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

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 187465

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jkoney65" <jkoney65 at ...> wrote:
>
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "julie" <juli17@> wrote:
> >
> > Julie:
> > I guess we differ on a fundamental point, which is that I do
> > think Snape atoned for his part in relaying the Prophecy, first
> > by trying to undo his wrong (which he did by going to DD; it
> > was Pettigrew and of course Voldemort who "undid Snape's undo"
> > if you will ;-). And secondly, by spending the rest of his life 
> > in service to Dumbledore and to protecting Harry. That to me
> > does atone for his part in helping take Harry's parents away
> > from him.
> 
> 
> jkoney:
> Atonement for his actions would be more believable to people if he had done it without Dumbledore roping him into it. Also if he done if for Harry and not just for the memory of Lilly.

Julie:
I don't see how it would be more believable, given Snape's
character at the time. He *was* a working Death Eater, so to
speak. That he had a change of heart for any reason is a 
bigger leap than any other Death Eater took.

> 
> 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. 


Julie