CHAPDISC: DH32, The Elder Wand

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 184778

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> Shelley wrote:
> > I am going to sound like the most evil person on the face of the
> earth with my answer. I have never been a fan of Snape, I loathed 
the
> man before he killed Dumbledore, and hated him even more following
> that event. My prediction for the last book is that I wanted to see
> Snape die. I was looking forward to it even. I wanted Snape to be
> taken down. But, when I read that part, Nagini taking him and Snape
> just standing there like a spineless wimp, a pitifully sorry man, I
> was angry. I wanted a death that was worthy of the villain Snape 
was,
> not some pitifully, wimpy snake bite that he didn't even try to 
defend
> himself from. <snip>
> >
> Carol responds:
> Obviously, our reactions are poles apart (although, I, too, was 
hoping
> that Snape would die heroically--f he had to die at all), but I 
want
> to add one thing. IMO (and in Harry's), Snape was not a spineless 
wimp
> (though he no doubt seemed so to you on a first reading). He did
> scream in horror (so would anyone!), but he didn't faint. More
> important, It took great courage *not* to try to kill Voldemort 
when
> he first realized that Voldemort intended to kill him. (He went for
> his wand and had time to use it but didn't). 
> 
Leah 

On initial reading, I felt the same as Sherry about Snape's death, 
but from the point of view of someone who really liked Snape and 
believed him to be loyal - I thought it was a lousy send-off.

I've snipped most of Carol's post because I agree entirely with what 
she says.  I just wanted to add that since there's been some 
discussion of mirror scenes, that I think this scene is meant to 
mirror or at least counterpoint Snape's killing of Dumbledore.  

On the face of it, (if you read the murder as genuine) Snape killed 
a sick, unarmed old man who was pleading for his life.  That is 
Harry's POV, which he makes very clear, "Kill me like you killed 
him, you coward".  It takes 'The Prince's Tale' to show that this 
act which condemns Snape in most people's eyes is a act of courage, 
saving Draco and fulfilling Dumbledore's orders.  Similarly, 
although Snape appears to be wimping out in 'The Elder Wand', his 
decision to disarm himself by not using his wand, again protects 
Draco, who did disarm Dumbledore. At this stage, Snape must believe 
he can't fulfill Dumbledore's orders, but by not using his wand, he 
gives Voldemort a false sense of mastery over the Elder Wand.

Leah