Why Snape is the most interesting character

[highsorcerer]

Of course, Snape has his job as a spy on Voldemort. Very secret, and requiring occlumency

But even the best wizards have human failings. Snape never gave Harry a fair chance from day one. He taunted him like he wished he could James, instead of realizing Harry was NOT his father.

Snape is perfectly willing to make Harry pay for James's pranks - but that is wrong. He draws the line very close - costing points, detentions, and all, that, but know if he crossed the line it will reflect on him.

[Just Mom]

In rereading some of these posts, I began to wonder a little about Snape taking his anger at James out on Harry...
Someone once wrote, "we are just players in someone else's drama"
Most of us do things like take our anger out on innocent parties because we "assume" the other party knows our history. Has it been revealed anywhere in the books that Snape is aware that Harry does NOT know about his parents? Is Snape acting harshly towards Harry because he believes someone from somewhere has already told him the stories of how nerdy Snape was at Hogwarts as a student? And would it make a difference in how he treated Harry if he knew how much Harry didn't know about both his mother and father? I guess what I mean is, if Snape knew how much of Harry's life is missing, would it make a difference? Move him to any compassion at all?
I thought for a moment in the OotP that Snape was getting close to having some compassion for Harry when Harry shouted out, "They've got Padfoot" and Snape acted like he didn't know what he was talking about, but I believe he did.

[Meg Boyd]

I am sure Snape knew what Harry was saying. And I suppose Snape knowing that Harry had no clue about his father would not help. Harry is too much like his father to not remind Snape of his tormentor. It's just something that Snape must FORGIVE and FORGET. It's easy for Snape to keep dwelling on the past and bringing it up on Harry, but it is right to forgive and forget James, and treat Harry with respect, just as it is easy for Harry to hate Snape in return, but it is right to be empathic to Snape and to give him some slack. These are conflicts that must be resolved at the end of the story, I am sure.

[highsorcerer]

The converse is true as well. James and friends smirked that Snape was a greasy haired person who knew more curses than most 7th years. And if Snape used them, that was also wrong. People grow up. Snape did from being a curse-using bully. So did James and Sirius from taunting others because it was "cool". Lupin knew it was wrong, but turned his back on his friends instead of what was right.

What it means is that growing up means making choices you later know are wrong. Harry and his friends never bullied Malfoy and his friends because it wasn't right - only self defense. And Malfoy wouldn't dare take on Harry in a fair fight - because he knows he would lose. He needs two friends to back him up. Even then he might lose and suffer for it.

Malfoy's whining at the end showed what a coward he was ... he whined about what Harry couldn't do it to him (sorry, Lucious did it to himself) or what a big man he was (standing up to Voldemort and his death eaters?), or whatever. Oh, I dare to have Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle take on HALF what Harry took on.

[gecko]

I like your posts highsorcerer! But consider this.. When Harry attacked Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in Hogsmeade in PoA while wearing his invisibility cloak, was that self-defense? Was it right or brave? I think it wasn't, he was mocking people who couldn't do anything back, and that's wrong.. just as wrong as Malfoy has been on several occasions, but just because Malfoy has to fall back on his friends and other nasty things, doesn't mean Harry should do so too.. so yeah Harry's acted cowardly too.

Oh by the way I agree with your posts , Malfoy does not dare to do anything (serious) to Harry and company, especially after the last events..

As for Snape, I believe he will grow up even more. He'll come to see that you can judge people only by their own actions and not by heredity or anything else..and I hope all other people in the HP world, as well as in our real world will come to see that!

[Just Mom]

Not that this matters much, but in my "real life" I'm in the ministry which means the "business of forgiveness" an awful lot of the time. It has been my experience both personally and professionally that very often forgiveness is more of a process than a 180 decision. I agree, Snape needs to forgive James and quit taking that hostility out on Harry- who by the way, has handled that remarkably well for a kid his age- but I'm wondering if that will begin to happen gradually as Snape maybe realizes that Harry, like himself, didn't have an ideal childhood and has as many wounds as he has himself. The more he can relate to Harry -as Harry related to Snape while looking at his memories- the easier it will be to connect with him and thus the process of forgiving begins. Also, if they find a common ground to stand upon, whether it's a love for Harry's mother, or loyalty to DD in the fight against LV then that will help as well.
I must say, Sirius did not demonstrate his maturity by-years later and in front of Harry-calling Snape "Snivellus."

[Meg Boyd]

exactly what i was trying to say...the characters all must relate to each other through a common bond and forgive before LV can be totally gone, I think! Kinda in the mind set of United We Stand, Divided We Fall

[Just Mom]

Wow Meg, what a cool insight! I hadn't thought much about the significance of all the characters forgiving, or uniting for the sake of goodness as a way of defeating LV, but we are more powerful generally, when we are, "whole" so to speak as individuals.

[Eol]

I must say, Sirius did not demonstrate his maturity by-years later and in front of Harry-calling Snape "Snivellus."

As childish as Sirius was, he's still probably stinging of how Snape tried to get him sent to the dementors and how he stooped so low as to get Lupin fired. Mind you I am surprised at how Lupin doesn't seem to be reeling about this. For a werewolf he's amazingly even tempered

[Just Mom]

Was it Snape who was responsible for Lupin being fired? I'd forgotten that.
You're right (as usual), Eol, Lupin is very easy-going for a werewolf. That would be an interesting connection to explore too...Snape and Lupin's relationship and history. Snape was kind enough to make the potion for him while he taught at Hogwarts, even if he did do it reluctantly. Lupin didn't torment him as a teen although he could've redirected his friends a little better as a leader of the group.
Eol aren't the one that has mentioned Snape's possible love for Lily Potter?

[Just Mom]

Sorry for the double post..
Let me try that last sentence again:
Eol, aren't YOU the one who has mentioned the possibility of Snape having once been in love with Lily?

[Eol]

Yes I was Rev Mom, but its a stab in the dark really. I just thought that there was more behind Snape's hatred of James than James was popular and talented.

[littlemissy]

Except 'pursues' isn't spelt 'persues'.

I was under the impression Eol wasn't using the word 'pursues' as a word (as in 'he 'pursues' Voldemort) but as part of Snape's name...there's only one 'u' in 'Severus Snape', so it would have to be 'Persues'. If I'm wrong about that, you have my apologies in advance. But even if Eol did misspell it, is it worth eye-rolling?


~ Lizzy

Yes I know Eol was using it as part of Snape's name!
What I meant was that it wouldn't be a real anagram and thus maybe a clue, because it is an anagram of a word that doesn't exist. Severus Snape is not an anagram of 'pursues Evans', it is an anagram of a misspelling of the above, and therefore not really a clue.
The eye-rolling was meant in a light-hearted way (maybe I should have included a or something!) and I hope I didn't offend Eol because that was not my intention at all!
It is of course possible that Snape may have had a crush on Lily, I was just pointing out that the supposed anagram was not exactly accurate! Eol, you could well be right that there is something more than just jealousy of James' popularity in Snape's hatred of him. Maybe it's just that life-saving thing again or maybe it does have to do with Lily. I can't wait to find out, either way. I must say, I find the 'marauder generation' a lot more fascinating than Harry and his contemporaries (as much as I do love them)!

[Just Mom]

Eol, your anagrams aside (and it is clever by the way) I believe your "stab in the dark" hits something of substance. There are a good deal of questions regarding why Snape became a Deatheater, why he left, why he hated James so, and why he takes all that out so vehemently upon Harry. It's not just as simple as he's a nasty toady little man. It's obvious from his memories that he does have feelings and wounds.
I think you're really on to something with the Snape/Lily theory. It's very Charles Dickens you know? Like in A Tale of Two Cities when the motives behind the most undesirable and ill-tempered character are actually coming from a place of being in love with a woman he knows will never love him in return. And in the end he makes the ultimate sacrifice for her happiness. Snape has to save face in front of the boys in OotP when Lily defends him which is why he lashes out at her so. But I'll bet money that you're on the right track...that he had feelings for her in spite of what he said. And in my mind, it would be very up JKR's alley to show us more of Snape's tender side in the future having already given us a taste of it in the last several books.

[highsorcerer]

Yes, what Harry did behind his cloak to Malfory, Crabbe, and Goyle was wrong. But he grew up some then, realizing that some pranks can be detected. He almost got caught, and it taught him a lesson.

Just because you CAN do something and get away with it doesn't mean it's RIGHT. Or even that you can get away with it. He almost didn't. Lupin got him off the hook, but expressed his disappointment in Harry. And while he knew the Maurderers would have done the same, he rejects his boyhood choices.