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I originally intended to do this post for BEDA, but never got around to finishing it. Now that I've come back to it, I just deleted everything and started over. Also, I know I've been a bad blogger lately.
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I want you to imagine an alternate history in the Harry Potter universe. It is sort of forth degree ridiculous, but I hope to get it back to the point.
Let's say that on October 31st, 1981 Lily Potter took some Polyjuice Potion and went out, because being stuck in a house that's been given the Fidelius Charm would start to get annoying eventually even with Baby Harry around. That evening a transformed Lily is having a drink with Sirius when Voldemort attacks their house. James is killed and Baby Harry is killed without his Mother's protection.
In that scenario, Do you think Severus Snape would have been loyal to the Order? I think not. I believe that to the very end he wanted to be a Death Eater and their views were his own. Yes, his unrequited love for Lily made him loyal, but I don't think that's an attribute, I think it's creepy. Grown-ups are capable of accepting being rejected and move the fuck on.
I don't really understand how Snape* thought it would go well if he had somehow gotten Lily to go out with him. It's not like he could just waltz into Death Eater meetings with mudblood Girlfriend and expect everything to be peachy. It really seems strange to me his choices. He choose dark magic over Lily and that seems like a strange thing for someone who's in love with her.
This is the main reason behind my serious (not sirius) dislike of Snape. His actions were brave and loyal, but I find it hard to get over that I don't think he really want to do those things. I think being loyal to Dumbledore and being a double agent for the Order went directly against his personal beliefs. I just don't find him to be sincere, which is amazing given how much of a burden he took on.
All that fails to mention how terrible his personality. He is an arrogant prick who failed to get over childhood bullying. He takes vengeance on Harry for things his father did.
I can point to the exact point where Snape lost any chance of me liking his character (pg 299, Goblet of Fire):
"Malfoy got Hermione," Ron said. "Look!"
He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth-- she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.
Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."
Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight...
After that there was literally no revelation about Snape that could make me like him. Being a double agent for the Order, killing Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders, sending the patronus to lead Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor and even making certain that Harry knew that he had to die for Voldemort to die** doesn't make up for how big of a douchbag he was.
I believe in his mind he much preferred the world Voldemort was fighting for than the one Dumbledore was. He fought for Lily,which I think seems so much more noble that it actually was.
It does feel awful bashing Snape though. Even if I think he was an awful person, he did play a very large part in the good guys winning the war. He definitely deserves to be respected as a very talented and brave wizard. Respecting and liking are totally different things though and I don't like Snape at all.
What are your feelings about Snape?
Thanks for reading and please comment
-Michael
*In my head there is a little Dumbledore voice that goes, "Professor Snape"
**Misleading spoiler
I agree with you on Snape being a douchbag. lol. Yes, he was very brave to be a double agent and to die for it, but that doesn't make him a nice or likable person. He just wasn't. I always viewed him as selfish. When being with Voldemort meant power for Snape, that's where he went, and when being with Dumbledore let him make himself feel better about betraying the love of his life, that's where he went. Brave: yes. Good person: not really.
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