The enigmatic Severus Snape

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Mist
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The enigmatic Severus Snape

Post by Mist »

SEVERUS SNAPE is one of the main characters in the Potter Saga.
What makes him so utterly fascinating, in my eyes?
Well, he’s just so hard to figure out.
And if you don’t have an opinion regarding this man, you’re rather alone,
I should think.
Some of the younger readers just seem to hate him.
'He murdered Dumbledore', 'He ought to pay in the end',
'He hate’s Harry', 'He’s a traitor'.
Is it really this simple?
Who loves Snape? Raise a hand. I do.

* He is a mystery.
* He is enigmatic.
* He is highly skilled.
* He is a double agent.
* He is a good ocklumens.
* He is an excellent healer.
* He has always helped Harry.

Has he ever done a harmful thing to Harry so far? I mean a really
crucial thing?
I cant remember one time. Please, correct me, if I’m wrong.
He is not a nice person. He is arrogant. Treats Harry most unkindly,
even with hatred, and bullies him. He is not your ideal teacher!
You can certainly add things of your own to the list.

On the other hand, these feelings go both ways.
Harry despice’s Snape and shows this ardently.
He has not been in control of his own emotions. Teenager’s normally tend to go from one extreme to the other, when it comes to their feelings.
This is a period swinging you up on clouds and rapidly bringing you down again. Lots of difficult questions to be answered.Who am I? Will I find someone to love? Feelings of insecurity mix with worries about what the future might bring.
Add to this the enormous burden of Harry’s past, and what he now must confront. Too much for anybody really.
But Harry has risen with the challenges. He has been brave, but a bit thoughtless. Hermione has tried to warn him and cool him down on many occation.
In OotP he was too hasty in running after Sirius, and not trusting Snape. But Sirius was a grown man, and knew how important it was to stay in hiding. Yet, he left for the DoM, without thinking twice.

Lack of self control is a dispicable thing to Severus Snape, being the master of it himself. For Snape, it’s essential to be in total control and master his feelings, since he is walking on a very thin line. I mean in his role as double agent. So much depends upon his skills.
He joined ‘The right side’, as Dumbledore would have put it.
As I remember it, he didn’t overhear all of the prophecy at Hog’s Head. Dumbledore’s brother, the bar man, caught him in the act, eavesdropping. Something made Snape leave the Death Eaters. Maybe there and than?
Snape has been fooling Voldemort, so bad. Or Dumbledore and me.
There must be a fool proof reason for Dumbledore’s complete trust.
Jo Rowling has said in an interwiev: “Snape told his story, and Dumbledore believed him”.
Dumbledore was a man of trust, but he was definately not stupid.

SNAPE IN HBP
In HBP, the Spinner’s End chapter, Bella was very doubtful when it came to Snape’s loyalty. He had to prove himself, which he did.
I had the impression that it was a total surprise to him, to find the women at his door this evening. It was also a big surprise to hear Narcissa's plea for help.
'What? What?' I can almost hear him rapidly thinking. To be able to get a grip, and do some fast thinking, he went over to the window, looked out, and then closed the curtains again. Turned around telling Narcissa that of course, he knew everything. Narcissa revealed the plan. Thank you!
(Blomsbury ed, page 37)

Snape also agreed upon The Unbreakable Wow. This way, Bella and his accusor’s would become really certain of which side he’s really on.
He did everything right to protect his cover, as I see it.
Having returned to school, I’m sure he had a talk with Dumbledore about all this, and I guess those two had a lot going, without informing Harry.
Dumbledore knew of Draco’s plan to kill him. I don’t think neither Snape nor Dumbledore were aware about the vanishing-cabinet. The one Draco manage to mend, in the-unknowable-room.

So did Dumbledore beg Snape to save his life at the Astronomy Tower?
No he didn’t! In my opinion this seems totally impossible.
Dumbledore was not afraid of dying. He thought of it as being just like a passage over a treshhold (a veil?) to new adventures.
Hagrid overheard Snape and Dumbledore talking. (Blomsbury ed. page 380) There was something Snape didn’t want to do, but Dumbledore demanded.
Yes, Snape had hatred in his eyes when he cast the AK. Was this hatred towards Dumbledore? Or himself for what he had to do?
If I remember it correctly, Harry had almost the same feelings, and I guess expression in his face, when he forced Dumbledore to drink the green liquid in the cave.

Bella told Harry in OotP how to successfully cast a forbidden curse. You really have to mean it, filled with hatred within. ( Blomsbury ed, page 715)
The art of casting magic without shouting their names out load was being taught in HBP. Could Snape have yelled ‘Avada Kedrava’ out load, without meaning it, and at the same time, silently sent another curse, or counter curse? Does an AK cause people to levitate and linger for a while in mid air? Doesn’t the victim just sink down instantly dead on the spot?
Was it in fact the green liquid from the cave that killed Dumbledore? Or the weakness he felt after the ring curse combined with the effect of the liquid?
Anyway, I think both Snape and Dumbledore had agreed upon what must be done, if necessary.
And Dumbledore actually saved Snape, Draco and Harry this evening.

SNAPE AS A HEALER
Can you recall the incidence when Harry, without knowing what the curse might do, cast the Sectumsempra at Draco?(page 489)
A deep cut/cuts, never healing, pouring out blood, until the person in question dies, I guess.
Harry instantly felt horror and deep remorse. Snape came running and, since it was his own curse, he recognized it and knew what do do.
So he is skilled in both the Dark Arts, Potions and Healing.
He stroke his wand several times along the cuts and sang, or rather hummed, a healing verse. This I feel, must have been ancient magic.
In a way Snape reminded me of Fawke’s here. Singing and healing.
He knew exactly what herb to use to prevent scars, as he hurried up to Madam Pomfrey with Draco in his arms.
Can a man, who knows and uses these healing methods, be totally bad?
He also knew how to brew the Wolvesbane Potion for Remus Lupin, on Dumbledore’s request, but still. He helped Dumbledore to limit and stop
the effects of the curse Voldemort put on the Horcrux ring.
This was such a horrible curse it was impossible to completely heal
Dumbledore's hand, it seems.
--------

What are your own theories about all of this, and about Severus?
This is a topic for free theories, remember. =)
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Cláudia
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Post by Cláudia »

It is the personage deepest of literature for me.

However, I believe that it above all is only thinking about he himself.

I never found that it was good or badly.

But it only thinks about itself and it in agreement acts if to save!


I believe that severe snape always was double spy, because this agreed to it and it could always get rid of problems in agreement which was the side that was earning of the war .

The only exception is the end of book 6, where it had that to take a certain attitude ( help-me), however I wait surprise of the J.K.

It forgives, my English is not good!
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Mist
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Post by Mist »

Cláudia,
thanks for answering. :)
So you think that Snape is only thinking about himself, when it all comes around?
And this is neither good nor bad? Or he is neither good nor bad, so far.
That he is only helping out when this follows his own interests?
Being a double- agent he could easily skip over to the winning side in the end.

I think you might have a point there. We'll just have to find out in the end.

I just came to think about one thing or two. Snape does prevent the big blond wizard from cruciating Harry. He said to spare him for the Dark Lord, and then the wizard stopped.
And if I remember this correctly, Snape sent a curse or some other magic which hit Harry's forehead giving him a deep pain. Could it be that Snape in fact sent a counter-curse into the scar, to prevent Voldemort from using Harry further. This is so that he can't enter Harrys mind no more?
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