Snape: can I teach DADA
Dumbledore: over my dead body
Snape: odd requirement but ok
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Snape: can I teach DADA
Dumbledore: over my dead body
Snape: odd requirement but ok

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this post by @severusdefender had to be drawn because it made me cackle.Ā
The continuing sagaĀ of Snape and the Malfoysā matching wardrobe.
I'm pretty sure Severus still gets Lucius' (black) hand-me-downs. It's not like Lucius has ever worn any piece of clothing in public more than three times anyway, the bloody peacock.
say it with me
liking a characterĀ ā condoning their actions
understanding a characterĀ ā condoning their actions
relating to a characterĀ ā condoning their actions
never assume that only because someone likes/understands/relates to a character that they see this character asĀ āperfectā and donāt recognise their flaws
Headcanon
Severus Snape and Pomona Sprout are actually very good friends. Itās not so surprising, as Potions and Herbology are closely related disciplines, but it goes beyond that. Theyāre both academics, experts in their respective fields, and they both love research and experimentation. Pomona is always growing experimental plants, and sometimes Severus will request that Pomona grow plants under certain conditions (tweaking their diets or the pH of the soil, etc.) so that he can observe what effect this might have on the properties of a potion brewed from it. Pomona also conducts her own experimentation with her botanicals and suggests modifications to Severus, speculating on how it might affect his potions. Theyāve been known to collaborate on research projects and publish them in respected Potions and Herbology academic journals.

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In your Snape POC au, if the Marauders were racist towards Snape, donāt you think that they might be racist towards Remus as well? Werewolves are more scorned amongst the wizarding community than half bloods, or muggle borns. On the other hand, I agree with the part about Ginny allowing him to name their kid after him. What was she thinking?
Because we all know that if you're prejudiced against one marginalized group, then you must be prejudiced against all marginalized groups. You're either 100% prejudiced or you're the most woke person ever. Islamophobic LGBT-rights activists don't exist. Transphobic feminists don't exist. Racists animal rights activists don't exist. And you most certainly can't be oppressed and oppressor both, that never happens. Oh, and people are always completely aware of their prejudices, let's not forget.
Thank you for a wonderful meta. And the link. I think you come of as being dismissive of both racism and the intersection between racism and pure classism. Or I'm British and I don't agree with that. But I am grateful for the discussion and answer.
I apologise if you feel that I was dismissive of racism. Ā Having gone back and read your ask again, I hold my hands up - you stated that Snape has privilege based upon his ethnicity and sex, and not (as I read) that he was privileged because of this. Ā The difference is subtle, but itās there - and I apologise because your point is fair.
To clarify, I did not intend to suggest that race is not at all relevant, nor was I suggesting that class is the only attribute that people use to discriminate. Ā I wholeheartedly agree that white people are inadvertently complicit in systemic prejudice without consciously recognising it - but I also feel that people do not give class (particularly when discussing UK society) the critique and analysis it deserves, and I was too quick to grumble.
Honestly, one of the most frustrating aspects of being a black reader (never mind being black and queer) of the Harry Potter series is unpacking all the ways that Joās portrayal of issues like racism and prejudice are so woefully inadequate.
I do know that she, like so many white authors, may have intended to do something good and I suspect that the extent of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort symbolising racism, prejudice, anti-Semitism, etc. has also been built up more over the years by fandom, the media, and on Pottermore as the insistence on the parallels have caught on but I fear it is more a cautionary tale for aspiring authors (and Harry Potter fans engaging in ādiscourseā really). If you want to write about discrimination and you come from a place of privilege you need to be informed and do a bit of research or even the best intentions can be unintentionally harmful.
Living in the UK my experiences all intersected based on my race, my class, my gender, and my queer identity in such a way that is rather complicated. I try not to be too frustrated with American readers that write meta in the fandom specific to matters of privilege when they exclude or downplay the issue of classism because as I understand American social and cultural politics things are very different there.
Still, I do wish more consideration was shown as so many social media sites can feel like they have an American-centric point-of-view that excludes other cultures or treats American culture as the default. In matters of fandom it can be challenging enough but when it crosses over to social justice you end up feeling shut out or given less of a space to have a voice.
Going back to Harry Potter, I find that the problem is that Jo did very well at writing about an issue she had personally experienced (so well anyone reading from the UK could likely catch onto the subtle and not-so-subtle indicators of it and find it all very familiar and meaningful) and that was the devastating effects that classism can have here. Where she fell short was writing about forms of oppression that she, as a white and cis-het identifying woman could not have hadĀ first-hand experience with.
We see the extremes of what racism or prejudice can lead to with her nod to internment camps in Cursed Child or the Death Eatersā blood purity but when fans (primarily Jewish black and poc fans) of the series are critical or uncomfortable with seeing other fans (anti-Snape fans or otherwise) draw comparisons between blood purity rhetoric and racism or anti-Semitism we do have a good reason for it. Many of which @deathdaydungeon and @raptured-night do detail brilliantly in this discussion here so I wonāt go into all of the reasons myself (although the issue of former oppressors become targets of oppression bears repeating and I would urge any fan to read the post I have linked for it does distinguish a key fault in comparing blood prejudice to real forms of prejudice or racism).
Instead, Iāll just say that the absence of any demonstration of systemic prejudice and discrimination; that there are no real examples of Muggle-borns like Hermione or Lily struggling for fair or equal representation at Hogwarts or Wizarding Britain overall (be it working twice as hard for fair grades compared to their pureblood peers or struggling to find gainful employment equal to purebloodās on the merits of skill post graduation) or even against micro-aggressions (e.g. having their accomplishments taken as an exception to the general rule that Muggle-borns are somehow less innately talented with magic would have been a good start; for instance, McGonagall or Slughorn praising Hermione or Lily as extraordinary not for the merits of their work but the marvel they can do anything so well being Muggle-born) actually makes Joās intentions more harmful than helpful for those of us who have real experience with racism or other forms of discrimination as an institution within our society.
What Joās prejudice in Harry Potter does is draw a very clear line: āus vs them,ā āgood vs evil,ā āright vs wrong.ā The problem is that real discrimination is not so neat and tidy and this is a very privileged way of looking at it. The idea that so long as you avoid the extremes, like slurs (e.g. Mudblood in Harry Potter) or the hate crimes (e.g. internment camps or supporting genocide or segregation), etc. then youāre one of the āgood onesā with clean hands and it isnāt your problem is not what we need to perpetuate. That vision of prejudice, racism, etc., eliminates the issue of privilege and discrimination as a systemic issue. It absolves those who benefit from oppression from responsibility by telling them that so long as they donāt do the extreme, obvious ābad thingā then theyāre fine and donāt need to worry about it, which leaves those of us who are affected by oppression where weāve always been fighting for our rights without much support. Joās prejudice is very black and white, with the exception of Snape.
We also see this in her best efforts to represent the lgbt community. I not only agree with @deathdaydungeon that Dumbledore was not written as a queer character in a way that represents those of us in the lgbt community but I find the interpretation of Lycanthropy as a possible symbol of the AIDs epidemic within the lgbt community during the 80s to be very disconcerting as well. Not the least because there has long been a stigma in the lgbt community that being lgbt is a stepping off point for paedophilia or bestiality or āsexual deviancy/perversion.ā
So, of the two werewolf characters in her book that are meant to serve as symbols of the treatment of lgbt people during the AIDs crisis of the 80s, they either happen to be unquestionably evil and deviant (even something of a paedophile/child predator given the way Greyback stalked a young Lupin to āinfectā him and years later in Malfoy Manor made those disturbing remarks about Hermione that hint to sexual assault) and the other, if weāre to go with the AIDs symbolism properly, āforgot to take his potionā (i.e. use protection) at a school and almost attacked underage students. Then there is the addendum of a majority of werewolves supporting Voldemort in the war. Under scrutiny, the lgbt representation for Harry Potter falls very short of what may have been the intended mark and Joās own cis-het limited understanding of complex issues do showĀ up.
Again, I would argue that the exception to this might be Snape. There is some fascinating discourse already about the way that Snapeās character subverts gender and you also see a bit of gender specific prejudice connected to his character, including but not limited to examples of transphobia, sexism, and the enforcement of toxic masculinity tropes. The matter of male privilege is, as with most aspect of his character, complicated and blurred in Joās narrative in such a way I am not surprised that youāll find a large portion of Snape fans that are fascinated by his character may identify as lgbtĀ (classism also complicates a black-and-white conclusion of male privilege as well because of the impact of classism in the UK so you have to factor that in the way you would account for the way race, sexual orientation, etc. intersect with male privilege). The catching on of trans!Snape within fandom is a good example (thereās even been a trans!Snape week on his behalf).
This is honestly where I feel much of the anti-Snape discourse where the matter of privilege is broached not only tends to fall a bit short because it tends to oversimplify issues that are far more complex but it can even become problematic because the narrative is being dominated by people who often seem to me to be either white, American, cis-het, (WASPs even) or just generally very young and only beginning to dip their toe into social justice and not yet at a point where they have begun to unpack all the complicated nuances of it (not least the matter of intersectionality). This does trouble me because it can lead to a great deal of misinformation, not just about Harry Potter canon vs fanon but social issues that affect many of us in a very personal sense.
Social justice isnāt a game where you collect good person points for applying the terminology where applicable and it shouldnāt be treated as such (and I am not accusing your anonymous contributor of this just to be clear, so at any point where I use āyouā just assume I am addressing a more general audience and not the anonymous person above specifically). The privileged āblack and white,ā āgood and bad,ā āright and wrongā outlook that some social justice advocates espouse is not only psychologically damaging in that it inhibits or does not allow for personal growth and enlightenment but it is harmful to those of us who are often sadly being marginalised within social justice discourse because those with privilege are using (unintentionally or not) allyship and black-and-white narratives to disavow from responsibility for systemic issues far more complicated than right/wrong thinking allows.
The most my mum can say of her ancestry is that she knows her family were once slaves that came to the Caribbeans and were entangled in the complex political web there between the Caribbean and the UK. Just as my mumās blackness informed her daily life, it has mine, and it will my daughterās (as much as that reality breaks my heart and I try to equip her with the wisdom and knowledge she needs to stand against it). My queer identity also informs my daily life and it intersects with my blackness and my gender. However, so does my class status here, in that Iāve been more privileged than some and less than others on a class specific basis.
So, when I or other bloggers write about the significance of class in Harry Potter or complain about American readers or younger UK readers overlooking the impact of class it isnāt downplaying or dismissing other forms of privilege for discrimination, which often seems to be the general assumption when these discourses come up. Other forms of privilege and discrimination do exist here, very much so (just read up on the xenophobic underpinnings of Brexit or the way race factored in the Grenfell Tower burning and youāll see it does), but I think many American readers and younger readers in the UK who are still learning about these issues (and wouldnāt be as familiar with the era that Jo is writing about and the extremes of classism especially in the 60s-70s when Snape was a boy) could benefit by deferring a bit to the voices of those of us who are speaking from experience because class really really is a game changer here.
Please, to non-UK readers and younger readers still learning about these issues in our society, donāt be quick to marginalise those of us insisting upon the inclusion of classicism in your discourse by unintentionally engaging in what I tend to think of as the discrimination Olympics. Because intersectionality in social justice is more complicated than one privilege over-throwing another or one earning a person more oppression points than the other. Understanding the way these issues intersect is key, and you canāt do that if you ignore the way different forms of oppression are affected by culture or world region or race or gender or sexual orientation etc.
Iāll go on to say that for every anti-Snape blogger that I see who writes up condemning meta or hate posts comparing Snape and anyone who enjoys his character to Nazi sympathisers, misogynists, or racists (especially the ones tagging pro-Snape it so his fans will see or posting it on fanās pages) are also engaging in problematic behaviours (theyāre neglecting to consider the black, Jewish, queer, etc. fans who all have valid reasons for liking his character and undermining their own anti-bullying stance by engaging in bullying and triggering activities). There are valid reasons to like, dislike, or hate a character but have a care when it comes to making extreme comparisons to prove that your feelings about that character are somehow indicative of superior moral sensibilities. In the very least, if you are going to assign social justice objections to a character be certain you have a firm grasp of it and ask yourself if youāre not overshadowing the voices of people who may have more authority via personal experiences with the subject matter youāre discussing than you to be speaking on it, or who may have experiences different from your own that are just as valid.
I see a great deal of discourse surrounding blood prejudice as a symbolic form of racism and how Snapeās youth paints him as a racist in turn, yet I see very little of that discourse going a step further and exploring how Snape being a half-blood himself doesnāt stand as a commentary on the issue of internalised racism within black communities and the communities of other people of colour and how factors like imperialism, colonialism, and systemic discrimination contribute to that. There is also the very old trope in literature, specifically British literature, of assigning positive characteristics to ālightnessā as an indication of goodness or desirability/beauty and āblackness or darknessā as indicators of savagery, barbarism, inferiority, ignorance, or even innate evil.
Shouldnāt we examine the way Snape, described with all his ādarkā imagery, serves to subvert this trope in the way his character has been coded? I do think it at least merits some consideration, strictly speaking as a black woman who had to grow up reading about the the uncultured, barbarism or evil of anyone with a dark complexion or blackness to them (see Tolkienās Orcs, Easterlings, or Southrons or Doyleās Sherlock Holmesā The Sign of the Four or Bronteās Heathcliff, etc, etc.). Perhaps one disagrees, but then, I would assert that in the very least the readings of Snape as distinctly Jewish or Romani merit some discourse and we should explore how his being a Death Eater in his youth then a reformed Death Eater the remainder of his life influences this reading.
I see a great deal of discourse comparing Snape to the ānice guy tropeā or accusing him of misogyny, yet as a queer person I fail to see where much of that discourse goes much further beyond those black and white comparisons to explore the issue of gender politics as it applies to Snape. In particular, the matter of toxic masculinity (his class may also intersect with this as would the regional culture of where he grew up in the UK slums) and how it may have been reinforced by characters who disparaged or questioned his masculinity (i.e. the Marauders or Petunia in canon), which also ties into the issue of Snapeās own gender non-conforming characterisation and the speculations it opens to instances of potential transphobia and misogyny on the part of other characters, not to mention the lgbt readings of Snape as ace/aro, queer, demi-sexual, bisexual, etc.
As a black woman I connected with Snape almost as much as I did Hermione, for all that her vague descriptions allowed me to eek out some sense of greater representation within Joās world (and I canāt tell you how chuffed I was when the casting for Cursed Child was announced and I saw who would be playing Hermione), and as a queer identifying person I connected with Snape far more than I ever did Dumbledore. My heart broke as a UK reader when I recognised the effects of classicism on his life and as a person who was bullied relentlessly for factors beyond my control I connected with Snape and found a kind of solace in the fact we were given an example of abuse and bullying that didnāt fall into the ānoble victimā fallacy. The one where the victim is raised to a status of sainthood, and who serves as a source of inspiration porn for everyone to point to as an example of the ideal sufferer of trauma (often to play pain Olympics with so that other victims are made to feel less adequate if they donāt fall into a one-size fits all idea of recovery).
Trauma and mental illnesses can be messy and complicated and, speaking as a professional, there are no neat resolutions, no quick fixes, or permanent solutions. Trauma and mental illnesses are managed through time and with a positive support system that aims to replace maladaptive coping mechanisms with more healthy ones. People need to see more characters like Snape; ones who are messy and flawed and unable to cope with aspects of their past well into adulthood; ones who are more easily triggered (indeed ones who do in fact have triggers); whose trauma or mental illness has affected their personal lives and how they interact with the world around them right down to lack of self-care; ones who donāt have the support or understanding all of the time of the people around them; who find themselves in unhealthy environments or canāt get away from those environments for whatever reason; who are themselves a source of unhealthy or maladaptive behaviour without being inherently portrayed as evil; and, importantly, ones who are not so willing and able to just forgive those who have hurt them.
Say what you will, but there was something painfully realistic in Snapeās trauma and while I can understand why some readers would be triggered by it and even hate him because he serves as both a painful example of the complexity of abuse and mental illness (in that he stands as a character who does not allow for abuse or mental illness to be glamorised or softened and forces us all to face the sides of it, a reality to it, that we all often tend to prefer to avoid) and as someone one could project their own experiences with trauma and abuse onto I think there is something dangerous and damaging to antis shutting down discourse on Snape by accusing his fans of being abuse apologists as well. So, many may gravitate to him because of their own unique experiences with abuse or mental illness and as Snapeās class also factors into his own situation we have a very poignant message with Snape on the way classism in UK society can contribute to people, even brilliant people with so much potential as children, falling through the cracks.
Forgive the sudden tangent into psychology (I canāt ever seem to leave my work in the office) but all of this is simply to say that there are valid character criticisms where Snape is concerned, just as there are valid criticisms of Joās work as a whole, especially in her portrayal of prejudice. I personally feel that itās possible to explore these things thoughtfully and with due consideration of the diverse experiences and opinions each reader may bring to the series. Unfortunately, specifically where Snape is concerned, the discourse on this site has devolved quite a bit into a toxic territory of what I often feel are very privileged black-and-white narratives that seek to enforce readings that fall into harmful pseudo social justice stances that fail to apply intersectional scrutiny or consider complexities that might make right/wrong thinking more damaging to marginalised communities than not.
Not to mention, the rampant bullying and purity politics are concerning to me and I worry how this lack of consideration for the diversity of Snapeās fans and their respective reasons for relating to his character could do real harm to people. Thereās nothing noble, good, or heroic to me about a lot of people bullying and harassing fans of a character in the name of anti-bullying sentiments or anti racism, anti-sexism, etc. when those sentiments are ill-thought or clearly transparent excuses to engage in what is truly just your standard fandom-related nastiness.Ā
Can I just say: as a Jew, and as a politics student who has studied radicalisation, I actually have a lot of respect for people who turn away from white supremacist or other hate groups, because I know how easy it is to join, and how difficult it is to leave. The thing a lot of people donāt understand is that itās REALLY, REALLY EASY to fall victim to radicalisation. And typically, from religious cults to white power groups to ISIS, the process is fundamentally the same: young, emotionally vulnerable people are targeted. Often theyāre befriended by someone in the group who validates their feelings that the world is out to get them. Iāve read that the most significant predictor of radicalisation is disruption in the family/home. Often, young people donāt join hate groups because they necessarily believe in the ideology at first - they want to belong to a āfamily,āĀ they want to feel valued, they want to feel like theyāre apart of something,Ā and theyāre willing to adopt whatever ideology they need to in order to gain that. And you canāt just leave. Many people become trapped this way - they become disillusioned and want to leave, but they know that if they do, they face retribution. The group WILL send members after them, with the intent of serious violence. It takes courage to leave.Ā Ā How this pertains to Severus Snape: I donāt think a lot of people realise that Snape is a textbook case of radicalisation. And given the relevance of the issue in todayās world, I donāt think this gets talked about enough. An insecure, bullied young boy from a broken home, who already had some inkling of pureblood supremacist ideology, was scooped up by older kids who groomed him into a Death Eater. He later turned away from that ideology, but as far as the death eaters were concerned, he never strayed.Ā His options were to remain genuinely loyal to Voldemort, be genuinely loyal to Dumbledore while pretending to still be loyal to Voldemort, or be tortured/killed as punishment. Which is why it was MASSIVELY brave of him to turn away in the first place. Yes, weāre all responsible for our own choices. But it isnāt as simple as that. Sometimes we arenāt strong enough to choose what is right over what is easy, so we make bad choices. Sometimes, our true character is revealed not through our good choices, but how we handle our bad ones.Ā And the fact that so many people canāt wrap their heads around this, to me, is just scary.Ā
I wonder what Snapeās patronus was before the doe. I like to imagine some kind of snake or a bat.
(graphic made by @dogandbooks!)
My guess would be an owl, symbolic of his magic/Hogwarts/the wizarding world, his imagined bright future, his escape from poverty, neglect and abuse, the world he thought he'd finally belong in.
It breaks my heart to say it but I donāt think I can do this anymore.
I feel as if my posts arenāt coming across properly - that my tone is being read differently to my intent.
I thought being back would be fun, and I missed you all, but being here todayā¦I canāt put it into words. Ā I just feel so unhappy.
Iām so sorry youāre feeling that way right now.
You are honestly one of the bloggers that I respect the most, out of any fandom. Iāve always deeply admired your writing, both for itās depth and for itās clarity. Your arguments and opinions are so well argued and presented, and you have such a refreshing and admirable humility to your analyses. Iāve always felt that you keep an open mind and welcome other peopleās ideas, and actually listen to what others have to say. Rare qualities on a site like this.
Please know that no matter your decision, Iāll always be deeply grateful for how youāve helped me to better understand one of my favourite characters, and how youāve helped inspire me to start writing about Snape myself. Iāll miss your writing so very much, but your happiness is whatās most important. Please remember that youāll always be welcomed in the Snape Discord community, and that myself and others will always be more than happy to talk to you. Best of luck and happiness to you!

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Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hoursā time by Mrs. Dursleyās scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley⦠He couldnāt know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: āTo Harry Potter - the boy who lived!ā
Happy Birthday, Harry James Potter! (July 31, 1980)
Severus Snape, reverse Lady of the Lake: distributing legendary swords by chucking them into lakes
Discourse Time
Does Severus sleep under the covers or on top of them? How many pillows does he use? Does he sleep with socks on or off?
Severus keeps his bedroom, like the rest of his dungeons, cold. This enables him to sleep under several layers of covers, which creates a comfortable, heavy feeling. He sleeps with only one pillow, but often ends up hugging the bundled up top of a cover. He goes to sleep with socks on, but they come off during the night without him waking up.
Bonus headcanon: Severus sleeps best when he doesnāt intend to, so he often falls asleep at his desk or in an armchair with a book. He sometimes falls asleep in odd places around the castle, and wakes up first disoriented and then embarrassed. His colleagues think heās oddly adorable when he wakes up bleary-eyed and confused, without his scowl in place yet.
Why does no one talk about how Gilderoy Lockhart taught Harry āExpelliarmusā while Harry was in his second year and Harry used that against Voldemort twice and beat him twice. The real hero of Harry Potter is Gilderoy Lockhart and not Harry or Dumbledore or Snape.
āHarry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when Harry bellowed, āExpelliarmus!ā Lockhart was blasted backwards, falling over his trunk. His wand flew high into the air; Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window. āShouldnāt have let Professor Snape teach us that one,ā said Harry furiously, kicking Lockhartās trunk aside.ā Ā
I see no difference
(Photo by Belinda Wright/National Geographic, artwork by JKR herself)

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Who do you think Dumbledore cared more about, Severus or Potter and Black? I am asking because I've read a recent Article (more like a character study) that Dumbledore didn't favour Black and Potter (I know they got away with the werewolf accident) I always got that sense of detachement from Dumbles when speaking of Black during POA, GoF, OoTP but from the scenes with Sev, we see more emotions and perhaps even genuine worry (end of GoF) or was he just playing everyone, for the 'greater good'?
I might be wrong, but I always perceive Dumbledore as being somewhat ambivalent towards them all - not because heās a horrible person, but because theyāre just silly teenage boys and heās got a whole school full of such dramas. Ā I always read Dumbledore as being a relatively hands-off Headmaster, full of the concerns of the Ministry and the Wizengamot - and whilst heās involved in the broader scope of Hogwarts, he leaves the teacher-pupil interactions to his Heads of House.
So up until he hasĀ to step in with the Marauders and Severus, I donāt think any of them are actively on his radar, positively or negatively - and I think his apparent favouring of the Marauders has more to do with preserving Remusā education than Dumbledore actively siding with Sirius or Severus. Ā Unfortunately, I fear it would appear that way to both parties, bolstering Sirius and James to the level that theyāre quite happy to continue bullying Severus in a very vicious manner only a short time laterā¦and inadvertently propelling Severus towards those who are anti-Dumbledore.
I genuinely believe that Dumbledore didnāt realise that these boys would be the cornerstone of the next war, and had no idea of the impact of his decision. Ā Itās even possible that from a strategic perspective, Dumbledore felt that currying favour with Sirius was more important - for whilst Sirius is outwardly despising of his family, Dumbledore might assume thereās an avenue for future infiltration; a useful ally, perhaps. Ā
Severus, on the other hand, I think mightāve been seen as a lost cause - already too deeply in with the Slytherin rhetoric, unpleasant in both looks and demeanour, and having no real currency with either side. Ā Given how quiet Lily and Severusā friendship appeared to be, and the fact that nobody (not even Lily, Iād wager) realised how strongly Severus felt for Lily, itās reasonable for Dumbledore to assume that Severus had no draw at all towards the Order.
But in all honesty, I am unconvinced itās as deep as that.
By the time we fast-forward to their next interactions, itās all a little more complicated. Ā On the surface, Dumbledore does seem to favour Severus over Sirius - but again, I donāt think this is particularly legitimate. Ā I think this is to do with the roles that both men are playing.
Sirius is a very dangerous man in Dumbledoreās eyes, as he has Harryās affection, whilst heās proven himself to be reckless and inconsiderate of the greater war effort. Ā Itās not that he doesnāt want Harry to fight, but that heāll gladly put Harry in danger because he hasnāt thought through the consequences. Ā Itās entirely likely that left unchecked, Sirius will convince Harry to leave the protections so carefully constructed at the Dursleys, risking Harryās wellbeing - and itās a real risk that Harry will listen to Sirius and give as much credence to his word as he does Dumbledoreās. Ā Itās imperative, for the war effort, that Harry remains certain that Dumbledore is the man with the answers.
And then, Severus. Ā I think Dumbledoreās relationship with Severus is very complicated, but for the most part, Severus does an awful lot of what Dumbledore requests - despite his apparent disdain for the boy, he continually protects him and he generally acquiesces to Dumbledoreās wishes.
Goblet of Fire is particularly intriguing because after a really rocky year for the pair in Prisoner of Azkaban, Severus is back on board - and Dumbledore mustāve been incredibly relieved. Ā Up until this point, itās all been relatively easy with mere promises of future commitment, but I think once Dumbledore is assured by Severus at the ball that he definitely intends to return to Voldemort, his respect for his Potions Master balloons.
And that moment of concern? Ā Well, Dumbledoreās just heard Harryās testimony, and he knows what sort of mood a thwarted Voldemort will be in - and Severus is willingly walking into the fire. Ā I think that no matter Dumbledoreās overall feelings, he would have to be made of stone not to have cared about Severus in that moment.
ā¦and even if you do think that heās not interested in Severus per se, well, you could always attribute it to him having spent just under 15 years grooming Severus to be the perfect spy for the duration of the next war, and he might be about to be slaughtered in the first five minutes⦠Ā
So, to answer your question, I think the boys were predominantly on aĀ āusefulnessā scale for Dumbledore. Ā James was merely a lost soldier, Sirius was a boy with potential who rapidly lost all currency. Ā And Severus? Ā Well, I think the popular perception of Severus and Dumbledore as being akin to Harry and Dumbledore is flawed. Ā
I think Dumbledore saw Harry as somewhat of an innocent, and one to be protected at all costs. Ā Severus was already damaged by the time he aligned himself to Dumbledore, and he was - as we saw - expendable. Ā Dumbledore did his utmost to preserve Harryās life, whilst Dumbledore actively kept information from Severus, arguably not giving him the opportunity to survive - so no matter what apparent affection people think they see between the two, I think that reduces Severus right back down to Sirius and Jamesā levelā¦he might be quite happy to break bread with them, but ultimately theyāre just soldiers and losses are to be expected.
I think that if I was in Dumbledoreās place, Iād be very, very tempted to ensure that Sirius Blackās name remains relatively free of scandal, and that he aligns himself strongly and vocally with my cause. Sirius Black is a charismatic young man who has rejected his familyās pureblood doctrine and love of the dark arts, and as such he has the potential to serve as an inspiration for other youths who might be questioning their familiesā values. Because if a Black can be welcomed with open arms to Dumbledoreās side, surely someone from a less dark, less pureblood-obsessed family can as well? And why wouldnāt you want to be like handsome, clever, popular and charming Sirius Black?
Idea!
Itād be cool to do a Snape fandom reread of the Harry Potter series! Our little niche gets together and does analysis!
Yes please, I would love this.
Already in my vacations plans :) Just waiting for one book to arrive.
We could plot out discussion questions. One per chapter? Or one thread per chapter?
Wonāt some chapters have very little discussion material? Plus, some plot points stretch over a few chapters. Perhaps a question or a set of discussion questions every few chapters would be a better idea?
We could theme it by arc: Harry goes to Hogwarts, Quidditch, Mirror of Erised, etc. Relate it specifically to Snape but also other meta.
And for our own well-being, limit participation or at least responses to pro-Snape fans only.
Snape fandom, when do we want to schedule this? Is there a way we can send out a poll for dates? I suggest a week after trans snape weekāwe donāt want to distract from one of the biggest fandom events of the year, and I feel like weāre all going to need time to decompress. (letās make a promise to keep each other accountable and look after each other, with that Vice article out Iām afraid our little fandom is going to be under even more scrutiny and hate than usualāmaybe a tagging system, so if one person is getting attacked or getting triggered, another user can step in?) It also might be useful to do both a chat and a Discord for thisāso messages wonāt get lost, we wonāt be talking over each other, and weāll still preserve relative anonymity. Or some sort of forumāperhaps Iāll create a separate account, called something like thegreatsnapereread and we can submit discussion posts to that, and send around reblogs? That way we can nip trolls in the bud, as well. Thoughts?
A blog sounds perfect to keep it all in one place, to me at least. Discord scares me a bit, to be honest, because Iām not that good at more direct communication, to be honest. By direct I mean like in chatting. When I reply to blog post it gives me an impression of more one-on-one talk.
The suggested date seems good, too. I can promise to do my best to help if things get out of hand with more aggressive antis. Not that even throwing book quotes at some people always work, but at least Iād be one more person to share the misery. Is it good enough? Still not sure how it will work around these whom Iāve already blocked.
What do people think about having both a tumblr blog and a Discord chat server? I think each lends itself better to different styles of discussion, and some people might find one more comfortable (or fun) than the other.
Whatās Discord like? Ā I tend to shy away from any sort of instant chat.
I was probably slightly more intrigued by @lazarusquinceās forum style discussion. Ā Else a community blog, a bit like @snapeloveposts might be the way forward.
I suppose the other big thing to consider is pace - I know we might want to keep it looser than a timetabled approach, but to be honest, without something to aim for, Iāll procrastinate and fall behind.
@deathdaydungeon
On Discord, you create what they call a server (i.e. āSnape Reread 2017ā³), which people can then join (there can be restrictions on who can join to avoid trolls). This is basically like joining an overall forum. Within that server, you can create multiple text channels, which are like individual chatrooms. There could for example be channels for each chapter discussed, or for āclustersā of chapters (if there is little to discuss in each). There could also be a channel specifically for NSFW discussions (with a restriction on who can join, i.e. 18+), or a channel for each of the more overall themes/topics (i.e. āSnape as a spyā, āSnape as a teacherā). Thereās also a nice search function in Discord that allows you to search the content of the channels. The primary āadvantageā of Discord is for me how it allows for quick back-and-forth discussions with many inputs. I think this is great for asking questions, for sharing quick observations, for sharing ideas that youāre still brooding on, and for getting feedback on ideas that youāre thinking about writing more formally about. On Tumblr, such discussions easily take up a lot of space on a blog due to the format of Tumblr, and those discussions can get shared pretty far and wide without the posters having any control over it. On Discord, it stays contained within a channel, which I feel puts a lot less pressure on the posters, and encourages more people to join more casually.
I find that I write much more casually and freely on Discord, and discuss more, whereas on Tumblr I tend to write longer and more thought-out posts.