Q 5, McGonagall (was Re: CHAPDISC: DH30, THE SACKING OF SEVERUS SNAPE

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 184545


> Carol responds: 
> I wonder if the situation is quite as bad as a number of readers 
seem
> to think. We see it only through the point of view of Neville, a
> seventh year. He would know what Amycus is teaching students at his
> level, but not what he's teaching the younger students. We hear of
> only two students, Crabbe and Goyle, who actually use Cruciatus on
> other students, and both of them are seventh years.

big snip
> 
 (And McGonagall, I
> think would realize that if only she weren't so firmly convinced 
that
> Snape was a murdering traitor and a loyal DE. Alas, she's blinded by
> her preconceptions and Snape keeps up the pretense till almost his
> last breath. I wonder what McGonagall thought, hearing the truth 
about
> Snape when it's too late and whether she was sorry that she had so
> badly misjudged him--or at least sorry to lose so valuable an ally.)


Potioncat:
I snipped the parts about how Snape worked to Hogwart's benefit, no 
argument there.

And it may be very likely that there was one class or one brief time-
span of Unforgivable study that 7th years had to practice Cruciatus 
on other students. ("Come on now, they deserve it.") Canon doesn't 
indicate that Cruciatus was used outside of Carrow's supervision. 
Which doesn't make it less horrible, just less amounts of it.

I think McGonagall deserves a break in her judgement of Snape. Even 
those of us who were steadfast supporters of Snape had our own 
moments of doubt. The staff of Hogwarts know Snape killed DD, they 
saw Snape take charge of the DEs and they know the Carrows were part 
of that invasion. Everyone in the Order believes that Snape is a DE 
who betrayed the Order. (Can you betray something if you weren't 
really a part of it?) If they had been so sure that Black was a DE, 
they have even more reason to think it of Snape.

While each of us supporters looked for signs of Snape's true 
loyalties--and to our eyes there were a couple of big ones--there was 
no reason for McGonagall to be looking. Snape played his part well, 
and even at the very end at Hogwarts, did nothing to even give a hint 
that he was working for Harry.

If I were McGonagall, I'd be furious at Snape and DD and it would be 
years before I would even speak to their portraits. I think she was 
most likely sad at the turn of events, but I hope she wouldn't feel 
guilty herself.