Olive M. Snape

The Evans Boy

Ch. 150 "Lily of the Valley"

By: lonibal

There's something (dress robes) idk what (definitely dress robes) about the Yule ball that makes me want to draw (characters in dress robes)

I saw on Reddit a post about an illustration in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban showing Snape revealing the Dark Mark to Fudge as a warning about Voldemort’s return. I just can’t imagine how much courage it must have taken to expose his own dark mistakes to a stranger to warn about a danger. In real life, how many people could do something like that? As grown-up Harry Potter said, Snape is the bravest man he has ever known.

Excerpt from Chapter 36, Book 4

< It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be ..."

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff s too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." >

And next, Snape is far from being safe; he will have to enter the main phase of his espionage work, after the years of preparation that Dumbledore and he had planned.

< "Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready . . . if you are prepared ..."

"I am," said Snape.

I'm so tired of people treating this episode to villanise snape as a kid bully more than a strict and maybe somewhat mean teacher.

First of all Neville's worst fear is used to underline how he, and everyone have normal somewhat tender childish fears while Harry has a serious fear that symbolise the heavy burden he has to carry as such a young age. Moreover of course neville's worst fear is snape. It makes sense for him and it's not at all all snape's fault.

Let's analize Neville. He comes from a family that is quite disfuncitional and harsh on him. Sorry but it's true, his uncle almost killed him to make him show magic and his grandmother who for a lack of better comparison to me sounds like a lady bracknell on steroids is crazy demanding and not nice about it. She constantly compares Neville to his father, who was brilliant and talented while neville struggles and is a shy kid who doesn't believe in himself.

Now the subject he is worse at is potions. It's no secret that the boy is a danger in the class. He is probably too anxious and insecure, setting himself to fail even more than he would do if he just tried to breath and focus. I know this because it's something that I do myself while in burnout. I saw it after starting uni; sometimes I'm down on myself and I do try, i have to, but I'm also so sure I will fail and so anxious about it that I end up making three times the mistakes I would have done if I had just breathed. It's the profecy that turns itself true because you believe in it. I came to understand Neville a lot in that.

It's true that Snape, tho he is not a bad teacher ( Hermione says quite often that she thinks he is a good one, nobody but Harry seems to hate him that much), being strict and demanding and not warm is probably the worst person you can have dealing with a kid like Neville, who would, and actually does, shine more under somebody warm and homely like Sprout (he also has actual talent for herbology) . Snape being demanding feeds into Neville's own struggle and insecurities which makes him fail even more. It's an Oroboro but this doesn't make Snape abusive to children or a bully, like a lot of thr fandom says, they are just quite incompatibile, and Snape fails to see that he should change approach, but also the man is a secret agent is trying to keep Harry alive hates himself and his life and his job like literally let's give him a break.

But again, going back to the main point, where is his family at ? Because Neville is also a boy who would benefit a lot and mostly from not being constantly put down and made feel like shit by his own grandma, who would need understanding and warmth and somebody he trust gently sustaining him. He gets none of that from the family that had treated him like a basket case since day 1; they love him I'm sure but still they are all talented wizards who demand and expect him to be like that ans when he does not meet those expectations, and he is just normal at best and a late bloomer too, they push and push and push. They fail to see his strengths, like his goodness like his courage, and fail to put the light on those good traits instead of his flaws.

Professor Mcgonagall: *Handing Harry his Hogsmede permission slip back* Sorry Potter but this needs to be signed by a guardian.

Harry: *slowly hands it to Snape who is conveniently standing next to them*

Severus: *rolls his eyes and signs it, handing it back to Harry.*

Harry: *slowly hands it back to Mcgonagall with a smile.*