Snape's culpability again (was Re: Get Fuzzy comic & RAB)

[Jen Reese]

Pippin:
> Now, as to why I think we just saw Snape's redemptive scene.
> What is redemption? What is the proof that  you've truly repented
> of your sin? Well, one definition is, when you face the same
> temptation and resist it. 
> 
> Let's take Dumbledore at his word, since we're discussing loyal 
> Snape, and say that the great regret of Snape's life is that he 
took
> the prophecy to Voldemort. Why did he do it? Not for revenge 
> on the people it referred to -- he had no idea who they were. 
> No, it was, it must have been,  for the glory of delivering this 
> information to Voldemort, who would surely honor him  for 
> this precious knowledge.

> Likely Snape never even thought about how it would be used, so
> blinded was he by the thought of being lifted above all other
> DE's, even the purebloods he envied so. We do more harm by
> indifference...


Jen: Aha! I've been trying to fathom what possibly could have 
motivated Snape to seal his doom with the Unbreakable, and Pippin's 
explanation tipped the scale for me in the direction of perceived 
honor and glory. Snape was swayed by Narcissa's words because they 
were what he wanted to hear: He was the *only* one who could help 
Draco, he alone had Voldemort's trust, he alone was Voldemort's 
closest advisor....He lapped it up and believed in the possibility 
even though he *knew*, as Dumbledore told Harry later, Voldemort 
doesn't have confidantes, or trusted advisors, or even irreplacable 
servants. Those words trapped him like a moth to a flame.

So he started down the same worn path as he did when he heard the 
prophecy.....

Pippin: 
> 
> So,  Snape had a choice  on the tower. He could have attacked 
> the Death Eaters, one against four, saved Draco (and Harry), 
> taken down the notorious Fenrir Greyback, who's  probably 
> worth an OM all by himself, made a last ditch effort to save 
> Dumbledore, risked everything on the chance that he could 
> cure him and that Dumbledore knew some way of
> defeating the vow. (No magic is foolproof, right?) Glorious.
> The whole WW would get down on their knees and thank him.
> 
> But Dumbledore begged him not to, IMO. Dumbledore begged 
> him to go on with his role, though Snape will never now receive
> Dumbledore's recognition, though it may be neither Harry nor 
> the wizarding world will ever know what Snape did for them.

Jen: Which did he choose here, glory or ignominy? The first might be 
what he sees in the Mirror of Erised and the second quite possibly 
his greatest fear. The glory would be at Voldemort's side instead of 
Dumbledore's, the ignominy to stand by while Potter defeats the Dark 
Lord and Snape himself is accused of Dumbledore's murder. Did he 
rise above his weakness, or get trapped by the image in the Mirror?

Pippin:
> Because only by Voldemort's side will Snape be in a position 
> to weaken him so that when Harry  finally faces him, he'll 
> have a chance. They're a jigsaw puzzle, Harry and Snape, 
> each with a power the other will never have, and only with 
> backup will Harry be strong enough to take Voldie
> down.
> 
> Yeah, I think Harry can figure all this out. It won't
> be easy, but that's what the seven hundred pages are for.

Jen: I think he made the right choice, too :). Otherwise we don't 
have the nice parallel you've drawn here of each needing the other 
to truly defeat the Dark Lord. Oh, that's a cunning plot! And maybe 
Harry won't figure it out until Snape is dead, because that would be 
the bitter irony for Snape, to sacrifice everything for Harry and 
never get his due. What's important to the hero's story is for Harry 
to know and understand what Snape was willing to do in the end, and 
it's only fitting Snape's glory, if any, will come long after he's 
gone.

Jen