Slytherins come back WAS: Re: My Most Annoying Character/Now Rowling's control

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 180669

Betsy Hp wrote:
> The reason I'm not giving Voldemort much credit for it was that DH 
made it appear so insultingly easy.  <snip>

Carol responds:

Here, I agree with you. The Muggle-borns, especially, seemed to be
oddly without resources for a group that JKR had championed since the
introduction of Hermione and especially since CoS. And the Order
seemed oddly inept and useless (except for Snape, whose job I
certainly don't envy).

Betsy Hp:
> Yeah, to a certain extent I did.  I expected Harry to grow himself 
(though I figured he had a smaller way to go than Draco and Snape),>
and through his growth heal his world.  Instead, nothing changed. 

> Hm, I'd say Snape died a slave, honestly.  He certainly wasn't his
own man.  And I don't think Draco was ever really freed either. <snip>

Carol responds:

As I've argued elsewhere, I think Harry's growth is in his perception,
which finally allows him to see at least some Slytherins, including
Snape and Draco, as real human beings, flawed but not evil and
capable, in Snape's case, of heroism. Draco, at least, has learned
that being a DE is far from glorious and that he has no taste for
murder or torture. That, IMO, is a big step forward, and doubt that he
or his son are likely to fall for the propaganda of the next Dark Lord
should one arise.

As for Snape, he made his own choice to work with Dumbledore (even
though it was only Portrait!Dumbledore) to the end. He could have
returned to LV, ignoring DD's portrait or even destroying it once he
became headmaster and bringing in more DEs to replace McGonagall and
Flitwick. He did what only he could do to help bring down Voldemort,
and without him, neither living Dumbledore nor Portrait!Dumbledore
would have succeeded in his (flawed) plan. 

He did not have to go along with DD's request to kill him, nor did he
have to take the Unbreakable Vow. He could have betrayed Dumbledore,
or failed him, or chosen to die at any time. Instead, he was "probably
the bravest man" Harry ever knew. If that's being a slave, then your
definition of slavery is different from mine. Perhaps he was a slave
to his own word, his promise to do "anything" to protect Lily, later
transferred to her son. Keeping your word used to be called integrity
or honor. I've never heard it called slavery before. As for Lily, yes,
he loved her all his life. Yes, he felt guilty and did everything he
could to atone for her death. But that can have nothing to do with his
attempt to save other lives than Harry's: "How many men and women have
you watched die, Severus?" "Lately, only those whom I could not save."

I did miss Snape's characteristic witty sarcasm in DH and would have
liked to see more of him had the plot and pov allowed it. Thank
goodness for "Would you like me to do it now? Or would you like a few
moments to compose an epitaph?" That moment, at least, is classic Snape.

After Snape has contained the ring curse in DD's hand, DD says, "I am
lucky, extremely lucky, to have you, Severus." And he's exactly right.
No one else could have done what Snape does, through his own choice,
throughout the seven books.

Carol, remembering Ishmael's words in "Moby Dick," "Who ain't a
slave?" and thinking that they apply even to Dumbledore, who serves,
or tries to serve, the WW in his own eccentric and Machiavellian way