(no subject)

[solitary_summer]

God, I'm tired. Sick & so very tired of working six days/week, the heat is killing me, I can't find the energy to do anything when I'm not at work, the apartment's a mess, I need a haircut, even though strangely enough people say I should grow them out again. And just when I thought I at least wouldn't have to drive out to the horse this week, Ch. calls me and she's been kicked by one of the horses on the paddock and could I...? ::sigh:: Barely managed a morning run today. Left work at 4, had pizza. Made cold coffee.


More thoughts about HBP...



About the Snape situation. It may be wishful thinking and pure speculation, but well. Here we go. Symmetry.

With Dumbledore dead, the final battle will be fought between Harry and Voldemort, and somewhere between the two sides there is Snape: and regardless of the theories floating about, at this point it's entirely open which side, if any, Snape is really on. However, I think it's a pretty safe guess that one way or another he will play a decisive role in the end.

Now these three characters (Harry, Voldemort and Snape) are linked by something - their parentage, childhood and upbringing: all are of mixed parentage (muggle/magical in the case of Tom Riddle and Snape, muggle-born/magical in Harry's case), and all had pretty awful childhoods. Tom Riddle grew up without parents, neither of whom ever cared for him; Harry's parents did love him, but died, and he was forced to grow up with his mother's muggle family who hated and feared him; Snape's parents apparently grew to hate each other pretty fast - magic must have been a major issue - and while he probably loved his mother, judging from the choices later in life, he must have despised his father. I would argue that this connection is intentional, because it can hardly be coincidence that we learn comparatively many details about both Voldemort and Snape's childhood, and that this is where Harry can, however briefly, empathise with both of them. Tom Riddle became Voldemort and turned irrevocably evil; Harry, the only one who had undeniable proof of his parents' love, even if he doesn't remember them, at the end of HBP has matured, and however unwise and prejudiced his decisions still may be occasionally, after the crisis at the end of OOTP has achieved a certain balance and mental stability, and can be counted upon fighting on the side of the 'good'.

Snape is the wild card. He's switched sides once, perhaps twice, or maybe just has been keeping his options open. Hard to tell at this point, whatever one would like to believe. He's an unhappy man, deeply damaged, nursing decades old grudges, keeping the hatred alive almost lovingly; and while it's true that we do see Snape almost exclusively through Harry's eyes, even so it's clear that this man has major psychological problems. As far as I can see there's little to nothing positive in his personality to balance him - what keeps him going (and literally keeps him alive, whatever side he may be spying for) is an iron mental control, and indeed much of his life is about control. Potions, occlumency, dark magic, and perhaps part of why he hates Harry so much is that he makes him lose control almost constantly. To control, not to be controlled. And this is why I'm inclined to believe that he was serious about betraying Voldemort, because Dumbledore will have offered at least a little more freedom and dignity, although the restrictions of his new position must've begun to chafe pretty soon, too. I wish we knew what tied Snape to Dumbledore, or what it was that convinced Dumbledore he could absolutely trust Snape. But as far as we've been shown there was some kind of bond between them, and while I cannot be certain, I'd like to think that what Snape did in the end was at least somehow in accordance with Dumbledore's wishes.

Harry has been formed by Dumbledore, his ersatz-father, and will continue his mission; twice over he declares himself 'Dumbledore's man, through and through'. His choice has already been made. Tom Riddle's decision has been made a long time ago. Snape, however, with Dumbledore gone, is finally really free to chose, as an adult. He'll have to look hard at himself, what he truly wants and what kind of man he wants to be, and it remains to be seen if he can finally overcome his old grudges. My personal guess is he'll be on the right side in the end, but he'll die fighting, for no other reason that this is what usually happens to characters so damaged and compromised and in need of redemption (he did kill Dumbledore, after all; the wizarding world will hardly welcome him back with open arms after that...), but I'd love to see JKR mess with my expectations again...

Comments

[un-crayon-rouge.livejournal.com]

I liked this a lot. Just thought I'd say so.

Only I DON'T want JKR to mess with my expectations again. I want Snape to die a hero. *stamps foot* Just what I need, more angsty messed up heroes for my collection.

[solitary-summer.livejournal.com]

What I meant is I don't want him to die at all, I want him to survive, and perhaps sometime in the future overcome his demons and find a little peace, but I seriously doubt that's going to happen, not after he killed Dumbledore, even if that was what Dumbledore wanted. (If nothing else, on a practical level, no one's going to believe him, whatever he may say, or do. He'd be off to Azkaban in no time.) I think 'heroic death' is the 'best' he's going to get... ::sigh::