And that is the real difference, in my mind, between Sirius Black and Severus Snape. Sirius, the dog animagus, faithfully loves and helps all the members of his pack - all those people who love him. He has never been shown to love an enemy. Severus, who has no pack, willingly risks his life even for a boy he knows hates him. In doing so, he consistently does what is right rather than what is easy.
Well spoken. You mention, though, that Snape has never so much as used racial epithets, but he does, at least once... in Snape's Worst Memory. Of course, he is speaking at a moment when he is experiencing great personal pain and humiliation, but he does call Lily Evans a Mudblood.
Still, despite this, I do note that whilst Severus doesn't waste opportunities to badmouth Sirius and James and point out their flaws and bad behaviour to Harry, he *never* says a word about his mother directly. Never. Which is what leads me to believe that his calling her that was an action committed under duress... and possibly even the reason it is his so-called Worst Memory.
Personally, I doubt it is his worst memory because of the humiliation, since it is made quite clear that the Marauders did this sort of thing to him every chance they go. Moreover he was a Death Eater and must have experienced far worse than a hazing incident in that crowd! No, I believe it is his Worst Memory because he called her that, someone who had tried to stand up for him, and he lost any chance of friendship (or possibly more) with her. I'm not saying he was in love with her - merely that I feel, as you do, that Snape is intensely loyal and his actions drove someone who had expressed concern for him away. That far-too-common feeling of "Oh, I wish I'd never opened my mouth!" that we all have experienced.
This would eat at him... which is why I feel his having to kill Dumbledore (or else die from the vow, be killed by the other Death Eaters and then not be able to keep helping Harry defeat Voldemort) has marked him not just merely as a murderer, but quite likely as someone now willing to sacrifice himself for his own perfidy.
I hope he does not die, but I have a feeling he will do so, and willingly, to expiate his self-perceived transgressions.
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Date: 2007-06-16 05:35 am (UTC)Well spoken. You mention, though, that Snape has never so much as used racial epithets, but he does, at least once... in Snape's Worst Memory. Of course, he is speaking at a moment when he is experiencing great personal pain and humiliation, but he does call Lily Evans a Mudblood.
Still, despite this, I do note that whilst Severus doesn't waste opportunities to badmouth Sirius and James and point out their flaws and bad behaviour to Harry, he *never* says a word about his mother directly. Never. Which is what leads me to believe that his calling her that was an action committed under duress... and possibly even the reason it is his so-called Worst Memory.
Personally, I doubt it is his worst memory because of the humiliation, since it is made quite clear that the Marauders did this sort of thing to him every chance they go. Moreover he was a Death Eater and must have experienced far worse than a hazing incident in that crowd! No, I believe it is his Worst Memory because he called her that, someone who had tried to stand up for him, and he lost any chance of friendship (or possibly more) with her. I'm not saying he was in love with her - merely that I feel, as you do, that Snape is intensely loyal and his actions drove someone who had expressed concern for him away. That far-too-common feeling of "Oh, I wish I'd never opened my mouth!" that we all have experienced.
This would eat at him... which is why I feel his having to kill Dumbledore (or else die from the vow, be killed by the other Death Eaters and then not be able to keep helping Harry defeat Voldemort) has marked him not just merely as a murderer, but quite likely as someone now willing to sacrifice himself for his own perfidy.
I hope he does not die, but I have a feeling he will do so, and willingly, to expiate his self-perceived transgressions.