Snapedom

Original poster: savine_snape

Have posted a little drabble re Severus birthday on my journal page. Feel free to go read it comments appreciated. This is my first attempt at Fanfic. Follow link below.

Original poster: sylvanawood

Happy New Year, dear Underground!

I'm delighted how many interesting posts we produced here in the few months we've been doing snapely undercover work. I'm especially delighted at the very little trouble we encountered, which, I think, is quite an achievement for a group of people who come from all sides and have different views of books and characters. Whether we adore Severus Snape or simply find him an interesting but flawed character, we have the fascination in common, and that makes for good discussion.
So on to the new year, with more fun and discussions. Don't forget the birthday party next week, and keep the ideas floating in. Which brings me to:

The January Challenge

Snape as a teacher, compared to your own worst teachers.

This challenge was suggested a while ago by bohmianspirit. I think it's a good idea. Here it is.

Tell your stories about teachers you've had that make
Snape look like Gandhi.

Not using real names or identifying details, of
course. The point isn't "revenge" on our real-life
teachers, just to put Severus Snape into a bit of
real-life pedagogical context. ;-)

That was o-tone bohemianspirit. You don't really need to make him look like Gandhi, but trying to put him into perspective would be interesting to see. Abusive is a word that is often and far too easily thrown around. What were his worst deeds as a teacher. What did real teachers do/tell you that compares?

I don't think dear Severus would ever win the teacher of the year competition. But maybe he doesn't deserve the title of 'worst teacher ever'. Or does he?

Original poster: bohemianspirit

Yes, I know it's January, not December. ;-) I was out of town, but still wanted to contribute a few thoughts to the subject of the December challenge. There's so much more I could write about this, and so much everyone else has already written; I will settle for posting a couple of excerpts from my story "Light Between the Cracks," which was posted in October for snape_after_dh.

1. Did Severus spend his entire life pining after Lily?

Based on the character we see depicted over the entire series, not just on what we see in the memories in Deathly Hallows, I think it unlikely that Severus Snape spent his entire life crippled by grief. I think that his sense of guilt and grief over Lily's death acted as a catalyst, a wake-up call that pulled him off the destructive path he was on and set him on a new direction that ultimately enabled him to grow and mature. While his grief over her death would continue to haunt him, I don't think it utterly debilitated him. But I also think that he would not necessarily have revealed to Dumbledore, let alone to anyone else, whatever life he may have built for himself outside of Hogwarts and the Wizarding World.

Here's one way I envision him "processing" his grief and moving on with his life:

( First story excerpt )

In my story, he goes on to meet and marry a non-wizarding woman and build a life for himself off the radar screen of Hogwarts. Details are my own, but I'd like to believe that some version of this really did happen. It certainly would be very Severus to keep his life as private as possible!

2. Putting the guilt issues over Snape's Worst Memory into perspective.

Really, the story says it all, so I'll just let the story take over.

( Second story excerpt )