Snapedom

Having been the instigator of so much controversy lately (unwitting, I swear! No Slytherin plots afoot! ;-) ), I thought it was high time for me to post something a bit sillier. Namely, an invitation to discuss what kind of playlists you think Severus might set up on his iPod (assuming he owned such a device). What artists, what albums, what specific songs even? Would he have a playlist for gloomy days, a get-in-the-mood-to-torture-students playlist, a my-life-as-a-DE playlist? A playlist for good days, or an F-U-Voldemort one? One full of songs to memorize and annoy McGonagall (or Dumbledore) with? One to brood to?

Related questions: what were young Sev's music tastes, and how have they changed (or not)? What do you think the actual wizarding equivalent of a stereo or iPod IS? Does he have one?

Go crazy! ;-)

*inspired by the latest addition to the SNARC challenge. Lovely pic!*

Sorry if I'm hogging space on the board, but for some reason my brain is on a Sevvie-meta kick and won't be stopped. ;) I was thinking about the infamous Prank a little while ago, and a couple of things occurred to me, or at least became clearer. Sorry (again!) for the length. Perhaps I overanalyze these things....but then again, that's what fandom's for, isn't it?

(You know, for the first five books I actually liked Sirius as a character  - I thought he was something of a jerk and a hothead, but he was interesting, and I was praying he wasn't on the chopping block all through OotP. I was hoping for something really juicy in his backstory to explain his hatred of Severus - who at that time I was only vaguely interested in as a character. Now, after seven books, a few more years of experience, and a great deal of thought, I much, much prefer Severus. At least he seems capable of growth. A shame that JKR wasted good characters by rendering them so much flatter than they originally seemed. Anyway.)

Sorry to make a separate post for this, but for some reason the site won't recognize my attempts to comment on the original post at any length (it keeps giving me an error message). However, I found the essay interesting and thought-provoking, and wanted to respond somehow. So I'm writing a separate post - I hope this is ok.

Janus:

As I said in my short comment to your post, this is a very interesting essay, with a perspective I haven't come across before. On a number of points I agree with you, particularly about using real emotions as a method of occluding, creating a 'face' for the legilimens to see. It accords pretty closely with my understanding of Sev's Occlumency. And yes, he is a complex man full of contradictions - verbally brutal to his students, yet willing to charge into danger when he thinks they're hurt, full of resentment and hate but also deeply loving, a DE and a member of the Order, etc.

However, I do have real questions/confusion on some points. Please don't feel attacked - I agree with you on some things, and for the rest I honestly am interested in hearing your response. I guess I'm trying to get a better understanding of your Sev's psychology. Please correct me where I misinterpret things!

This might be pretty long.

Would be in an even worse place, I think. More and more people prejudiced and scapegoating them.

Would McGonagall and the other Heads of House feel compelled to become protective of Slytherin out of guilt over disbelieving Snape that had been on their side the whole time?

Would Slughorn stay as Head of Slytherin? Part of me can't see that, but a larger part of me wants it--I just can't think of another Slytherin replacing Snape as the Head of House (and really, Slughorn's only considered since he's done it before). Slytherin needs a Head of House, doesn't it? And it can only be a Slytherin as their Head, right? If no Head can be found for them right away, are all the other Heads of House simply obligated to sort of substitute until a replacement is found?

And assuming Snape is dead, his portrait--since this comm. is about Snape--would be influential, wouldn't it?

This period of time I'm thinking of post-the Battle at Hogwarts; I'm uncertain if it's implied enough in the epilogue whether things are in fact better or worse (or heck, neutral/medium) for Slytherin House at that time, 19-20 years later. Would things be better for them by the epilogue, enough time passed for resentment to cool down to some degree?

Thoughts, opinions?

In the process of working out some plot ideas for a new fic, a question suddenly occurred to me, one with important consequences for any real appraisal of Severus' moral/ethical position in the books. Don't get me wrong - I love Severus and think he's gotten a bad rap from a lot of people. Considering what he's had to work with, his moral growth is striking. However, there's a point where I have to wonder if his submission to Dumbledore kept him from making a moral step he really should have made after the revelation of the Harrycrux. The question, namely, is this:

Was it truly necessary for Voldemort to be KILLED? Not just defeated, not just prevented from murdering and wreaking havoc, but actually killed. Or in the words of the prophecy, destroyed.

I ask because the answer to this question is also the answer to the question of whether or not HARRY had to die (or sort-of-die, but Severus didn't know that), and therefore has real implications when we try to judge not only Dumbledore's, but also Severus', moral status after Dumbledore's coming-clean about the Harrycrux. Severus was suitably shocked and horrified at the realization that Dumbledore had used him and had set up Harry to die, yes.

However, after that moment of horror had passed, he went along with the plan. Apparently (from what we're shown in canon) without much of a complaint or attempt to find another way of resolving the whole mess. Granted, I'm assuming here that, outside the boundaries of JKR's rather...strange moral world, the idea of actually sending a boy off to commit suicide for the Greater Good (TM), without telling him until the last minute that this is what he is doing, is going to be viewed as at least as questionable as secretly raising the boy for this purpose all along was. Considering his horror at Dumbledore's deception, I do believe that Severus could reasonably be expected to infer this. And yet this is precisely what he ultimately does. Which, in my reading of the situation, leaves us with two distinct options (please correct me if you see any other way out), one of which has almost no actual support in canon that I can think of at the moment. These options are:

1. It is truly necessary for Voldemort to DIE, and therefore for Harry to die. For some reason it is pretty much impossible - not simply very, very difficult, but actually  impossible (or so close to impossible that the difference is negligible) - to simply imprison Voldie or otherwise render him harmless once the other Horcruxes are destroyed. Best-case scenario for Severus, though totally unsupported by canon, is that Dumbledore knew this and at some point explained to Severus exactly why this was, indeed, the situation. Very little in canon to suggest this, beyond the fact that the idea of capturing Voldemort rather than killing him simply never comes up. If this is indeed the case, I'd like some details as to why, please, and not just 'he's so POWERFUL.' We haven't really been given anything solid to suggest that his powers of of such a magnitude as to make his death the only viable option in the war, whereas in Grindelwald we HAVE been given an example of a powerful, formerly terrifying Dark Lord being defeated and locked up. By Dumbledore himself.

2. It is not, in fact, truly necessary for Voldemort (and therefore Harry) to die. He could theoretically, given enough time and manpower, be captured, rendered unable to do magic (there has to be a way, considering the existence of Azkaban in conjunction with the existence of wandless magic) and imprisoned. Dumbledore's and Severus' failure to thoroughly investigate this option (we are not shown that it is ever an issue for them) before sending Harry off on his death march then, in my book at least, counts as a moral failing for both of them.

I don't much like the implications of 2 for Severus, particularly considering how I stood up an applauded him with his "You have used me!" speech. But in light of what we are given in canon to go on, I find myself leaning towards this interpretation of events nonetheless. So I'm interested in how other people read the situation - and also your thoughts on why JKR doesn't seem at all concerned with this angle, and what that says about her and her creation in turn. What do you think? Am I missing something, or mis-reading something? Or has JKR for whatever reason slipped up and given us a big, glaring moral hole in her story? (And one more crack in the already-shaky foundation for her claims that Dumbles is ultimately really good)?

Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant. ;)

I was browsing through some old DH rants and reviews a while back and rediscovered Dan Hemmens' excellent essay, "Harry Potter and the Doctrine of the Calvinists" posted over at Ferretbrain. Hemmens, IMHO, does a fantastic job in putting together a coherent, workable theory of just what on god's green earth is going on in the Potterverse and how it can so blatantly propose a clear double standard on just about every major moral issue it touches. My question, after rereading the article, was: what about the characters' own worldviews, within the books? Particularly Severus', considering how he fought so hard, for so long, out of an apparent belief that he could in this way somehow make up for his earlier failing/s and thereby earn something - praise, respect, or even just a respite. A change in category, if you like. Redemption. But where does he get this idea, if the world is so clearly and definitively Sorted into the Elect and the Not? You'd think seven years of Hogwarts under the Marauders would have given him a clue, but apparently not. So what gives? What IS his world-view, in comparison with his contemporaries'? Well, I've got a theory. More behind the cut.

This is, I warn you, not an actual essay with a proper argument, just some ranting thoughts about how Severus fits into the Potterverse in light of Hemmens' theory. I intend to come back later and post a proper essay on the subject sometime, with more coverage given to just why the notion of Severus as a Catholic (in the character of his world-view, not necessarily in formal practice) makes a lot of sense to me. In the meantime: I do hope no-one takes offense at anything I say here - I'm not attempting any kind of judgment of any religious tradition, merely examining how the implications of Hemmens' theory work out on the level of the characters themselves and their world-outlooks. That is: how a Potterverse character's view of the world can clash, or not, with the view of the world the books themselves lay out, and what this can mean for the characters, including - of course - our poor dear Sev.

Link to Hemmens' article, a definite read if you haven't already: http://www.ferretbrain.com/articles/article-161.html

Snapecast just released an awesome live-from-Portus episode--go check it out if you haven't already! In the Owlpost segment, where they answer listener mail, someone asked how Snape would have been different if he had been a girl. (The obvious answer by the Snapecast crew: there would have been more than one gay character in the books!) The idea sounds utterly cracky, and I laughed out loud when I heard it, but the question actually brought up some interesting discussion about whether the Marauders might have bullied him more or less if he had been female.

Sorry that this topic has no relevance to any of the recent discussions or the monthly challenge.

A Japanese Snape-meta blogger that I adore has recently brought up the issue of Snape reacting somewhat strangely to the fake Moody in GoF, and why that might be, seeing as we now know that he was actually a very important member of the Order, actively helping Dumbledore, even at that time. He should have nothing to fear from the real Moody, an ally, right? Or did he somehow sense that he was a Death Eater in disguise? And even if he did, why would he fear that Death Eater so much that he would abandon his attempt to find Harry on the stairs and ascertain his safety, allowing "Moody" to send him straight to bed? What was it he had to prioritize?

( Some ideas and extended quotes under the cut. )

Hello, everyone!

I would like to get your opinions on whether Severus attended a Muggle school before going to Hogwarts or was he home-schooled (by his mother)? Or perhaps he mainly taught himself?

Everyone attends Hogwarts at age 11 or 12. By this age, students know how to read and write, etc. Given that Severus is a half-blood and resided in a Muggle town, do you think he went to Muggle school? If so, he should've met Lily there and need not introduce himself in the playground (it is possible, of course, that their town has more than one school and they went to different ones). He seems to be totally into his wizarding roots that he dislikes anything Muggle. His mother could've taught him the basics (along with his quite extensive knowledge of magic, etc.). On the other hand, he seems to be very neglected so I'm not very convinced that his mother or father spent a lot of time with him (besides Tobias not liking anything much as he put it)....

I'm very interested to hear your take on this.

Does anyone know precisely when the Shrieking Stack Incident took place? The Lexicon places it during the Marauders’ and Snape’s 6th Year (1976-7), but is there any evidence for this?

I’ve seen at least one fan post that states that the SSI happened before Snape’s Worst Memory, which happened during their OWLS, ie June 1976, and another where JKR is said to have given us two possible timelines for these events.

Any ideas, anyone? And yes, this is for a fic I’m writing! *g*

In honor of the summer solistice, what did Snape do for his summer hols? When he was a student and/or when he was a Professor-feel free to answer realistically (Spinner's End) or with the wildest locale (Thailand? Majorca? Brazil?).

I would like to point out that JKR said ages ago only Filch stays on at Hogwarts over the summer.

In the movies, what is the motto/slogan/written statement above the door in Snape's office? Between my ignorance of Latin beyond some roots and the lettering, I haven't a clue and it's driving me nuts! Please help.

I thought we'd try something a little different this time. Snape is definitely still a major player in this question but I want to know how Harry's opinion of/feelings about Snape changed so that he eventually named his son for him. I know a lot of people find that to be terrifically absurd but it's there, in canon. But this question has two parts in a way-both what do you think and what do you think JKR wants us to think? Is it a token nod of the head or is there deeper meaning?

ETA: Oh! I forgot. I'd love to hear what people think Snape would think of the name. *g*

If we carry through on the racism/blood prejudice equivalency... 

What a horrid title! LOL But my question is about Snape and his father as well as that side of the family. Did Tobias work at the Mill? Was he physically abusive or only verbally? Or does fandom wrong him, assuming he was worse than he was? Also did Snape have someone like Aunt Marge who came to visit occasionally? Did he have to suffer Christmas crackers with his cousins? Or were they even outcasts in their own family, not invited to the family get togethers?

How did Snape get along with the Muggle side of the family?

A couple of things-LJ users please either sign in with openID or sign your posts with your user name. Also, if you have any suggestions for questions you can always leave them here.

I haven't asked a fanon question yet so how about a general one. There are certain things that are pervasive in fic-he's tall, he wears lots of buttons, he has a mail order potions business hidden from Ministry interference by using the very clever name of Prince's Potions (they'd never suspect a thing!).

So let's talk about fanon hits and misses this week. What do you like about Snape in fic and what just makes you scream?

This week's question is how close was Snape to the Malfoys? Snape was Lucius's old friend; Lucius a key figure standing out from Snape's sorting, Narcissa came to him for help in HBP, and according to her he was Draco's favorite teacher. But how much of that was an act to keep his cover (like some of us used to believe about his relationship with Harry)? Or was he genuinely friends with them?

geri_chan suggested this topic. In her words . . .

Was Snape known to be a half-blood when he was recruited into the Death Eaters, and what are the Death Eaters' outlook on half-bloods? Is half good enough, or do they look down on him for his Muggle blood? If so, why doesn't Bellatrix taunt him about it? Or is he fully accepted because of his unique talents?

I would just add this - pure-blood families are dying out, is it perhaps good enough to have half-bloods who believe in the 'old ways' to help stop the dilution of blood? Also surely some names are known as pure-blood names and others aren't.

This should be good. ;) First a bit of canon . . . US Ed. p.740-1

"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized," he said as he saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He desired her, that was all," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him-"

"Of course, he told you that," said Harry, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, . . . "

I do think Voldemort has it wrong-even if Snape loved Lily obsessively, I believe he loved her as best as he was able. But Harry may have over simplified things and probably the truth lies between.

So who were these other women? Girlfriends? One night stands? Did they even exist? I just noticed for the first time that Voldemort said "he agreed that there were other women." That leaves quite a bit of wiggle room.

I would ask that we stick to canon-yes, yes, we all know he was shagging Lupin or waiting for Hermione to come of age :P but for the purposes of this discussion, please leave your favorite ship at the door.

Someone told me about a comic on deviantArt: Albus Severus I-don't-know-how ending up in front of Snape's portrait at Hogwarts (yes, he has one!) and Snape seeing him says something like "another Potter". A.S.P. (wow, she chose that name because the initials are almost as cool as Regulus's) then proceeds to read the sign beneath the portrait and says "I am named after that?" which provokes Snape to dig deeper ("named after what?"). A.S.P. then says "my full name is Albus Severus Potter". Snape gets all pissed and says he will try to reincarnate to kill A.S.P.'s father, and failing doing this, to find the picture with the drunken monks. Well, the point of this whole blabla: I would love to see that comic, so if anyone knows it, let me know, be so kind as to give me the link or the artist's name or anything. Please. :)

Finished spamming around, thanks for your attention.

branq