Snape and Snow!
And there's two words you don't see often! Firstly about the Snow. There's been no snow to speak of since about Tuesday evening, but the snow hasn't melted from the back garden and front of the house. There is also the added danger of ice. Therefore me and Mum are house-bound until conditions improve! :-) Thankfully, my sister and my niece has been able to get any food we need etc. Far too risky for Mum to go out in the car, and even more risky for us both to attempt to go out. If Mum broke anything, we'd be in trouble, seeming she is my main carer (although there is always my sister) and if I broke anything, it would be Mum who would be having to give extra care. So we're both staying where we are, and keeping warm!
And today is Severus Snape's birthday. He would have been 50 - born in 1960. He is definately the most enigmatic character in the series. And for six books, I have to admit, I "dithered" about his loyalty. First I was convinced that he was Voldemort's man. And then I was convinced he was "Snape's man", only doing things for his own ends. I was on the fence, swapping my idea of Snape's loyalty all the way to Half Blood Prince. I was horrified to what he did in Half Blood Prince - and thought he would have to do something really spectacular to redeem himself in Deathly Hallows.
Why was I so uncertain about him? Mainly because he was cruel and sadistic. OK, he had his reasons to be cruel to Harry - bearing a grudge, seeing the boy who had made his student years so hard in Harry, and even more importantly, seeing Harry's eyes all the time - the eyes of the only person he really loved. It didn't help that Harry's godfather was another boy who had made Snape's student years so hard. Granted, Harry's feeling towards Snape was mutual - and gave more or less as good as he got. But what made me dislike Snape so much, was the way he behaved to "my Neville". I am convinced that Snape wished that it had been Neville who was the "Chosen One", Harry would then still have his parents, this is why Snape bullied Neville so much. If he had been the "Chosen One", Lily would still be alive. I had the same reaction as Harry when Snape was appointed DADA teacher in Half Blood Prince.
So, back to 2007, and Deathly Hallows. I eagerly read the tome, waiting to see what would happen to Snape. I knew the other teachers at Hogwarts would not be pleased at his appontment as Head of Hogwarts. And Jo totally excelled herself. I was on the edge of my seat, as Voldemort and Snape were in the Shrieking Shack (again, how appropriate to have Snape's final scene there, when we had got the massive Scabbers revealation 4 book previously). I was surprised how quickly Snape was killed, I was hoping for a more spectacular death - I was still not convinced where his loyalties lay. But the stunning "The Prince's Tale" Chapter, really more or less explained Snape. It showed us why Snape was so bitter, how he had relucantly agreed to protect Harry - under Dumbledore's orders. I wouldn't say Snape was my favourite character, after Deathly Hallows, but I gained a lot of respect for him. It had been hard for Snape to be such a brilliant double-agent.
I can't leave without a few quotes.
Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teached looked pas Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. (Philsopher's Stone, chapter 7)
This, when I first read Philsopher's Stone, only fuelled my opinion that Snape was bad. I was convinced that Snape had made Harry's scar hurt. It was only a few years later that I realised that Snape had been sitting with Quirrell.
I absolutely love the "Maurauder's Map" scene, with the Map insulting Snape, and also Harry's "You don't have to call me Sir, Professor," in Half Blood Prince.
Here's to you, Severus Snape. I hope you found peace, "beyond the veil".
And today is Severus Snape's birthday. He would have been 50 - born in 1960. He is definately the most enigmatic character in the series. And for six books, I have to admit, I "dithered" about his loyalty. First I was convinced that he was Voldemort's man. And then I was convinced he was "Snape's man", only doing things for his own ends. I was on the fence, swapping my idea of Snape's loyalty all the way to Half Blood Prince. I was horrified to what he did in Half Blood Prince - and thought he would have to do something really spectacular to redeem himself in Deathly Hallows.
Why was I so uncertain about him? Mainly because he was cruel and sadistic. OK, he had his reasons to be cruel to Harry - bearing a grudge, seeing the boy who had made his student years so hard in Harry, and even more importantly, seeing Harry's eyes all the time - the eyes of the only person he really loved. It didn't help that Harry's godfather was another boy who had made Snape's student years so hard. Granted, Harry's feeling towards Snape was mutual - and gave more or less as good as he got. But what made me dislike Snape so much, was the way he behaved to "my Neville". I am convinced that Snape wished that it had been Neville who was the "Chosen One", Harry would then still have his parents, this is why Snape bullied Neville so much. If he had been the "Chosen One", Lily would still be alive. I had the same reaction as Harry when Snape was appointed DADA teacher in Half Blood Prince.
So, back to 2007, and Deathly Hallows. I eagerly read the tome, waiting to see what would happen to Snape. I knew the other teachers at Hogwarts would not be pleased at his appontment as Head of Hogwarts. And Jo totally excelled herself. I was on the edge of my seat, as Voldemort and Snape were in the Shrieking Shack (again, how appropriate to have Snape's final scene there, when we had got the massive Scabbers revealation 4 book previously). I was surprised how quickly Snape was killed, I was hoping for a more spectacular death - I was still not convinced where his loyalties lay. But the stunning "The Prince's Tale" Chapter, really more or less explained Snape. It showed us why Snape was so bitter, how he had relucantly agreed to protect Harry - under Dumbledore's orders. I wouldn't say Snape was my favourite character, after Deathly Hallows, but I gained a lot of respect for him. It had been hard for Snape to be such a brilliant double-agent.
I can't leave without a few quotes.
Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teached looked pas Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. (Philsopher's Stone, chapter 7)
This, when I first read Philsopher's Stone, only fuelled my opinion that Snape was bad. I was convinced that Snape had made Harry's scar hurt. It was only a few years later that I realised that Snape had been sitting with Quirrell.
I absolutely love the "Maurauder's Map" scene, with the Map insulting Snape, and also Harry's "You don't have to call me Sir, Professor," in Half Blood Prince.
Here's to you, Severus Snape. I hope you found peace, "beyond the veil".