Snape's Psychology: WAS: More thoughts on the Elder Wand subplot - Owner?

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 187504


> > 
> > > jkoney
> > > From the time he went to Dumbledore til the end he never cared about Harry, it was always for Lilly. That doesn't show me much if any growth in the character.
> > > 
> > 
> > Julie:
> > No, he didn't care for Harry. But what does that have to do
> > with anything? Or maybe it says more that he kept doing it
> > even though he so greatly disliked Harry. 
> > 
> > As for growth in his character, I think it is telling that 
> > at the beginning Snape only did it for Lily. But by the end,
> > Snape did what was right just because it was right, like
> > saving Lupin during the Seven Potters chase (he could have
> > let his old enemy die without affecting his promise for Lily;
> > in fact it would have been safer to do so), and accepting
> > that it was more important to destroy Voldemort than to 
> > protect Harry's life. 
> 
> 
> jkoney:
> I think it says alot about his character that he hated a child that he never met and refused to judge him as a separate person.

Julie:
It does say something about his character, and it's not good.
It says that he was so consumed by bitterness that he couldn't
see Harry separate from his enemy James, and was unwilling or
unable to judge Harry on his own merits. But it doesn't say
everything about his character...

jkoney:
> 
> I can't really count him as saving Lupin. He didn't hit the other DE, he hit George.

Julie:
Snape's intent was to interfere with the DE and save Lupin.
We know his spell went awry and hit George, but we don't know
if the spell also deflected the DE's spell aimed at Lupin.
Maybe, maybe not. But I don't really care. Snape's *intent*
was fully altruistic, and that is the important point in
assessing his character. At some point during his time with
the Order and Dumbledore, Snape came to value life, all life,
not just value the lives of those few--or one--he personally
cared for. 

Julie