believing Snape to be part
of the group that killed his friends.  <snip>

Carol:
Actually, he didn't believe any such thing. In GoF, he states that he
doesn't think Snape was ever a DE or DD would not have hired him. He
only points out that a number of Snape's friends ("gang") became DEs.
His animosity toward Snape in PoA is entirely based on their school
days, just as Snape's seems to be (but isn't--he believes Black to be
the traitor responsible for Lily's death--scapegoating him to escape
his own share of the blame, I realize).

Anyway, I like Snape and I don't much like reckless, arrogant,
formerly bullying Sirius Black, who broke into a school with a
twelve-inch knife, endangering or at least terrifying the students, to
get revenge on the friend who betrayed and framed him. neither Snape
nor Sirius can let go of their grudges. Neither ever fully grows up.
But at least Snape had a chance to use his cunning and courage to
fight Voldie and protect Harry. Sirius did his best at the MoM, but
his arrogance got the best of him in the end, taunting Bellatrix and
fighting her on the dais of the Veil. I suppose Snape's end was
inevitable, too, the result of his mistake in becoming a DE in the
first place, but at least he died accomplishing something.

Not arguing here, just explaining why I like Snape (and Regulus, whom
I talked about in the post you're responding to) better than Sirius. I
like Kreacher better, too, at least as he appears in "Kreacher's Tale"
and the Battle of Hogwarts. It's important, IMO, that Harry learns to
see those three characters (Snape, Regulus, and Kreacher) clearly in
DH. It's part of his growing up and acquiring understanding, wisdom,
and compassion (as he had earlier learned to do with the oddballs Luna
and Neville).

Carol, noting that Regulus is spelled with two "u's" and is the name
of the brightest star in the constellation Leo, perhaps suggesting
that he, too, was "sorted too soon" in JKR's view (the lion being the
sign of Gryffindor House)