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

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 184667

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:

> 
> 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.

Leah: Well, I don't agree that Snape was 'merrily abusing' Harry as
a general rule, though there are occasions when he overstepst the
mark. As to fulfilling Dumbledore's plan, Snape's problem is that
Dumbledore only provides him with selective information. At the
time Dumbledore is giving Snape information that leads Snape to 
conclude that Harry must die, Dumbledore
is very carefully avoiding any eye contact with Leglimens!Snape,
which has to signal that Dumbledore is up to something or knows
something more than he is saying. Snape knows there is some plan
involving the Sword of Gryffindor when he takes it to Harry, but
Dumbledore won't tell him what it is. If Snape tries to prevent
Harry being sent 'like a pig to slaughter', then he is in danger of
wrecking Dumbledore's hidden plans (which do eventually save Harry,
thanks to Snape's self-sacrifice, Harry's bravery and sheer luck).
He is also not in an easy position to communicate anything to Harry
who regards him as Dumbledore's murderer. He presumably concludes
that the best he can do is carry out Dumbledore's instructions until
he learns more (which he never does). Frankly, I think it requires a
major suspension of disbelief that Darks Art expert Snape never
works out horcruxes, but that's just one of many suspensions of
disbelief in DH, IMO.
> 
> 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.

Leah: You are looking at the Snape/Harry protective relationship aa
if Dumbledore had asked Snape to mentor Harry, or act as a parental
figure towards him, and you are also treating it as part and parcel 
of Snape's interactions with Harry as a teacher. Dumbledore didn't 
ask this and the teaching role is a separate problem. In 
the 'precisely his mother's eyes' scene in 'The Prince's Tale', 
Dumbledore tells Snape that Voldemort will return and Harry will 
need protection from him. That's all! that Dumbledore requires of 
Snape. Snape is the right person for this job because:

(i) He will stick to it whatever the danger he is in and regardless
of any scorn directed at him. Dumbledore initially believes this to
be the case because of Snape's penance towards Lily, though I think
Snape keeps his word anyway. There is no one else except Sirius who 
(unknown to Dumbledore at that stage)has the same motivations of 
guilt and reparation and the same sort of bravery, and Sirius is in 
Azkaban and lacks Snape's other qualifications.  Snape does fulfill 
this expectation, eg. returning to Voldemort, who has promised to 
kill him, and as a more minor example, putting up with opprobium 
from his colleagues when he referees the Quidditch match in PS. 
Lupin can't even confess to Dumbledore that Sirius is an animagus so 
I wouldn't expect him to display the same backbone.

(ii) He is an expert in DADA. We don't see anyone else with the same
abilities as Snape, and this is made clear in HBP and in 'The
Prince's Tale'. He, not Dumbledore, not Lupin or Poppy saves Katie
Bell's life. He is the one who saves Dumbledore from the ring
curse, and Dumbledore makes it clear that this ability is
exceptional: 'I am fortunate to have you, Severus'. In fact, he only
uses this ability directly once in regard to Harry, during Quirrel's
jinx, but saving Dumbledore for example gives Dumbledore another
year with Harry, and Dumbledore is right to want someone with this
potential to save from the Darks Arts to be Harry's protector.

(iii) As a marked Death Eater and superb Occlumens, Snape is the
only one who can find out Voldemort's plans, and feed him false
information. Not only does he have the right skills, Dumbledore
tells Snape he is the only one he would trust to do this.

(iv) He is on hand at Hogwarts to keep an eye on Harry. A great deal
of Snape's irritation with Harry is directed at Harry's rule
breaking activities, being out after curfew, flying around in stolen
cars, being in Hogsmead when Black is supposedly lurking. As to
Snape and Lupin's own handling of Harry in the instance you mention,
part of Snape's feelings towards Harry must stem from the fact that
in endangering himself, Harry is putting Lily's sacrifice at naught,
but Snape's own culpability and guilt stop him using this
to 'control' Harry. Lupin does not have this problem. Actually, I
would rather someone just told me off for wrong doing rather than
guilt tripping me over my dead parents, but that's just me, though it
works (but only very temporarily) on Harry.

(v)Only Snape has huge emotional problems in relation to both 
Harry's parents, which are likely to prevent him becoming close to 
Harry. It might be easier to protect Harry if Snape had a friendly 
relationship with him, but thatwould conflict with Snape's 'loyal 
Death Eater' role and  is not really in Dumbledore's 
interests, since up to the end of GOF, Dumbledore thinks Horcrux!
Harry is really going to have to die.
   
So Dumbledore has in effect hired Snape as Harry's bodyguard. That 
is entirely separate from his teaching role and its requirements. 
Protecting Harry from Voldemort just requires Snape to be loyal to 
his task, which he is to the point of death. It does not require him 
to be fair to, love or even to like Harry. There are, as you point 
out, others that can fulfill this role, like Minerva, Molly, Arthur 
and Lupin. It doesn't even particularly need interaction between 
Snape and Harry (it is Snape who to some extent tries to extend the 
role into a mentoring one). Protecting Harry is not the same as
parenting him.



Leah