You know, about those people who were bullied in school, and are now assholes--you don't see many of those any more. You see a lot of school shootings. Wouldn't that be interesting in a fanfic?

*Everyone eating dinner in the great hall*

*Doors burst open*

Neville: Damn you slytherins! If it weren't for you, I'd have CONFIDENCE!!!

*Neville conjurs up an AK-47 and lays into the house*

 

I believe that most of the reason fanficcers are trying to redeem Snape is that Dumbledore trusted him. Albus Dumbledore is over 150 years old, he's been through world wars and innumerable civil conflicts, he's awesomely powerful yet has never tried to rule the world. I suspect that we all *hope* that by the time we reach extreme old age, we will have achieved wisdom. If Dumbledore is wise, then it's reasonable to believe that he sees something in Snape that we don't see because we lack the perception that comes through experience.

Maybe we simply want to believe that the man has depths to his character.

Snape does have major character strengths. He's brilliantly intelligent - wasn't he part of the team that developed the Wolfsbane potion? He's courageous - Dumbledore sent Severus to Voldemort upon Snake-face's rebirth. AD stood up for Snape at his trial, and announced to the world that Snape had been a spy for years. Then Snape Went. Back. In. to get information after Harry returned from the graveyard. Snape survived as a deep-penetration mole and spy within the DE's highest ranks during both Voldemort wars; he's highly perceptive or he'd be long dead. He's tough both physically and mentally. He's loyal to the students of his House.

That said, he's a jerk who gets his kicks abusing little kids who aren't allowed to fight back. He's managed to hold on to a schoolboy grudge for upwards of twenty years, and he abuses his position in attempts to get revenge on men who are long dead. Snape has abused Harry and Neville continually since they were eleven. Rowling has made it plain that Snape *hates* Harry because of James' cruelty. What is there to explain? Professor Snape has encouraged his Slytherin students to attack and verbally assault those of the other houses. Really, there is no explanation for that except spite. He shields "his" students from reprisal, and he consciously permits abuse of the points system to influence other students to blame (and shun) the children he has chosen as targets. This is a petty sort of harassment, but he Never Lets Up. Adolescence is more than difficult enough: I wonder how many students cry themselves to sleep at night, or simply dread his classes? Do you suppose some children deliberately make themselves truly ill so they can go to the infirmary, instead?

Saying something like, "Snape is ugly to Gryffindors so no one will suspect him of not being loyal to Voldemort" is illogical. Objective professionalism would be a much better cover. If Dumbledore wasn't actively shielding Snape from reprisal, he would have been sacked a decade ago. I bet there are literally hundreds of complaints filed against Snape by outraged parents. In the real world, that an abusive teacher hasn't been fired or at least faced a review board, means that someone is blatantly covering him. Voldemort should be suspicious, in fact.

Snape acts like a jerk because Snape is a jerk. He knows that a lot of Harry's (and the other students') failed classroom assignments are caused by active sabotage by Slytherin students, and he makes no effort whatsoever to interfere. For serious students, Hermione and her ilk, what Draco and his cronies do must be maddening.

Severus Snape is a poor teacher – he puts information on the board, but he does minimal explanation. I don’t remember him EVER demonstrating any techniques. He forces eleven-year-old children to handle poisonous and volatile chemicals without making sure they know what they are doing. He actively berates little kids and goes out of his way to unnerve them while they are in dangerous situations. Speaking as a parent, this should get him JAILED, not just sacked. If my kid wrote home detailing this kind of abuse, I’d pull him from the class at the very least. Why the wealthier parents don’t get together to hire a tutor for credit is utterly beyond me. I wouldn’t have learned in that environment, and if the goal of Potions class is teach skills that would be necessary in a career (such as medicine or the Auror program,) then why are we wasting our money paying for THIS?

Alan Rickman has a marvelous voice, and very nice hands. Maybe that is the cause of the fan’s obsession. Dumbledore trusted him - surely there was a reason? I think he's one of the most interesting characters in fiction: Fagin was evil and good and ruthless and brilliant, too.

 

Dear God woman, press the enter key!

I'm not even going to bother to try and read it, space out your points, then it may be legible.

Also, for the /b/-tards out there,

tl;dr

 

Apart from the massive block of text that hurts my eyes, she does have some good points. Well, maybe not about hiring a tutor. I'd imagine that sort of thing would be quit difficult to arrange at Hogwarts, and most of the Purebloods with connections are in Slytherin. Why would they need tutoring?

You've been reading too much fanfiction, I'm afraid. Snape just knows how to brew it. People have inferred from that, that he was the original creator. Aside from a blatant fanon point, what other proofs are there of his intelligence. I see none.

We might want to be wise, but Dumbledore has made some bad decisions (Philosopher's Stone, anyone?). For all we know, Snape might have ensnared him with a potion. They are, after all, one of the man's few skills.

Go away.

 

I stopped reading here...

Then I noticed...

That's all I have to say about that.

 

Look, Snape is a very smart and capable man. Clearly, his character is meant to be symbolic of redemption of past sins. As such, he WILL redeem himself. And, honestly, if you think that Dumbledore wasn't telling Snape to kill him to save himself, then you hold a very narrow minded--and, frankly, gryffindorish--view of the HP universe.

 

You should read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, that is were most of the evidence of Snape's brilliance is. Harry comes across this old Potion's book that Snape had during his school days. Not only does it have Snape's vast improvements to the Potion instructions, but it also includes several spells that Snape successfully created on his own.

So far Harry's only big accomplishment in magic has been his ability to caste the Pastronus charm, and not even Hermione has yet created her own spells. Severus Snape far outstripes them in studious accompliments.

So ya, if you're having trouble finding evidence of Snape's intelligence, you should deffinatly read

I do believe a great deal of the Snape love orginates from fangirl love of Alan Rickman

 

I'll agree with that point. Hell, as much as I dislike the character, Rickman was possibly the best candidate for the role, and perhaps the best casting choice of all other characters.

 

I don't know about creating 'several spells'. But then again, I only read that disaster - sorry, book- once. If I have to trawl through it again then I think I might have to hunt down JKR and express my displeasure. Forcibly.

 

Well, yeah, he did. It's referenced quite a bit. Honestly, The man is a double agent and is probably of the habit of maintaining secrets from Voldemort which, in case you haven't been following the events of the sixth book, is no small task for some weak minded fool.

 

Oh I think everyone knows that JKR will have Snape turn out to be a good guy. It's sickening, unrealistic, and childish even by a children's book's standards, but it'll happen. In a way, waiting for the 7th book is like watching two trains rush toward one another. You know you're about to witness a horrible tragedy, but can't do anything to stop it.

Honestly, I think a lot of the love of Snape does come from those who see him as the downtrodden bully victim who only went bad because of his horrible school years. These are the same people who were bullied in school, then decided to go rob a 7-11, got tossed in jail, and want to claim it was all because they had a horrible childhood.

There really is no depth of character for Snape either. He is petty, malicious, egotistical, bitter, and a glory-seeking fuck. That's it. There are no hidden depths of emotional warmth. No soft inner side that seeks acceptance. He's an ass who gets off my torturing kids and claiming he deserves everything he never got. End of story. The fact that people keep trying to write him as some misunderstood downtrodden hero is pathetic at best, and downright mentally unbalanced at worst.

There is no such thing as redemption for people like Snape in reality. The fact that JKR will be redeeming him is just another of the fantasy aspects of the HP universe...like the existence of magic.

Edit: Oh, and basing any character's worth on the actor that portrays them is just...well I'm not even sure there's a word for it. It's like the people that name Hermione's parents Dan and Emma in a way. Alan Rickman may be an awesome actor (the only redeeming quality of Robin Hood to be honest), but he doesn't change the fact facts about Snape.

 

Well, yeah, Snape is a direct product of his environment. Obviously. It's an issue of Nature vs. Nurture. Throughout school, he was unpopular, and outcast, picked on by the popular crowd. He develops a grudge, and, when an offer comes up to work against the people who made his life hell, he takes it without really considering the consequences--then, when he's in deep, and starts realizing that he made a huge mistake, he starts working against the bad guys, even though the good ones still condemn him to hell for being on the 'Dark Side'.

Really, Snape is just someone who made a bad choice, realized it a little too late, then worked the rest of his life trying to make it better. His surly attitude nonwithstanding, give the guy a break; once again, his character is meant to represent REDEMPTION and FORGIVENESS.

 

No, no. His character is meant to represent a snarky bastard who should die horribly. The redemption and forgiveness thing is just a silly little sideline that JKR has gotten distracted by.

Seriously though, Boo-freakin-hoo for Snape. I don't believe that the character as portrayed by JKR is in any way repentant for anything; his type never is. They believe that they were forced into everything by those who had the world handed to them. They are totally unable to accept responsibility for their own actions. There's no redemption for, and you can't forgive, someone that never admits to having done wrong of their own volition.

 

He's part of a society that acts the exact same way. Does the ministry take responsibility for actions that are harmful to the wizarding and muggle world?

Seriously? People, we keep forgetting that this is a children's book. Meant for CHILDREN. Like every other children's book, it's supposed to have a moral to the story, it's supposed to teach children differences between right and wrong. Of COURSE he's supposed to be redeemed! It'll probably cost him his life, but yeah, he'll redeem himself.

 

Severus Snape -centric fics that have caused me to shoot coffee explosively through my nostrils at the sheer preposterousness of his characterization :

Anything by duj

Link to author's page : http://www.fanfiction.net/u/257907/

"The Birthday Present" by Excessively Perky

Link: http://ww.fanfiction.net/s/2470334/1/



Excessively Perky's story especially contains reviews that mirror much of what is being said on this page, though you'll have to dig just a little to find them.

Check out duj's author page for an exercise in self-righteousness.

 

Yeah, a "stunning" reversal of our perceptions of Snape.

 

What perception of Snape is their besides the obvious one? He's an arse, plain and simple, with greasy hair and a sadist's way of thinking.

The whole 'Dumbedore's orders' stuff is going to really kill the book for me if it happens. Dumbledore showed no sign of sickness, not even with all the time Harry and him spent together, and I doubt he'd really kill himself with his whole greater goot thing just for one man.

 

WTF is it with all this Snape-masturbation? The guy is an asshole. He deserves to be treated worse than Keith McComb.

Ahh yes. The infamous "wisdom" of Dumbledore. Guys, Dumbledore's NOT - let me repeat that again NOT infallible. He makes mistakes. He's too trustworthy. That was the whole point of HBP.

No. He doesn't. Stfu.

I think you're in need of some brilliant intelligence yourself. A guy can brew potions. So where'd you get the idea he invented them? More Snape fangirl worship.

You, girl, are a fucking dumbass. Did you read a single sentence of HBP? The guy killed Dumbledore. Hey, let me say that in a way that might be easier for you to read, since you obviously have vision problems.
SNAPE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!!!!!
Snape is no mole. He's not courageous. He's a traitor. 2 times through. Traitors are the worst type of people around. That's why countries automatically execute them. That's why DLP's most infamous incident happened. Because of traitors.

Not tough enough to get over being teased in high school.

Snape's a traitor. That's it. Get it into your mind. He's loyal to nobody.

Darksov, you suck at arguments. When you state something, there's something called a reason to back it up. You have given absolutely no reason why Snape is meant to be symbolic. If he wants to redeem himself, he ought to go to Harry Potter and ask for the proper punishment - death.

Oh noes. I hold a Gryffindorish view of the universe. See, you just made 2 gigantic mistakes. First, once again, you give no reason why Dumbledore is telling Snape to kill him. Second, your argument demolishes itself. I'm seriously starting to doubt that you can comprehend any words that JKR writes. JKR holds a Gryffindorish view of the universe, as shown by the fact that everybody good comes from Gryffindor. So you've just proven yourself wrong. It takes a special kind of stupidity to do that, and you apparently have it in spades.

And yet again, no reason behind a statement. Just fucking stop it.

You, dumbass, need to follow the events of HBP. Before that, you need to take a class in Reading for Fangirls like Darksov. Now children, name the biggest event that happened in that book.
Dumbledore dies!
Class, how did he die?
Snape kills him!
Snape was a fucking double agent. Just not for Dumbledore.

Oh. Nice excuse. It's not my fault I'm a bastard. It's the environment. Heads up, only losers like you blame others for your own faults. To quote your words, a man "tough both physically and mentally" gets past gets past these faults.

To this day, I wish Remus had killed the guy.

Proving that he is irresponsible, stupid, and doesn't think about the choices he makes in life. So much for a "smart and capable man," quoting your own words again.

Stop contradicting yourself, fucker.

For good reason. He killed Dumbledore. Get that into your fucking head.

My lines in bold.

Darksov, let me tell you a little fact in life. Not all people are nice. Maybe your parents didn't want you to know this little fact, and maybe you like reading stories where everybody's nice and have convinced yourself that the nice things in life always happen. But some people are just downright not nice. And they like being not nice. And some people just don't want to become nice no matter how nice you are to them.

At least Banner acknowledges that Snape has bad qualities. You, Darksov, don't. So

And if JKR ever EVER redeems Snape, I will kill her personally.

 

Yes, of course, as you are all so very well versed in fanfiction, a Snape of this sort is a shallow, tasteless character. HOWEVER! JK Rowling writes a three-dimensional character, one with a history of pain, hatred and betrayal. To think that he is a simple person is to admit to your own inability to recognize any sort of complexity of plot or setting in a full-length novel series. If it were as simple as you are saying, then there would only be Light and Dark, Good and Evil, indeed, 'With us or against us', and no middle. And if you fail to realize that there are shades of gray, then my friend...the terrorists win.

Haha, no, seriously. Forget the bush referrence. Look deeper and don't take everything at face value.