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I didn't have time this month to do a full essay, but here are a few thoughts about Snape and his fears...
For someone who is working as a double or triple agent, death and torture would be obvious fears, especially considering how Voldemort treats traitors. However, rather than death per se, I believe that his greatest fear is probably dying before he is able to fulfill the promise he made to Dumbledore on Lily's behalf, of protecting Harry and defeating Voldemort--or of failing in that task, whether he survives or not. In canon, we know that fear was realized when he was slain by Nagini before he could see the outcome of the final battle. Maybe he at least had some hope at the end, knowing that he was passing along those vital memories to Harry.
On the other hand, by that time Snape knew that Dumbledore expected Harry to die along with Voldemort, so maybe his greatest fear and despair was that Lily's son would have to be sacrificed no matter which side won, and knowing that all the work he'd put into protecting Harry over the years would be for naught. Maybe in a grim way, he found some comfort in not having to witness what he believed would be Harry's inevitable death.
Which is not to say that Snape did not fear torture and death at all--I am sure he did, even if it was not what he feared most. But I believe that he accepted that fear and risk as a necessary part of his duties. Neither do I think that bravery is the absence of fear--rather, it takes more bravery to do what one feels is right in spite of one's fears. I remember reading an essay about Superman and bravery years ago--I believe that it was written by a science fiction author; I have a vague recollection that it might be Spider Robinson, but I can't find confirmation of that. Anyway, whoever it was argued that Superman could not be brave because nothing on Earth can physically harm him: he can be good and noble and kind, but not brave in the way that normal people like you and I can be when we act in spite of our fears. Actually, I disagree with the author--Superman may not fear any physical harm other than Kryptonite, but he can certainly fear having the people that he cares about being threatened or killed because of their connection to him. Still, I understand what the author of the essay was trying to say, and I would argue that Snape shows this sort of bravery, in carrying out a difficult task despite the threat of physical harm, as well as all the emotional conflicts and fears that he has to deal with as well.
Another fear Snape shows in the books is for the state of his soul. When Dumbledore asks Snape to kill him so that Draco's soul will not be damaged, Snape retorts, "And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?" I know we've talked about this before in other essays or discussion posts on Snapedom, that this probably indicates that Snape has never killed anyone before, at least not directly, even as a Death Eater.
And I think that he might fear dying with everyone still believing he is a traitor, with no one knowing his true loyalties. I don't think that he necessarily wants the motivation for his loyalty to Dumbledore to be known, since he insists on keeping it a secret from Harry, but he does react very strongly when Harry calls him a coward at the end of HBP. It's natural for him to feel angry, of course, since he's sacrificed so much to protect Harry, and Harry hasn't a clue, but Snape has such a strong emotional response that I think it's more than that. If he truly didn't care what anyone thought of him, it wouldn't bother him nearly as much. Snape's last dying plea of, "Look...at...me..." could merely be a last wish to look into Lily's eyes, or it could be a plea for Harry, for someone, to look and see the true man within for once.
On the other hand, by that time Snape knew that Dumbledore expected Harry to die along with Voldemort, so maybe his greatest fear and despair was that Lily's son would have to be sacrificed no matter which side won, and knowing that all the work he'd put into protecting Harry over the years would be for naught. Maybe in a grim way, he found some comfort in not having to witness what he believed would be Harry's inevitable death.
Which is not to say that Snape did not fear torture and death at all--I am sure he did, even if it was not what he feared most. But I believe that he accepted that fear and risk as a necessary part of his duties. Neither do I think that bravery is the absence of fear--rather, it takes more bravery to do what one feels is right in spite of one's fears. I remember reading an essay about Superman and bravery years ago--I believe that it was written by a science fiction author; I have a vague recollection that it might be Spider Robinson, but I can't find confirmation of that. Anyway, whoever it was argued that Superman could not be brave because nothing on Earth can physically harm him: he can be good and noble and kind, but not brave in the way that normal people like you and I can be when we act in spite of our fears. Actually, I disagree with the author--Superman may not fear any physical harm other than Kryptonite, but he can certainly fear having the people that he cares about being threatened or killed because of their connection to him. Still, I understand what the author of the essay was trying to say, and I would argue that Snape shows this sort of bravery, in carrying out a difficult task despite the threat of physical harm, as well as all the emotional conflicts and fears that he has to deal with as well.
Another fear Snape shows in the books is for the state of his soul. When Dumbledore asks Snape to kill him so that Draco's soul will not be damaged, Snape retorts, "And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?" I know we've talked about this before in other essays or discussion posts on Snapedom, that this probably indicates that Snape has never killed anyone before, at least not directly, even as a Death Eater.
And I think that he might fear dying with everyone still believing he is a traitor, with no one knowing his true loyalties. I don't think that he necessarily wants the motivation for his loyalty to Dumbledore to be known, since he insists on keeping it a secret from Harry, but he does react very strongly when Harry calls him a coward at the end of HBP. It's natural for him to feel angry, of course, since he's sacrificed so much to protect Harry, and Harry hasn't a clue, but Snape has such a strong emotional response that I think it's more than that. If he truly didn't care what anyone thought of him, it wouldn't bother him nearly as much. Snape's last dying plea of, "Look...at...me..." could merely be a last wish to look into Lily's eyes, or it could be a plea for Harry, for someone, to look and see the true man within for once.
"I see no difference" isn't in response to Harry and Ron shouting at Severus, though; Severus says that first, and they shout at him in response to it.
But also... although Severus couldn't know, Harry draws his wand first. Draco starts the confrontation by showing off the "Potter Stinks" badges, and then insults Hermione, but Harry turns it into a physical/magical confrontation.
Lynn
My $ 0.02
"Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir -"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.
"- and he hit Goyle - look -"
Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.
"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"
He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth [snip]. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled 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.
It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; [snip] it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.
"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
Agreeing with Hwyla that the Slytherins know how to appear to advantage. Draco is telling the truth, just not all the truth. Harry did throw a nasty hex that hit Goyle with visible results. You're right that it's usually the Gryffindors who turn to violence first, which reasonably enough makes them look worse.
Snape doesn't go OTT at first. His reaction to seeing Goyle is restrained, even: hospital wing, no talk of detentions yet. But then Ron butts in, unasked, ordering him to look at Hermione while conspicuously not addressing him as 'sir'. I think Snape's 'cold' response means what it appears to mean, that Hermione already had enormous teeth. But it's aimed at Ron's rudeness. He's smacking Ron down by insulting his friend. It's spiteful and extremely unprofessional, but it's all of a piece with the Snape paradox. He's dead set on protecting his students -- which makes him a superior teacher by Hogwarts standards -- but only from physical harm. It wouldn't occur to him that hurting their feelings is a form of abuse.
As Hwyla says, Harry and Ron go out of their way to confirm Snape's low opinion of them. They have a right to be furious, but you can be righteously angry without acting like a chimp flinging poo. Not cursing at a teacher is as basic as not picking your nose at mealtimes, with the possible exception of some acute emergency on the lines of, "Goddammit, Snape, there's an army of Inferi in the Great Hall!"
-L
Re: My $ 0.02
I still need to find the book and re-read. I distinctly remember discussing this elsewher and I thought there was something about the boys actually 'cussing' at Snape.... - Hwyla
Re: My $ 0.02
"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."
For completeness, this is how it looks when the hex hits, on the page before Snape shows up:
"It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth -- already larger than average -- were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, towards her chin -- panic-stricken, she felt them, and let out a terrified cry."
Not painful, and probably less unpleasant than Goyle's fungus face. Evidently we're to infer that Hermione was already terribly insecure about her 'larger than average' teeth, and this is why the hex causes far more than the mild embarrassment we'd expect, above and beyond the normal teenage girl's self-consciousness about her appearance. It would be just like JKR to assume that Hermione's hangup about her (rarely even mentioned) buck teeth is so obvious, it doesn't need to be spelled out anywhere.
There's no doubt the boys were cursing Snape after Hermione ran off. That 'exactly what they were calling him' makes it obvious, imo.
"It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Snape at the same time; lucky their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him."
Like I said, a pair of chimps. I can sympathize with their anger, but not with the idea that obscenities and/or physical violence is the only brave, manly way to respond to a provocation.
-L