My two cents: Snape
Jul. 17th, 2005 02:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daylynWell, I just feel the desperate need to add my own two cents in.
After calming down and a good night’s sleep, I can honestly say that my Snape love knows no bounds and is as strong as ever.
Yes, I felt almost raw after finishing HBP. And yes, I actually cried (just a little) for Snape. And I’d like to say ‘kudos’ to JKR for having that sort of impact on me. While I have a few issues with her writing (and seriously, has she been trolling fanfics for ideas/’ships/terms? – she actually called it the DADA position), I remain in love with the world she created.
But Snape. Snape. My god, she managed to take an already interesting and morally ambiguous character and give him so many more dimensions. We see his interactions and manipulations with “Cissy” and “Bella”. How perfectly he plays them. He knows just what to say to get the information he wants (he knew the Dark Lord’s plans beforehand my ass!). He’s a master at his game.
We learn of his time in school as the HBP, and what a brilliant potions student he really was. How he created new spells, and basically rewrote the advanced potions textbook.
We see his eloquence in the classroom. How he commands a room. And how he finally, finally, can teach the subject he loves.
We learn how he argues with Dumbledore, and how Dumbledore has taken too much for granted. What, exactly, has Dumbledore taken for granted? Could it be his demand that Snape fulfill his oath? And we see, over and over again, how much Dumbledore trusts him, and how little he’s concerned with Harry’s conviction that Snape will betray him. Dumbledore is no dummy – I don’t believe that he’s gotten it wrong for all these years.
We see two powerful Occulmens staring at each other as one lies dying – you can’t tell me that there was no communication between them. We see the hatred and revulsion Snape has at carrying out his task. Hatred and revulsion at what? Dumbledore? Unlikely. Himself? His task? Much more likely.
We see how Snape keeps Harry safe from the Death Eaters, protecting him yet again. We see Snape, even after everything happens, still trying to teach Harry: “Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut and your mind closed, Potter.” Harry needs to learn wordless magic and control – Snape’s just trying to make him see that.
And when does Snape lose it? When Harry uses his own spells against him (like Harry’s father had done) and then calls him a coward. Of all the insults Harry could have used, why would that one bother Snape the most? Because, assuming that Snape really is the “good” guy I just know him to be, he has just done the most difficult thing of his life – killed his mentor, protector, and the only person who trusts him fully. And he killed him for a greater purpose – to get closer to Voldemort and work against him internally. Not the work of a coward, but the duty of someone who was willing to sacrifice everything – his friends, his job, his life – to do what must be done.
I fully believe that Dumbledore knows what’s coming. He knows of Draco’s plan (and where do you think he got that information from, hmm?) He knows he’s dying from his injury. And he knows Snape will have to leave at the end of the year – that Snape’s oath must be fulfilled. (Why else would he be allowed to teach DADA? Dumbledore knows the position is cursed. And he doesn’t actually hire a new potions master until after Snape makes his oath.) I believe that Dumbledore and Snape had Dumbledore’s death planned all along.
I completely refuse to believe that Snape is The Evil. While I feel that his final redemption will come with a heavy price, I do feel that he will redeem himself in the last book.
Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, how many of you foresee Dobby/Kreacher OTP fics? I know I do.
And I still love my Snarry, no matter what. Now the challenge really begins…
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no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 10:53 pm (UTC)I can even see my old seat beside you.
I want back on and gosh darn it, I love how you argue this.
There is only one problem that is prohibiting me from jumping up there with you - if Snape is going to spy internally and even if he gathers Tommy's most secret plans, who in the Order will believe him?
Someone answer this riddle (no pun intended - well not too much) and save me from my Snape grief.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 11:11 pm (UTC)if Snape is going to spy internally and even if he gathers Tommy's most secret plans, who in the Order will believe him?
I agree that's a problem -- Snape is so far in with the DE's that no one in the Order will believe him now. However, I still think that he will be able to counter Voldemort's plans, and possibly provide Harry with unexpected assistance in the final showdown.
And, if Harry should fail, then Snape may be the only hope Dumbledore had left to defeat Voldemort. And Dumbledore could not let Harry know that, since Voldemort can still read Harry's mind.
I know, I know, I'm really in denial, aren't I?
no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 11:13 pm (UTC)1) Anonymous letters! (Though it might take the Order a while to start trusting them...)
2) Dumbledore's portrait. When he wakes up, surely he's going to tell a few Order members what really happened?
~~micah
no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-17 11:27 pm (UTC)Maybe....
Date: 2005-07-17 11:46 pm (UTC)The Dumbledore portrait idea is a good one, assuming he wakes up in time; however, I am more inclined to think that Dumbledore and Snape KNEW he could never contact the members of the Order and that Snape's role is now that of Voldemort's betrayer; the one who weakens/distracts Voldemort enough that Harry can go in for the kill.
I think this because, regardless of how powerful a wizard he is, Harry is:
1) Largely untrained;
2) Surrounded now by people who want to protect him rather than push him into danger (which won't do anything but drag it out);
3) Harry's a teenager, and no offense to teenagers out there, the majority can't rationally think their way out of a paper bag. Witness all of Harry's misconceptions as he relies on his emotional perceptions rather than paying attention to the 'cold' details.
I think they (Snape and Dumbledore) started out years ago with the assumption that Dumbledore would be there to help guide Harry (since Harry *loves* Snape so much--and I think the animosity was carefully and coldly nurtured in case Harry was ever caught) and when that was no longer possible (i.e. Dumbledore was dying from the first curse), Albus and Snape cooked up a plan that would at least give the boy a chance to succeed, but ONLY if Snape could get himself into a SOLID position of trust fully *behind* Voldemort and either (as I repeat from before) redirect the Dark Lord's attention (Look, Mouldie, it's a plane--stab), or weaken him (OH, are we feeling a little under the weather?--stab). I think Snape killing Albus made that goal more achievable.
Anyway, just my take on it. Feel free to disagree.
Re: Maybe....
Date: 2005-07-18 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 12:51 am (UTC)He doesn't necessarily need to spy any more. He may now be a bomb, planted to go off at the most opportune time to help destroy Voldemort.