WHY I LOVE SNAPE. AGAIN.
HAHAHA, I have never made any sort of comment that seemed even remotely insightful to me, but for the first time ever, I pleasantly surprise myself. Because I can justify Snape-love.
Inspired by this bit from Maya's Fantastic HBP Commentary:
One thing that spells out the alliance between Harry and Dumbledore, Dumbledore and Snape, and Harry and Snape: Consider the manner of Dumbledore's passing. I don't believe for a minute that Dumbledore was pleading for his life (Dumbledore has too much class). He wanted Snape to do it. And he was practically falling down before Snape came in. No, no, no. The Evil Juice was killing him slowly and he wanted his death to serve the useful end of saving Draco, saving Snape and making sure Harry wasn't discovered.
But I wasn't sure of this because there was no solid proof, it seemed? -- except for the, you know, VERY CONVINCING point she makes about Dumbledore's nature. Maybe I'm wrong, but now there seems to be SO much proof, after looking back through those terrible chapters...
1. Snape ignores Voldemort's orders that Draco kill Dumbledore.
He just kills him, with little to no provocation.
Maybe it was to protect Draco, exclusively, because of the bond? But in killing Dumbledore, Snape only complicates issues for Draco. Even if Snape knows the boy cannot kill anyone, Dumbledore's murder by Snape's hand cannot have been plotted or even done spontaneously in Draco's best interest unless...
Maybe it was for personal glory before Voldemort? But wait! --
2. Snape does not capture Harry Potter though he is clearly able and tells his Death Eaters that they should leave Potter alone according to the Dark Lord's orders.
"'Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord -- we are to leave him! Go! Go!'" (pg. 603)
First of all: What orders?! Snape didn't know that the raid was going to happen. Draco did not inform him: "'But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll be all over and he wont be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!'" [woah, side comment, but that's a run-on, isn't it?] (pg. 588)
Secondly, Snape just killed Dumbledore DESPITE his colleagues advising against, in direct defiance of the Dark Lord's orders that Draco Malfoy do the deed.
Later on, they are fighting. He tells the Death Eaters to STOP CURSING Harry according to aforementioned orders and does not retailate, even with Harry shooting every curse he can imagine except for that last bit of a beating which Harry probably deserved. What would Bellatrix, the allegedly closest servant of the Dark Lork, have done in Snape's situation? If Snape were looking for glory before Voldie, don't you think he would have, I don't know, CAPTURED HARRY? Seeing as he EASILY deflected all of Harry's attacks (it says "almost lazy flick of the arm" on page 602), it should have been no problem to disarm and bind Harry and drag him back to Voldemort.
3. He is "winning," but he's completely devastated.
"'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!'" (pg. 604)
I'm sorry. But if I were totally owning a little boy who in turn gave me lip, I would laugh and Crucio him or something. Unless, you know, I'd just had to kill my dearly beloved mentor and totally blacklist myself from the very side I had been fighting for and believed in.
Okay, so maybe the last one is a little shaky, but I totally agree with Maya (and also others, now that I've read the rest of the spoiler cuts!) here (obviously). And I love her forever and ever because she has restored my faith in Snape. And thereby made me LOVE this book, which I was terrifically "meh" about even an hour ago. The end. :D
OR IS IT?!
Inspired by this bit from Maya's Fantastic HBP Commentary:
One thing that spells out the alliance between Harry and Dumbledore, Dumbledore and Snape, and Harry and Snape: Consider the manner of Dumbledore's passing. I don't believe for a minute that Dumbledore was pleading for his life (Dumbledore has too much class). He wanted Snape to do it. And he was practically falling down before Snape came in. No, no, no. The Evil Juice was killing him slowly and he wanted his death to serve the useful end of saving Draco, saving Snape and making sure Harry wasn't discovered.
But I wasn't sure of this because there was no solid proof, it seemed? -- except for the, you know, VERY CONVINCING point she makes about Dumbledore's nature. Maybe I'm wrong, but now there seems to be SO much proof, after looking back through those terrible chapters...
1. Snape ignores Voldemort's orders that Draco kill Dumbledore.
He just kills him, with little to no provocation.
Maybe it was to protect Draco, exclusively, because of the bond? But in killing Dumbledore, Snape only complicates issues for Draco. Even if Snape knows the boy cannot kill anyone, Dumbledore's murder by Snape's hand cannot have been plotted or even done spontaneously in Draco's best interest unless...
Maybe it was for personal glory before Voldemort? But wait! --
2. Snape does not capture Harry Potter though he is clearly able and tells his Death Eaters that they should leave Potter alone according to the Dark Lord's orders.
"'Have you forgotten our orders? Potter belongs to the Dark Lord -- we are to leave him! Go! Go!'" (pg. 603)
First of all: What orders?! Snape didn't know that the raid was going to happen. Draco did not inform him: "'But I haven't told him what I've been doing in the Room of Requirement, he's going to wake up tomorrow and it'll be all over and he wont be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore, he'll be nothing compared to me, nothing!'" [woah, side comment, but that's a run-on, isn't it?] (pg. 588)
Secondly, Snape just killed Dumbledore DESPITE his colleagues advising against, in direct defiance of the Dark Lord's orders that Draco Malfoy do the deed.
Later on, they are fighting. He tells the Death Eaters to STOP CURSING Harry according to aforementioned orders and does not retailate, even with Harry shooting every curse he can imagine except for that last bit of a beating which Harry probably deserved. What would Bellatrix, the allegedly closest servant of the Dark Lork, have done in Snape's situation? If Snape were looking for glory before Voldie, don't you think he would have, I don't know, CAPTURED HARRY? Seeing as he EASILY deflected all of Harry's attacks (it says "almost lazy flick of the arm" on page 602), it should have been no problem to disarm and bind Harry and drag him back to Voldemort.
3. He is "winning," but he's completely devastated.
"'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!'" (pg. 604)
I'm sorry. But if I were totally owning a little boy who in turn gave me lip, I would laugh and Crucio him or something. Unless, you know, I'd just had to kill my dearly beloved mentor and totally blacklist myself from the very side I had been fighting for and believed in.
Okay, so maybe the last one is a little shaky, but I totally agree with Maya (and also others, now that I've read the rest of the spoiler cuts!) here (obviously). And I love her forever and ever because she has restored my faith in Snape. And thereby made me LOVE this book, which I was terrifically "meh" about even an hour ago. The end. :D
OR IS IT?!