The Severus Snape Story (SSSssss)
After six years of being a fan, this is my first-ever serious post about the former Hogwarts Potions master. Where to begin?
Well... first of all, I wish to assert this as a fact: We are in the middle of a mystery involving Snape and Dumbledore, a mystery spanning two books. We still don't know why Dumbledore trusted Snape absolutely, we still don't know Snape's complete role in the killing of the Potters, we still don't know why Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, we still don't know what (if anything) he told Dumbledore about it, what they were arguing about in the Forest, why Dumbledore acted as he did atop the tower, or why Snape killed Dumbledore. The three major actors in HBP were Draco, Dumbledore, and Snape. Of those three, only Draco gave us the traditional "villain speech" explaining his actions and motives and -- for the first time ever -- we received no debriefing from the Headmaster (or anyone else) at the end of the novel. We are still in the middle of this story.
And if this were not apparent from the book itself, we have explicit confirmation of this from the author:
So much of what happens in book six relates to book seven that I feel almost as though they are two halves of the same novel.
In the post-HBP interview with Melissa and Emerson, Rowling encouraged us to speculate and theorize about this ongoing mystery:
MA: OK, big big big book six question. Is Snape evil?
JKR: [Almost laughing] Well, you've read the book, what do you think?
ES: She's trying to make you say it categorically.
MA: Well, there are conspiracy theorists, and there are people who will claim -
JKR: Cling to some desperate hope [laughter] -
ES: Yes!
MA: Yes!
ES: Like certain shippers we know!
[All laugh]
JKR: Well, okay, I'm obviously - Harry-Snape is now as personal, if not more so, than Harry-Voldemort. I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler, isn't it, whatever I say, and obviously, it has such a huge impact on what will happen when they meet again that I can't. And let's face it, it's going to launch 10,000 theories and I'm going to get a big kick out of reading them so [laughs] I'm evil but I just like the theories, I love the theories.
Later in the interview, they return to the issue:
ES: Was Dumbledore planning to die?
JKR: [Pause.] Do you think that's going to be the big theory?
MA & ES: Yes. It’ll be a big theory.
JKR: [Pause.] Well, I don't want to shoot that one down. [A little laughter.] I have to give people hope.
MA: It goes back to the question of whether Snape is a double-double-double-triple-
JKR: [Laughs] Double-double-quadruple-to-the-power-of - yeah.
MA: …whether this had been planned, and since Dumbledore had this knowledge of Draco the whole year, had they had a discussion that said, "Should this happen, you have to act as if it is entirely your intention to just walk forward and kill me, because if you don't, Draco will die, the Unbreakable Vow, you'll die," and so on -
JKR: No, I see that, and yeah, I follow your line there. I can't - I mean, obviously, there are lines of speculation I don't want to shut down. Generally speaking, I shut down those lines of speculation that are plain unprofitable. Even with the shippers. God bless them, but they had a lot of fun with it. It's when people get really off the wall - it's when people devote hours of their time to proving that Snape is a vampire that I feel it's time to step in, because there's really nothing in the canon that supports that.
ES: It's when you look for those things -
JKR: Yeah, it's after the 15th rereading when you have spots in front of your eyes that you start seeing clues about Snape being the Lord of Darkness. So, there are things I shut down just because I think, well, don't waste your time, there's better stuff to be debating, and even if it's wrong, it will probably lead you somewhere interesting. That's my rough theory anyway.
Here is what I garner from these conversations:
1 - The plans and motives of Dumbledore and Snape are still a big mystery and to reveal them would be a spoiler.
2 - Rowling expects and encourages people to speculate and form theories about this mystery -- she doesn't want to shut it down, and she implies it is "profitable" and "will probably lead you somewhere interesting."
3 - Though she implies that the solution outlined by Melissa might be wrong, she encourages her to pursue that "line of speculation" and -- twice -- acknowledges that people will "hope" that Snape is not evil and that Dumbledore planned to die. She encourages us to hope for something along these lines.
For this reason, as much as I normally revere dr_c and his reasoning processes, I strenuously disagree that it is now a settled matter that Snape's guilt is "solidly established." On the contrary, I believe it is one of the most important mysteries still remaining in the series.
As I read this book, I was irresistably reminded of a literary model I had not formerly associated with J.K. Rowling -- the Lymond (Game of Kings) series by Dorothy Dunnett. Those novels always start with the antihero-hero, Lymond, doing some seemingly despicable and unforgiveable act that it seems inconceivable he could possibly have any excuse for, and then (sometimes hundreds of pages later) we find out the elaborate and complex set of circumstances and loyalties that necessitated the painful course of action we saw and we revel in and deeply pity his angsty guilt and self-hatred. However, I of course realize the huge difference in circumstances separating Lymond, the brilliant and beautiful beloved eponymous hero of his series, from Snape, the quite intelligent but ugly and unpleasant thorn in the hero's side. Bluntly speaking, Lymond "going bad" would have utterly ruined his series, while the reader of the Harry Potter series isn't supposed to even like Snape. In fact, Rowling has called Snape-love "a very worrying thing" and "depressing":
You always see a lot of Snape, because he is a gift of a character. I hesitate to say that I love him. [Audience member: I do]. You do? This is a very worrying thing. Are you thinking about Alan Rickman or about Snape?
...
[in response to a different question] But you must not forget that Snape was a Death Eater. He will have seen things that... Why do you love him? Why do people love Snape? I do not understand this. Again, it’s bad boy syndrome, isn’t it? It’s very depressing. [Laughter].[1]
To me, all this implies that while some sort of "vindication" is on the cards for Snape -- because, frankly, after fulfilling the villain's evil plan by killing your unarmed, pleading mentor ("the epitome of goodness") in cold blood using an Unforgivable Curse right in front of the hero's eyes and then fleeing, no other type of twist is possible except to go up -- he probably won't be triumphantly cleared, receive full emotional "redemption," or have Harry fall to his knees and drop grateful tears on his heroic dying form.
I'm also fully convinced that the solution is complicated and much harder to guess than a simple "they planned it that way ahead of time" or some such and I await in delicious anticipatory confidence some really juicy and satisfying confrontation and conflict between Harry and Snape in Book 7.
Well, that's about as far as I can go without entering the area of character analysis -- something I have recently discovered that as a shipper of R/Hr and H/G I must be bad at. However, it must be done, and I'll just have to struggle along the best I can.
I believe that Severus Snape's primary drive in life is to have the proper work -- he is an intelligent, knowledgeable, competent, and courageous person who wants an opportunity to show those qualities, to be seen to have them, and to be respected and rewarded for having them. The one desire we have consistently seen him betray, from the first book right through to the last, is to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts -- the thing he seemingly wants most is a job. Other things we have seen him want is respect from students (especially Harry), an Order of Merlin for his courage and ingenuity in capturing Sirius Black, the task of making the potion to restore the Petrified students, and -- possibly -- the Headmaster's job. There is no doubt in my mind that Snape has a deep craving for respect above all -- not love, or sex, or money, or power, or comfort, or pleasure, or security, or freedom, or eternal life, or some lofty ideal -- he wants respect, pure and simple.
Another thing Snape seems to desire is fairness and justice. He did not pursue his desire to work in Defense Against the Dark Arts by cultivating connections such as Slughorn or by charm or cajolery, but instead studied the subject deeply and poured his knowledge into his OWL examination paper:
His hair was lank and greasy and was flopping on to the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled. Harry moved around behind Snape and read the heading of the examination paper:
DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS-
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL.
So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Harry's own age. His hand was flying across the parchment; he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.
Every year, he does not employ bribery or threats or trickery or some other device to get the job, he simply applies for it:
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.
"Yes," said Snape quietly.
"But you were unsuccessful?"
Snape's lip curled. "Obviously."
Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.
Snape was desperately disappointed when Sirius Black was not brought to justice on his evidence, and I am convinced he sincerely believed he was guilty; he certainly behaved differently to him at a later time when he was presumably convinced of his innocence. Snape was so infuriated by Fudge's refusal to believe that Voldemort was back at the end of Book Four that he strode forward and thrust his Dark Mark in his face. He frequently speaks of rules and facts and truths and just punishments and equal treatment for all students. Yes, I recognize that Snape himself isn't always fair, especially in his treatment of Harry and his friends. Neither is McGonagall, but they both seem to value fairness and justice, even if they don't always live up to it. Snape uses the forms of fairness when he torments Harry, and always pretends (perhaps to himself) that he is simply doing his job and enforcing school rules. Here is how he puts it to Fudge:
"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."
"And yet - is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended - at the very least - for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister - against all school rules- after all the precautions put in place for his protection -out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer - and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too-"
Of course Snape does not really treat Harry like any other student, but I believe that he is sincerely proclaiming his values here. These are the ideals he judges people by, and tries to live up to himself.
What does all this mean to the ultimate question of Snape's loyalty? First, I'd venture that Snape is not particularly motivated by either ideals or emotional attachments. I don't believe he ever found Voldemort's vision of Blood Purity particularly inspiring, and I don't believe he shares Dumbledore's deep concern for the safety and well-being of the innocent. Nor do I believe that he loved or loves either Voldemort or Dumbledore -- he is not Harry, impulsively giving his love and complete loyalty to the charming old man who is kind to him, or Bellatrix, fanatically devoted to her cruel master.
But Snape is no leader, either, and no lone wolf. He is a natural follower -- he respects authority and wants to work for someone he can look up to, someone who will recognize his abilities and reward his successes. He has had two "bosses" in his life, both of them extraordinarily intelligent, capable, and magically powerful men, undoubtedly and unquestionably his superiors. I believe it would be hard for Snape to report to someone like Fudge or Bagman -- anyone who is less competent than him or less intelligent.
However, those of Snape's personality type have a pragmatic type of loyalty that can be even more enduring than the idealistic or emotional kind. They remain loyal because there is no logical reason not to. People like him crave a stable framework in which to exist and excel, and they do not seek to change the rules or transcend the contest or opt out of the game. The abilities and knowledge they have painstakingly amassed are only worthwhile within a framework that gives them value.
So why did Snape change loyalties in the first place from Voldemort to Dumbledore -- if he did? Some say "Lily" at this point, and that may well be true, though not, I think, in the way such a motive might move a different type of person. I believe Snape entered the Dark Lord's service originally because he thought he would be a good master -- someone who needed his help, someone who could guide him deeper into the Dark Arts he craved, someone who would recognize and reward his abilities, someone who could appreciate him. Honestly, I don't believe Snape wasted a whole lot of time pondering good and evil -- I think his moral development was a bit stunted and he could be happy as long as he had a consistent set of values and "rules" to operate under, even if those rules included blackmail, torture, murder, and a boss who performed Cruciatus Curses on his unsuccessful employees (certainly Snape would not foresee himself being unsuccessful).
As to why his loyalty changed, I have no difficulty seeing how an intelligent logical man might come to see that working for Lord Voldemort was not an excellent long-term career choice and that his campaign of terror and eventual world domination might not be a desirable outcome after all. It seems this realization was precipated for Snape in the events surrounding his being sent to spy on Dumbledore, his overhearing and reporting of the prophecy, his (apparent) warning to Dumbledore that Voldemort meant to kill his old schoolmates and their child, and the disastrous (to both sides) outcome of that event. We should also remember that Snape was making the transition from teenager to adult, and Rowling has repeatedly stressed -- with James and Sirius, for instance -- the improvement this can make in your perspective and reasoning powers.
Most of all, when trying to figure out why Snape turned, we have to consider his LACK of inducements to stay. I have already asserted that Snape had no idealistic or emotional attachment to Voldemort. He is no Peter or Slughorn, craving safety and creature comforts. In fact, Snape is very courageous (for a non-Gryffindor) and does not seem to value his own life all that particularly much. I believe that Snape was sincerely attached to some of his companions among the Death Eaters, particularly Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, but he is no Sirius or Ron, sticking by his mates above all. Most of all, there is no indication whatsoever that Snape desires Voldemort's principal inducements -- money, power, eternal life, the chance to exercise one's sadism....[2] Well, perhaps one... I believe the young Death Eater Snape desired revenge on those who had scorned and mistreated him. But I believe that he was probably either sated of this desire or overcame it very soon after he entered Voldemort's service, and then Voldemort had no hold on him except fear -- and Snape is an exceptionally courageous man.
Do I believe Snape's changeover of loyalty was sincere? Yes, indeed I do. My main reason is that we see Snape relaxed in his new position. He does not maintain the guarded smoothness of a spy, but shows true emotion -- he gets angry at Dumbledore, he repeatedly tries for the job he really wants, he openly hates Harry and shows favoritism to Draco Malfoy, he tries to turn Dumbledore against Remus Lupin, he joins the other teachers in tormenting Gilderoy Lockhart, and he is proudly and unrepentantly pro-Slytherin. Harry, in his innocence, sees these things as evidence of Snape's "badness," but I can't help seeing them as proof of his sincerity -- he is secure enough to openly express his preferences and prejudices. This is in very striking contrast to his behavior with Narcissa and Bellatrix in Chapter 2 and in front of the Death Eaters at the end of the book -- then he is silent, controlled, poker-faced, even suave.
I believe that we are safe in taking Snape's occasional emotional "tells" as true clues -- this is a mystery marketed to 8-12 year olds, after all, and I have always found Rowling's mysteries to be of a "second order" nature, where once you get past the first misapprehension you come to the truth. Here are some examples of his give-away behavior:
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep-"
"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."
...and proud of it.
Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.
"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"
"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."
"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job - I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir-"
Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.
Snape is not pretending here -- he is sincerely flattered by Malfoy's sucking up, and finds the prospect of being made headmaster rather a pleasant one.
"It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."
Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"
I'm pretty sure Snape is not gripping the back of the chair in pleased approval.
"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.
You can just tell that Snape is proud of being a "master of this school."
"Dumbledore happens to trust me," said Snape through clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"
"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me - I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"
Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.
Moody laughed. "Get back to bed, Snape."
"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though angry with himself. "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"
And you can just tell that he is ashamed of his Dark Mark.
He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry.
Snape is conscious of the ambiguousness of his position and looks into the mirror as if to confirm to himself that he is really Crouch's foe.
"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"
Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.
Here Snape betrays his special connection to the Malfoys and, perhaps, his surprise or dismay that Lucius reported for duty. I have no doubt at all that Snape feels true liking for the Malfoy family.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I ask you to do. If you are ready... if you are prepared..."
"I am," said Snape.
He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.
"Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.
Snape is definitely frightened here. Of course, he has good reason to be frightened whether he is loyal to Voldemort or not, but again he is showing his true emotions in front of Dumbledore. I believe he is also excited and eager to succeed at his mission.
"That is just as well, Potter," said Snape coldly, "because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters."
"No - that's your job, isn't it?" Harry shot at him.
He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far. But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Snape's face when he answered.
"Yes, Potter," he said, his eyes glinting. "That is my job. Now, if you are ready, we will start again."
Again, Snape is proud of his job, of its importance, its difficulty, and his success at it. He as much as says that finding out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters makes him "special and important."
"And, should it prove necessary . . . if it seems Draco will fail . . ." whispered Narcissa (Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away), "will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"
Snape's twitch is an intention movement to escape, to withdraw. He does not wish to Vow to carry out Draco's task, but he controls the impulse and does so anyway.
"Kill me then," panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward -"
"DON'T-" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them-"CALL ME COWARD!"
Snape is not acting here, and his true emotions are boiling out of him. Incredibly, he still cares about Harry's opinion of him, and he clearly feels that he is not a coward, but, on the contrary, exceedingly brave. Perhaps he has just performed -- or is performing -- the most courageous act of his entire life.
Between them, these "tells" give us a portrait of a man proud of his abilities and of his jobs -- his spying job as well as his Potions master one. They show us a brave man, proud of his courage, craving respect and admiration for his abilities, reluctant to perform Draco's "task."
And yet, of course, he performs it. Why?
Theory 1 - he is loyal to Voldemort. I do not believe this theory is supported by the text. We have seen Snape do too many things to support the anti-Voldemort side, things he could have failed to do if he wished. Besides that, it is simply not sensible to support Voldemort -- he is a psychotic monster heading in a direction that cannot possibly be healthy for the world or for a man like Snape.
Theory 2 - he is loyal to no one but himself. I do not believe this is true, either. I have tried to show that Snape's particular personality does not lead to this kind of behavior -- he shows no sign of wanting to be a Dark Lord himself, and he seems to have no ambition for the kinds of things this kind of path can give you, not even for personal survival. He craves respect, and you can only get respect if there's somebody in a position to give it to you.
Theory 3 - he is loyal to Dumbledore but trapped by circumstances and his own shortcomings. This is the theory very persuasively argued by sigune in this excellent essay but despite agreeing with almost everything she says about Snape's character, I don't believe it. I don't believe that Dumbledore's pleading is of the nature she asserts, and I believe that Snape's ferocious denial of cowardice means more than that he has just made the least bad choice in a catastrophically bad situation.
Theory 4 - he is loyal to Dumbledore and has followed his wishes. This is the only theory that makes sense to me. No, I can't tell you what was going on or why Dumbledore gave Snape the horrific task of killing him or what good it will do to have a spy in the Dark Lord's camp if nobody on the good side will accept his reports, but this is the only theory I can make fit with Dumbledore's character and behavior, Snape's character and behavior, and the structure of the mystery. This is the only option of the four that is worth making a mystery of, the one that has the biggest potential for a moral lesson for Harry, and the one that provides the sharpest reversal and most emotional payoff for the reader.
Is Snape a good man? Nope. He's a former Death Eater, he's selfish and self-centered, he's mean, petty, bad-tempered, small-minded, snide, vengeful, a bit sadistic, and catastrophically lacking in the milk of human-kindness. But I believe he's made of himself an acceptable man, able to remain within the rule of law, to get along with his coworkers, and to be extremely useful to the side of good. And I strongly believe that such virtues and abilities as Severus Snape has -- his courage, his cleverness, his quickness of thought, his self-control, his formidable knowledge and skills, his hard work and determination, and his sense of responsibility -- are firmly dedicated to the task of thwarting and defeating Voldemort. And it that means helping Harry, he'll do that too.
And even if I'm wrong, I can't wait to read more about him. :)
Notes:
1. Yes, I realize that this is where I'm supposed to throw a huge hissy fit complaining that Jo presumes to know what makes me tick and dares to blame my obsessive Snape love on Alan Rickman which is totally unfair and not true because I loved him long before that and who does she think she is, insulting her most intelligent sophisticated adult readers, etc., etc. Let's just pretend I have, and move on, okay?
2. I am not denying that Snape has a sadistic streak, but he is no MacNair or Greyback, lusting for blood and violence. He has a small, controllable type of sadism, easily satisfied in the pursuit of his duties as a teacher.
Well... first of all, I wish to assert this as a fact: We are in the middle of a mystery involving Snape and Dumbledore, a mystery spanning two books. We still don't know why Dumbledore trusted Snape absolutely, we still don't know Snape's complete role in the killing of the Potters, we still don't know why Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, we still don't know what (if anything) he told Dumbledore about it, what they were arguing about in the Forest, why Dumbledore acted as he did atop the tower, or why Snape killed Dumbledore. The three major actors in HBP were Draco, Dumbledore, and Snape. Of those three, only Draco gave us the traditional "villain speech" explaining his actions and motives and -- for the first time ever -- we received no debriefing from the Headmaster (or anyone else) at the end of the novel. We are still in the middle of this story.
And if this were not apparent from the book itself, we have explicit confirmation of this from the author:
So much of what happens in book six relates to book seven that I feel almost as though they are two halves of the same novel.
In the post-HBP interview with Melissa and Emerson, Rowling encouraged us to speculate and theorize about this ongoing mystery:
MA: OK, big big big book six question. Is Snape evil?
JKR: [Almost laughing] Well, you've read the book, what do you think?
ES: She's trying to make you say it categorically.
MA: Well, there are conspiracy theorists, and there are people who will claim -
JKR: Cling to some desperate hope [laughter] -
ES: Yes!
MA: Yes!
ES: Like certain shippers we know!
[All laugh]
JKR: Well, okay, I'm obviously - Harry-Snape is now as personal, if not more so, than Harry-Voldemort. I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler, isn't it, whatever I say, and obviously, it has such a huge impact on what will happen when they meet again that I can't. And let's face it, it's going to launch 10,000 theories and I'm going to get a big kick out of reading them so [laughs] I'm evil but I just like the theories, I love the theories.
Later in the interview, they return to the issue:
ES: Was Dumbledore planning to die?
JKR: [Pause.] Do you think that's going to be the big theory?
MA & ES: Yes. It’ll be a big theory.
JKR: [Pause.] Well, I don't want to shoot that one down. [A little laughter.] I have to give people hope.
MA: It goes back to the question of whether Snape is a double-double-double-triple-
JKR: [Laughs] Double-double-quadruple-to-the-power-of - yeah.
MA: …whether this had been planned, and since Dumbledore had this knowledge of Draco the whole year, had they had a discussion that said, "Should this happen, you have to act as if it is entirely your intention to just walk forward and kill me, because if you don't, Draco will die, the Unbreakable Vow, you'll die," and so on -
JKR: No, I see that, and yeah, I follow your line there. I can't - I mean, obviously, there are lines of speculation I don't want to shut down. Generally speaking, I shut down those lines of speculation that are plain unprofitable. Even with the shippers. God bless them, but they had a lot of fun with it. It's when people get really off the wall - it's when people devote hours of their time to proving that Snape is a vampire that I feel it's time to step in, because there's really nothing in the canon that supports that.
ES: It's when you look for those things -
JKR: Yeah, it's after the 15th rereading when you have spots in front of your eyes that you start seeing clues about Snape being the Lord of Darkness. So, there are things I shut down just because I think, well, don't waste your time, there's better stuff to be debating, and even if it's wrong, it will probably lead you somewhere interesting. That's my rough theory anyway.
Here is what I garner from these conversations:
1 - The plans and motives of Dumbledore and Snape are still a big mystery and to reveal them would be a spoiler.
2 - Rowling expects and encourages people to speculate and form theories about this mystery -- she doesn't want to shut it down, and she implies it is "profitable" and "will probably lead you somewhere interesting."
3 - Though she implies that the solution outlined by Melissa might be wrong, she encourages her to pursue that "line of speculation" and -- twice -- acknowledges that people will "hope" that Snape is not evil and that Dumbledore planned to die. She encourages us to hope for something along these lines.
For this reason, as much as I normally revere dr_c and his reasoning processes, I strenuously disagree that it is now a settled matter that Snape's guilt is "solidly established." On the contrary, I believe it is one of the most important mysteries still remaining in the series.
As I read this book, I was irresistably reminded of a literary model I had not formerly associated with J.K. Rowling -- the Lymond (Game of Kings) series by Dorothy Dunnett. Those novels always start with the antihero-hero, Lymond, doing some seemingly despicable and unforgiveable act that it seems inconceivable he could possibly have any excuse for, and then (sometimes hundreds of pages later) we find out the elaborate and complex set of circumstances and loyalties that necessitated the painful course of action we saw and we revel in and deeply pity his angsty guilt and self-hatred. However, I of course realize the huge difference in circumstances separating Lymond, the brilliant and beautiful beloved eponymous hero of his series, from Snape, the quite intelligent but ugly and unpleasant thorn in the hero's side. Bluntly speaking, Lymond "going bad" would have utterly ruined his series, while the reader of the Harry Potter series isn't supposed to even like Snape. In fact, Rowling has called Snape-love "a very worrying thing" and "depressing":
You always see a lot of Snape, because he is a gift of a character. I hesitate to say that I love him. [Audience member: I do]. You do? This is a very worrying thing. Are you thinking about Alan Rickman or about Snape?
...
[in response to a different question] But you must not forget that Snape was a Death Eater. He will have seen things that... Why do you love him? Why do people love Snape? I do not understand this. Again, it’s bad boy syndrome, isn’t it? It’s very depressing. [Laughter].[1]
To me, all this implies that while some sort of "vindication" is on the cards for Snape -- because, frankly, after fulfilling the villain's evil plan by killing your unarmed, pleading mentor ("the epitome of goodness") in cold blood using an Unforgivable Curse right in front of the hero's eyes and then fleeing, no other type of twist is possible except to go up -- he probably won't be triumphantly cleared, receive full emotional "redemption," or have Harry fall to his knees and drop grateful tears on his heroic dying form.
I'm also fully convinced that the solution is complicated and much harder to guess than a simple "they planned it that way ahead of time" or some such and I await in delicious anticipatory confidence some really juicy and satisfying confrontation and conflict between Harry and Snape in Book 7.
Well, that's about as far as I can go without entering the area of character analysis -- something I have recently discovered that as a shipper of R/Hr and H/G I must be bad at. However, it must be done, and I'll just have to struggle along the best I can.
I believe that Severus Snape's primary drive in life is to have the proper work -- he is an intelligent, knowledgeable, competent, and courageous person who wants an opportunity to show those qualities, to be seen to have them, and to be respected and rewarded for having them. The one desire we have consistently seen him betray, from the first book right through to the last, is to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts -- the thing he seemingly wants most is a job. Other things we have seen him want is respect from students (especially Harry), an Order of Merlin for his courage and ingenuity in capturing Sirius Black, the task of making the potion to restore the Petrified students, and -- possibly -- the Headmaster's job. There is no doubt in my mind that Snape has a deep craving for respect above all -- not love, or sex, or money, or power, or comfort, or pleasure, or security, or freedom, or eternal life, or some lofty ideal -- he wants respect, pure and simple.
Another thing Snape seems to desire is fairness and justice. He did not pursue his desire to work in Defense Against the Dark Arts by cultivating connections such as Slughorn or by charm or cajolery, but instead studied the subject deeply and poured his knowledge into his OWL examination paper:
His hair was lank and greasy and was flopping on to the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled. Harry moved around behind Snape and read the heading of the examination paper:
DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS-
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL.
So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Harry's own age. His hand was flying across the parchment; he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.
Every year, he does not employ bribery or threats or trickery or some other device to get the job, he simply applies for it:
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.
"Yes," said Snape quietly.
"But you were unsuccessful?"
Snape's lip curled. "Obviously."
Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. "And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.
Snape was desperately disappointed when Sirius Black was not brought to justice on his evidence, and I am convinced he sincerely believed he was guilty; he certainly behaved differently to him at a later time when he was presumably convinced of his innocence. Snape was so infuriated by Fudge's refusal to believe that Voldemort was back at the end of Book Four that he strode forward and thrust his Dark Mark in his face. He frequently speaks of rules and facts and truths and just punishments and equal treatment for all students. Yes, I recognize that Snape himself isn't always fair, especially in his treatment of Harry and his friends. Neither is McGonagall, but they both seem to value fairness and justice, even if they don't always live up to it. Snape uses the forms of fairness when he torments Harry, and always pretends (perhaps to himself) that he is simply doing his job and enforcing school rules. Here is how he puts it to Fudge:
"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."
"And yet - is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended - at the very least - for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister - against all school rules- after all the precautions put in place for his protection -out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer - and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too-"
Of course Snape does not really treat Harry like any other student, but I believe that he is sincerely proclaiming his values here. These are the ideals he judges people by, and tries to live up to himself.
What does all this mean to the ultimate question of Snape's loyalty? First, I'd venture that Snape is not particularly motivated by either ideals or emotional attachments. I don't believe he ever found Voldemort's vision of Blood Purity particularly inspiring, and I don't believe he shares Dumbledore's deep concern for the safety and well-being of the innocent. Nor do I believe that he loved or loves either Voldemort or Dumbledore -- he is not Harry, impulsively giving his love and complete loyalty to the charming old man who is kind to him, or Bellatrix, fanatically devoted to her cruel master.
But Snape is no leader, either, and no lone wolf. He is a natural follower -- he respects authority and wants to work for someone he can look up to, someone who will recognize his abilities and reward his successes. He has had two "bosses" in his life, both of them extraordinarily intelligent, capable, and magically powerful men, undoubtedly and unquestionably his superiors. I believe it would be hard for Snape to report to someone like Fudge or Bagman -- anyone who is less competent than him or less intelligent.
However, those of Snape's personality type have a pragmatic type of loyalty that can be even more enduring than the idealistic or emotional kind. They remain loyal because there is no logical reason not to. People like him crave a stable framework in which to exist and excel, and they do not seek to change the rules or transcend the contest or opt out of the game. The abilities and knowledge they have painstakingly amassed are only worthwhile within a framework that gives them value.
So why did Snape change loyalties in the first place from Voldemort to Dumbledore -- if he did? Some say "Lily" at this point, and that may well be true, though not, I think, in the way such a motive might move a different type of person. I believe Snape entered the Dark Lord's service originally because he thought he would be a good master -- someone who needed his help, someone who could guide him deeper into the Dark Arts he craved, someone who would recognize and reward his abilities, someone who could appreciate him. Honestly, I don't believe Snape wasted a whole lot of time pondering good and evil -- I think his moral development was a bit stunted and he could be happy as long as he had a consistent set of values and "rules" to operate under, even if those rules included blackmail, torture, murder, and a boss who performed Cruciatus Curses on his unsuccessful employees (certainly Snape would not foresee himself being unsuccessful).
As to why his loyalty changed, I have no difficulty seeing how an intelligent logical man might come to see that working for Lord Voldemort was not an excellent long-term career choice and that his campaign of terror and eventual world domination might not be a desirable outcome after all. It seems this realization was precipated for Snape in the events surrounding his being sent to spy on Dumbledore, his overhearing and reporting of the prophecy, his (apparent) warning to Dumbledore that Voldemort meant to kill his old schoolmates and their child, and the disastrous (to both sides) outcome of that event. We should also remember that Snape was making the transition from teenager to adult, and Rowling has repeatedly stressed -- with James and Sirius, for instance -- the improvement this can make in your perspective and reasoning powers.
Most of all, when trying to figure out why Snape turned, we have to consider his LACK of inducements to stay. I have already asserted that Snape had no idealistic or emotional attachment to Voldemort. He is no Peter or Slughorn, craving safety and creature comforts. In fact, Snape is very courageous (for a non-Gryffindor) and does not seem to value his own life all that particularly much. I believe that Snape was sincerely attached to some of his companions among the Death Eaters, particularly Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, but he is no Sirius or Ron, sticking by his mates above all. Most of all, there is no indication whatsoever that Snape desires Voldemort's principal inducements -- money, power, eternal life, the chance to exercise one's sadism....[2] Well, perhaps one... I believe the young Death Eater Snape desired revenge on those who had scorned and mistreated him. But I believe that he was probably either sated of this desire or overcame it very soon after he entered Voldemort's service, and then Voldemort had no hold on him except fear -- and Snape is an exceptionally courageous man.
Do I believe Snape's changeover of loyalty was sincere? Yes, indeed I do. My main reason is that we see Snape relaxed in his new position. He does not maintain the guarded smoothness of a spy, but shows true emotion -- he gets angry at Dumbledore, he repeatedly tries for the job he really wants, he openly hates Harry and shows favoritism to Draco Malfoy, he tries to turn Dumbledore against Remus Lupin, he joins the other teachers in tormenting Gilderoy Lockhart, and he is proudly and unrepentantly pro-Slytherin. Harry, in his innocence, sees these things as evidence of Snape's "badness," but I can't help seeing them as proof of his sincerity -- he is secure enough to openly express his preferences and prejudices. This is in very striking contrast to his behavior with Narcissa and Bellatrix in Chapter 2 and in front of the Death Eaters at the end of the book -- then he is silent, controlled, poker-faced, even suave.
I believe that we are safe in taking Snape's occasional emotional "tells" as true clues -- this is a mystery marketed to 8-12 year olds, after all, and I have always found Rowling's mysteries to be of a "second order" nature, where once you get past the first misapprehension you come to the truth. Here are some examples of his give-away behavior:
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep-"
"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."
...and proud of it.
Snape swept past Harry, making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron.
"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"
"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."
"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job - I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir-"
Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.
Snape is not pretending here -- he is sincerely flattered by Malfoy's sucking up, and finds the prospect of being made headmaster rather a pleasant one.
"It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."
Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"
I'm pretty sure Snape is not gripping the back of the chair in pleased approval.
"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.
You can just tell that Snape is proud of being a "master of this school."
"Dumbledore happens to trust me," said Snape through clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"
"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me - I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"
Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.
Moody laughed. "Get back to bed, Snape."
"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though angry with himself. "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"
And you can just tell that he is ashamed of his Dark Mark.
He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry.
Snape is conscious of the ambiguousness of his position and looks into the mirror as if to confirm to himself that he is really Crouch's foe.
"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"
Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.
Here Snape betrays his special connection to the Malfoys and, perhaps, his surprise or dismay that Lucius reported for duty. I have no doubt at all that Snape feels true liking for the Malfoy family.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I ask you to do. If you are ready... if you are prepared..."
"I am," said Snape.
He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.
"Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.
Snape is definitely frightened here. Of course, he has good reason to be frightened whether he is loyal to Voldemort or not, but again he is showing his true emotions in front of Dumbledore. I believe he is also excited and eager to succeed at his mission.
"That is just as well, Potter," said Snape coldly, "because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters."
"No - that's your job, isn't it?" Harry shot at him.
He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far. But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Snape's face when he answered.
"Yes, Potter," he said, his eyes glinting. "That is my job. Now, if you are ready, we will start again."
Again, Snape is proud of his job, of its importance, its difficulty, and his success at it. He as much as says that finding out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters makes him "special and important."
"And, should it prove necessary . . . if it seems Draco will fail . . ." whispered Narcissa (Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away), "will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"
Snape's twitch is an intention movement to escape, to withdraw. He does not wish to Vow to carry out Draco's task, but he controls the impulse and does so anyway.
"Kill me then," panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him, you coward -"
"DON'T-" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them-"CALL ME COWARD!"
Snape is not acting here, and his true emotions are boiling out of him. Incredibly, he still cares about Harry's opinion of him, and he clearly feels that he is not a coward, but, on the contrary, exceedingly brave. Perhaps he has just performed -- or is performing -- the most courageous act of his entire life.
Between them, these "tells" give us a portrait of a man proud of his abilities and of his jobs -- his spying job as well as his Potions master one. They show us a brave man, proud of his courage, craving respect and admiration for his abilities, reluctant to perform Draco's "task."
And yet, of course, he performs it. Why?
Theory 1 - he is loyal to Voldemort. I do not believe this theory is supported by the text. We have seen Snape do too many things to support the anti-Voldemort side, things he could have failed to do if he wished. Besides that, it is simply not sensible to support Voldemort -- he is a psychotic monster heading in a direction that cannot possibly be healthy for the world or for a man like Snape.
Theory 2 - he is loyal to no one but himself. I do not believe this is true, either. I have tried to show that Snape's particular personality does not lead to this kind of behavior -- he shows no sign of wanting to be a Dark Lord himself, and he seems to have no ambition for the kinds of things this kind of path can give you, not even for personal survival. He craves respect, and you can only get respect if there's somebody in a position to give it to you.
Theory 3 - he is loyal to Dumbledore but trapped by circumstances and his own shortcomings. This is the theory very persuasively argued by sigune in this excellent essay but despite agreeing with almost everything she says about Snape's character, I don't believe it. I don't believe that Dumbledore's pleading is of the nature she asserts, and I believe that Snape's ferocious denial of cowardice means more than that he has just made the least bad choice in a catastrophically bad situation.
Theory 4 - he is loyal to Dumbledore and has followed his wishes. This is the only theory that makes sense to me. No, I can't tell you what was going on or why Dumbledore gave Snape the horrific task of killing him or what good it will do to have a spy in the Dark Lord's camp if nobody on the good side will accept his reports, but this is the only theory I can make fit with Dumbledore's character and behavior, Snape's character and behavior, and the structure of the mystery. This is the only option of the four that is worth making a mystery of, the one that has the biggest potential for a moral lesson for Harry, and the one that provides the sharpest reversal and most emotional payoff for the reader.
Is Snape a good man? Nope. He's a former Death Eater, he's selfish and self-centered, he's mean, petty, bad-tempered, small-minded, snide, vengeful, a bit sadistic, and catastrophically lacking in the milk of human-kindness. But I believe he's made of himself an acceptable man, able to remain within the rule of law, to get along with his coworkers, and to be extremely useful to the side of good. And I strongly believe that such virtues and abilities as Severus Snape has -- his courage, his cleverness, his quickness of thought, his self-control, his formidable knowledge and skills, his hard work and determination, and his sense of responsibility -- are firmly dedicated to the task of thwarting and defeating Voldemort. And it that means helping Harry, he'll do that too.
And even if I'm wrong, I can't wait to read more about him. :)
Notes:
1. Yes, I realize that this is where I'm supposed to throw a huge hissy fit complaining that Jo presumes to know what makes me tick and dares to blame my obsessive Snape love on Alan Rickman which is totally unfair and not true because I loved him long before that and who does she think she is, insulting her most intelligent sophisticated adult readers, etc., etc. Let's just pretend I have, and move on, okay?
2. I am not denying that Snape has a sadistic streak, but he is no MacNair or Greyback, lusting for blood and violence. He has a small, controllable type of sadism, easily satisfied in the pursuit of his duties as a teacher.