Snape and moral courage WAS: Re: The Houses, Finally

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 184664

> Potioncat:
> Snape kept his promise to protect Harry. He was shocked to discover 
> the purpose was changing from protecting Harry, to preparing him 
for 
> slaughter.

Alla:

Sure he was shocked. But are you sure that Snape kept his promise to 
protect Harry at the end? It seemed to me that he did what Dumbledore 
told him to do. When Dumbledore told him to protect Harry's life, 
well that is what Snape was doing while at the same time (I believe) 
merrily abusing Harry. When Dumbledore told him that Harry needs to 
die, sure, Snape was surprised, I would be to, but he proceeded to 
fulfill Dumbledore's plan, whatever it was.

Potioncat:
 But, at any rate, if Snape wasn't the best choice, who was?

Alla:

Quite frankly, as far as I am concerned, just about anybody. Again, I 
am looking from within the story, not how the events would have 
changed had Snape not been in the story.

Take your pick - Minerva, Arthur, just about any competent expert of 
DADA, Lupin would do just fine in my opinion.

Anybody, who would not hate the kid.


Potioncat: 
> Why do you suppose DD chose Snape? Out of the midst of the disaster 
> that Snape had contributed to, how did DD decide Snape was the one 
> who would stick to his promise?

Alla:

Honestly, I think it was simple, I think he used Legilimency on Snape 
and saw that man would do just about anything for his beloved Lily.

Too bad Dumbledore did not ask Snape to commit to fair treatment of 
Harry IMO.

Montavilla47:
Hmm. It's Snape's job to take or give points based on student
performance and behavior. He may have been wrong to take
that point from Harry for not helping Neville. But I don't think
it was an abuse of his position--any more than a cop would
be abusing his position of authority for giving me a ticket
for a traffic rule I didn't realize was in effect.

Alla:

I would analogize it to cop giving you a traffic ticket for the rule 
that was never made in effect by any legislative authority and the 
rule that cop just made up on the spot, I think it is an abuse of his 
authority IMO.

Montavilla47:
<SNIP>
I think we will have to agree to disagree about that, then. I don't
believe that Snape abused his authority with either Harry or Neville.
He was very hard on both of them, but the only time I think Snape
acted out of bounds was snickering at the lost potion. <SNIP>

Alla:

Yes, we have to agree to disagree. I think Snape started abusing his 
authority since first lesson personally. 



Montavilla47:
Again, with both Petunia and Snape, this is a position that they put
into by Dumbledore. Snape had more choice, perhaps, than Petunia,
but I think that once he made a promise, the idea of breaking that
promise was unthinkable.
<SNIP>

Alla:

LOL, of course they were put in this position by 
Dumbledore and yes, I think he was very very wrong to do that and I 
think Harry is the one who suffered the most because of it. But as 
you said, Snape had a little bit more choice than Petunia, so I put 
some blame on Snape too.

I think when he realized that he could not have treated Harry fairly, 
he should have walked away. I know, no story then, but again I am 
looking from within the story and just speculating of different 
scenarios.

Montavilla47:
Well, Lupin had more leverage. He had the goods on Harry, as he knew
what the map was and how to work it. The reason that Snape's method
didn't work was that Lupin removed Harry from the situation before
Snape was finished.

Alla:

I thought Lupin's approach worked because he knew what buttons to 
push about Harry's parents sacrifice, I do not see what that has to 
do with map.  I meant that Harry took Lupin's words to heart. Are you 
saying that Harry would have taken Snape's words to heart?