Likeable Regulus (Was: Villain!Dumbledore)

[prep0strus]

No: HPFGUIDX 178018


> 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.

Prep0strus:
Yes, but it was a post about liking or not liking Regulus, and Sirius'
feelings about Snape are a non sequitor at best.  And if we were to
use mistrust of Snape as a scale with which to judge a character, I'm
not sure who would pass that test... Dumbledore, Draco, Narcissa, and
Voldemort, I guess.


Carol:
> 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).

Prep0strus:
And yet, Severus is indirectly responsible for the deaths of the
Potters, Mad-Eyed Moody, and likely others in the service of
Voldemort.  Kreacher is indirectly responsible for the death of
Sirius.  Sirius is the only one who ends up without death on his hands
- in the end, his flaws help lead to his own end, but not the death of
others.

Sirius, a loyal friend, was framed and spent years in the most hellish
prison imaginable - years Snape, partially responsible for the deaths
Sirius was blamed for, spent as potions teacher and Head of Slytherin
House.  Sirius came out of that a wounded and tortured man, only to
see his old enemy respected leading a fine and dandy life.  Severus,
spending his life making the lives of kids miserable, including Harry,
Sirius' only real link to humanity.  Sirius, hating Snape all those
years, assuming him to be headed on a path to becoming a death eater -
his assumptions right, by the way, returns to find himself, a loyal,
good person who has suffered more than anyone else, a fugitive from
the law, hands tied, while his old adversary taunts and belittles him.
 Snape never respected Sirius either, and treated him badly -
especially considering the moral superiority Sirius has over Severus.
 Snape's treatment of Sirius as an adult is infinitely more despicable
than the reverse - if only because Severus is trying to make up for
past mistakes while Sirius is recovering from the wrongs that were
done to him.

So much is made of Sirius being a bully as a child, of the 'prank'. 
If Sirius needs to take responsibility for his reckless behavior as an
adult, than Severus should take responsibility for his reckless
behavior as a child - especially when you consider motivations. 
Sirius is trapped like a prisoner, having done nothing wrong, and only
wants to help his cause and his grandson.  Snape is a bitter little
boy who wants to get his rivals in trouble.  Then Snape grows up to
taunt and goad Sirius as well.  Sirius at least has an excuse - a
decade in a literal soul-sucking hell - for why he hasn't fully grown
up.  What is Snape's excuse to continue to be cruel and prod at a man
who's done nothing wrong?  Ugh.  It's absolutely despicable.\

And, as for Regulus... we still don't know anything.  As I said in my
response to Eggplant, we know nothing of his motivations or beliefs. 
Almost everything we put on him morally is projected from theory. 
Unlike Sirius, a genuine hero, or even Snape, a reformed villain, all
we have is a few bits and scrapes of knowledge with which to evaluate
Regulus.  Not enough, imo, to know where he stands, to label him hero
or villain.

~Adam (Prep0strus)