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old debate- Snape in PS, snape good or bad?

hdevil View Member Profile	Jan 16 2007, 02:41 AM Post #1
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 7 Joined: 2:28am January 16, 2007	(new to forum- glad to be rereading!) whose man are you? dumbledoor's man or old volde's? In philosopher's stone, when harry eats his first Hogwarts meal: p126 us edition "It happened quite suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes --and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. "Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head. "What is it?" asked Percy. "N-nothing." The pain had gone as it quickly as it had come. harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look-- a feeling Harry didnt like at all." Why should Snape cause harry's scar to burn--A sign that has become indicative of Voldemort? or Is Voldemort seeing through the Turban to Harry, causing him to burn? or 3 Is Voldemort acclaimed occumencer, seeing through Snape to Harry, thus causing the burn? We know Snape hates Harry from the beginning, but to hate and to cause the burning scar is a great difference...

macmerdo View Member Profile	Jan 16 2007, 06:33 AM Post #2
Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 414 Joined: 1:36am January 29, 2005 Location: In Egypt ... with Bill	We do know that Snape hates Harry, and I think that Harry is supposed to get that message from that first meeting. In reality JK appears to have pointed the finger at Snape, when she has detailed that "the hook nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes". Isn't this how "magic" works? Focus somebody's eyes on what you want them to see, but the real trick is working just to the side of it. This technique is employed several times. For example - at the Quidditch match, where Hermione sets Snapes robes on fire, but it is the act of knocking Quirrell over that saves Harry not the fire. -------------------- While all answers are replies - not all replies are answers. Point of No Return: Babylon 5 If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known. George C. Marshall

Velse View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 06:13 PM Post #3
Eeylops Owl Cage Cleaner Posts: 235 Joined: 12:36pm October 25, 2006 Location: New Jersey	Agreed that Quirrell causes the pain in Harry's scar. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that Snape is a nasty piece of work in PS/SS (though of course he may be capable of repentance and redemption, as JKR herself has hinted). Why is he not DD's man? He doesn't act like it! --He shows bias toward Slytherins, especially the loathsome Draco Malfoy --He picks on Neville, enough to earn him a permanent black mark in my book! --His hatred of Harry (because he resembles James, and/or because he is "special") shows a resentful and possibly envious personality that can never be the sign of a good person Dumbledore speculates that Snape's only reason for helping Harry at the Quidditch match is to "pay back" his life-debt to James, a debt which he can't bear to carry because he hated James so much. So even that is a selfish and primarily mean-spirited act. As you can tell, I am not one of those who thinks Snape has a heart of gold. I disliked him from the first and still do. I do suspect him of one virtue--great courage--which also shows up in PS/SS when he is injured by Fluffy trying to contain the Troll. This courage may be the virtue that redeems him. -------------------- How will you learn if you don't read Scribbulus? Emily and Nina

Stareyed7 View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 07:42 PM Post #4
Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 48 Joined: 9:25pm September 19, 2006 Location: USA	Well, I think he's working for himself more than either side. He's not totally on the good side, which is shown by the way he treats others, favoring his house over the other students, the way he treats Harry, etc. And he's not completely bad, because he does do the right thing most of the time, no matter that we don't exactly know what his reasons are for doing it. I think he just does what is easiest at the time. He seems to be hiding behind this double agent position, which is why I think that this next book will be very interesting as far as finally finding out what exactly Snape is up to.

Lomelindi View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 07:50 PM Post #5
Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 114 Joined: 12:08am November 23, 2006 Location: Canada	I decided to join the whole 'book club' thing, because it seemed like a nice idea to re-read the books and talk about each one individually. So anyway, upon re-reading PS, I am more convinced than ever that Snape is NOT a good guy. We assume that Snape was trying to stop Quirrel from getting the PS, but why would he also need to know how to get past Quirrel's obstacle, and why would he need to approach Fluffy at all? It seems a bit fishy to me. He could easily have been working with Quirrel, for all we know. And, since he was a 'former' DE, I'm sure Voldemort's presence in the building, in Quirrel, would have been pretty obvious to Snape. He must have known Voldemort was around. So was he trying to stop LV, or trying to help him? We know Snape really hates Harry. Can that really be just because Harry is James' son? I don't know. But I know it is going to take a LOT to convince me that Snape's really a good guy. -------------------- .•¨¯¨•.¸Lomelindi.•¨¯¨•.¸

bookgirl View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 10:07 PM Post #6
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 10 Joined: 9:29pm January 3, 2007 Location: Flourish and Blotts, naturally!	Is Snape insufferable? Absolutely. Does he treat Harry horribly? Without a doubt. Does he have a heart of gold? Heck no!! All that said, I believe that Snape is a "good guy" and Dumbledore's man. The last book will prove this to be true. -------------------- *Carrie* My Live Journal

ltbrave23 View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 10:44 PM Post #7
Shopping for a New Firebolt Posts: 825 Joined: 4:34pm January 8, 2007 Location: about as far south as you can get	QUOTE(bookgirl @ Jan 17 2007, 09:07 PM) [snapback]1068150[/snapback] Is Snape insufferable? Absolutely. Does he treat Harry horribly? Without a doubt. Does he have a heart of gold? Heck no!! All that said, I believe that Snape is a "good guy" and Dumbledore's man. The last book will prove this to be true. I completely agree. I think PS showed Snape's loyalty the clearest. He is actively trying to stop LV from getting the stone, whether or not he knew it was LV is debatable, i think he did, as well as DD. He tries to protect Harry, despite his feelings about Harry. I think that there is more to the way Snape treats Harry besides the fact that he and James hated each other, is it acceptable, no, but is there more? -------------------- "We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty." ~ Mal

Alan_Rickman_Fan... Alan_Rickman_Fan_2005 View Member Profile	Jan 17 2007, 11:51 PM Post #8
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 8 Joined: 8:57pm September 20, 2005	In my opinion, Snape did not make Harry's scar burn. I think it was LV, because Snape was just looking at Quirrell, who we all know, had LV hidden under his turban. Then that what made Harry's scar burn was because LV was right there. Besides the way that Snape treats Harry, I think many people just pass the idea that Snape saved Harry's skin quite a few times. Like in PS, with the whole Quidditch Match. Hermione and Ron just jumped to conclusions that Snape was jinxing Harry's broom. When in reality he was doing a good dead, It was Quirrell(as we all know) that was jinxing the broom. When it came to Snape confronting Quirrell about that whole,"You don't want me as your enemy Quirrell." thing. I think that truly showed that Snape is indeed loyal to Hogwarts, and loyal to Dumbledore. But then again, I don't think Snape really trusts Dumbledore at all. But that's just me. Regards. edited by moderator to remove off-topic comment This post has been edited by SoonerGryffindor: Jan 18 2007, 12:06 AM

SpiritGirl View Member Profile	Jan 18 2007, 12:30 AM Post #9
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 14 Joined: 7:04pm January 12, 2007	I have to admit I haven't read all of these comments, yet, but wanted to put in my thought real quick. I am Dumbledore's "woman" true and true. I don't like Snape and am still very suspicous of him. Don't know if I trust him or not, so I am "on the fence" still with him. But, after my umpteenth time reading PS/SS, I don't think Snape is really bad in PS/SS. I just think he really dislikes Harry, for reasons we find out later. As for Snape and Quirrell's turbin and the pain in Harry's scar, I think it was Voldemort. I think Voldemort was keeping Snape from reading Quirrell's mind, but then Snape looked at Harry to see what Harry was thinking due to the pain in his scar. Voldemort caused the pain, and Snape was trying to see what was going on. He already suspected Quirrell of things, but with Voldemort in Quirrell, Snape was unable to read Quirrell's mind. Just my knuts worth.

redshelle74 View Member Profile	Jan 18 2007, 12:46 AM Post #10
Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 135 Joined: 2:49pm January 5, 2007 Location: Tessering through space and time.	I feel that it was Quirrel's turban that made Harry's scar hurt. Snape just happened to have looked at Harry at the time. I am in between on wether(sp?) or not Snape is bad/good. Re-reading SS just seemed to confuse me even more My husband is all for Snape being on VL's side. Reading the book brought up every question that has been mentioned all ready. I can't wait to get the answers in the 7th book. -------------------- "I'll ask you a riddle. What do you have the most of, the more you give away?" "Oh, love, I suppose." A wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle