thoughtful So I've put together a handful of questions that I hope will clarify (at least in my own mind) just who Severus Snape is.
Question #1: Is there any indication in canon that he has above average intelligence? I see him portrayed this way a great deal in fanfiction, but I'm not certain it has any canonical basis. A lot of fics go so far as to say he was nearly placed in Ravenclaw in much the same way Harry was almost placed in Slytherin. He's almost universally considered to be well-read, and fond of classic literature. He apparently enjoys doing research as well, and is quite skilled at it. How much of this is based on fact?
Question #2: Is there any indication in canon that he's an expert in making potions? Sure he's described as a potions master, but in this context doesn't "master" simply mean a male schoolteacher? Like Lockhart was the DADA master and Dumbledore is the headmaster? At its most basic (from my American POV), Snape's job is that of elementary and high school chemistry teacher. I think it's clear from some of the school's other teachers (e.g., Lockhart, Trelawney) that it doesn't take a great deal of skill to acquire this position at Hogwarts. Instead all it seems to take is having Dumbledore or the Ministry favor you. (In fact, the only subject I recall it being mentioned Snape was particularly good at was DADA.)
Question #3: Just when did he join up with the Death Eaters? I've been trying to get some kind of a timeline clear in my mind, and haven't had much success. I know it's said in the books that he hung around with "a gang of Slytherins" while he was in school, "who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters" (GoF). Was the war with Voldemort going on then, or did it start later? Do we know when or why Snape switched sides to join up with Dumbledore? Do we even know for certain that he did switch sides? (After all, Dumbledore apparently trusted Quirrell and Lockhart, too.)
Question #4: Is it ever stated explicitly that Snape is a pureblood? I know that he's shown prejudice toward non-purebloods on multiple occasions, but then, so has Voldemort. :/
Question #5: What kind of temperament does he have? I think he's depicted in fanfic most often as being extremely level-headed and logical, not to mention quite dignified in his bearing. This image jars harshly from what I remember of him in the books (particularly confronting Black and Lupin in the Shrieking Shack).
I suppose that's about it. Looking at him this way, I almost wonder why I like him at all. ;) But that's a whole other post entirely...
If you have any answers that might help set my curiosity to rest, please share them!
ETA: (Quiz nicked from
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amberfox):
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Who are you in the Harry Potter or Hogwarts Universe?
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January 12 2004, 17:34:03 UTC 8 years ago
#2. Once again in PoA (I've read that book too many times), Dumbledore says that the Wolfbane is a very difficult potion to make and only a few wizards can make it. Severus is one of them, and the fics started.
#3. Timeline as far as we can tell is that Severus, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter left Hogwarts in the summer of 1978. Voldemort was already active.
Auror training must have been different back then, because in OotP JKR writes that the training is 3 years. But in PS, we see that the Potters were already aurors and speaking against Voldemort. (oh yeah, they managed to become aurors, get married and have a son all by July 1980).
In OotP, we learn that Severus has been teaching at Hogwarts since sometime in 1981, presumebly before the Potters were killed, because in GoF we know that he was put on trial after their death, which would make it unlikely that he started in 1981 since they died on Halloween.
So once again, Severus managed to become a Death Eater, possibly in the inner circle according to the comments made by Voldemort in GoF, to turn spy or convince Albus that he was turning spy in about 3 years.
#4. While we have no explicit comments about Sev's lineage, we are told in PS that only purebloods get sorted in Slytherin. Of course, then we learn about Voldemort. *g*
#5. I am so guilty of this. My Sev is a master of calm, but in the books, he is petty, loses his temper, and snarls a lot. However, most of those occasions deal with Potter and/or Sirius. In his dealings with others, his language is really precise, he's aloof. I think the justification with no canon proof is that he hates Potter and Black so much that he loses all control. Again no proof for this.
Having answered this, I think I've read these books too many times, but I'm not so bad that I can give you direct quote. ;)
January 12 2004, 19:19:29 UTC 8 years ago
But how common is it to be an occlumens, I wonder? Hmm. I really do have to reread OotP. As for being a potions master, that doesn't mean he's any kind of an expert (IMO). Master is just another word for teacher. And an expert in the Dark Arts? Do the books really say that? Or did he just have a fondness for them when he was a kid?
I'm just leery of projecting what I want him to be onto what we're shown of him in canon. I think that -- because he's described as significantly unattractive (crooked yellow teeth, greasy hair, etc.) and with a less-than-stellar personality -- the temptation is there to make him exceptional in some other way to compensate for it. :/
Dumbledore says that the Wolfbane is a very difficult potion to make and only a few wizards can make it. Severus is one of them
Aha! Now this is evidence I can sink my teeth into. *g* This would seem to suggest that he is above average at potions-making. Yay!
in about 3 years
Wow. All of that happened in 3 years? What happened during that span of time, I wonder? I can't be the only one's who's dying for JKR to write a second series of books based on those years. ^_^
Of course, then we learn about Voldemort. *g*
Yes, some of the information we've been given is obviously suspect. But I rather like that -- this is all the information Harry's been getting as he learns about the wizarding world, and it's up to us as well as him to sift through it all and separate fact from fiction.
I think the justification with no canon proof is that he hates Potter and Black so much that he loses all control.
Certainly he does in Black's case (I really can't wait for PoA to come out in the theatres!!!). But why on earth does he hate Harry so much? I've always wondered about that. Is it really because he can't separate the son from the father in his mind (which says interesting things about his psyche, if that's the case)? Or is it because he sees Harry as having everything he wishes he had (i.e., fame, fortune, the adoration of the entire wizarding world), and he's jealous?
I'm not so bad that I can give you direct quote. ;)
*snicker* That's one of the reasons I generally try to steer clear of canon discussions. I always feel like everyone knows so much more about it than I do.
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January 12 2004, 17:43:04 UTC 8 years ago
My guess on that one is field training, and the desparate need for good fighters in whatever capacity, whether they've been fully trained or not.
January 12 2004, 19:23:29 UTC 8 years ago
Which seems to apply to their teachers as well. Teacher's certification? What's that? ^_^
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January 12 2004, 19:17:40 UTC 8 years ago
Question #1: Is there any indication in canon that he has above average intelligence? I see him portrayed this way a great deal in fanfiction, but I'm not certain it has any canonical basis. A lot of fics go so far as to say he was nearly placed in Ravenclaw in much the same way Harry was almost placed in Slytherin. He's almost universally considered to be well-read, and fond of classic literature. He apparently enjoys doing research as well, and is quite skilled at it. How much of this is based on fact?
I think that most of this is fanon, however, I do think he's very intelligent for a few reasons. 1) He's well spoken. 2) He managed to successfully operate as a spy, working against the second most powerful wizard in the world. 3) McGonagall treats him as a peer, despite his youth, and she and Snape seem to operate as Dumbledore's right and left hands at Hogwarts. None of that has anything to do with classics or research of course, but I think it does speak well of his intelligence.
Question #2: Is there any indication in canon that he's an expert in making potions?
I think you're right about the master/teaching thing, but the fact that he's one of the very few who can brew the Wolfsbane potion seems to indicate that he has a superior talent in potions. Also, I think his manner in the classroom tends to imply someone with a real passion for his subject, as opposed to, say Binns, who's just trudging through the syllabus.
Question #3: Just when did he join up with the Death Eaters? ... Do we know when or why Snape switched sides to join up with Dumbledore? Do we even know for certain that he did switch sides? (After all, Dumbledore apparently trusted Quirrell and Lockhart, too.)
I think most of this is still pretty much up in the air. My own thought is that he joined the DEs at approximately the same time as the Potters joined the OotP. As for Dumbledore's trust...I don't know. He (Dumbledore) certainly seems pretty convinced, and he's no doubt had plenty of Devil's Advocates arguing against Snape (e.g. Moody).
Question #4: Is it ever stated explicitly that Snape is a pureblood?
I don't think this has ever been addressed, but I think the fact that he has a close relationship with Lucius Malfoy, and his position as Head of Slytherin both argue for him being a pureblood. I don't think that only purebloods are allowed in Slytherin (hello? Harry??) but I do think that the pureblood snob parents (particularly Malfoy, who was on the Board of Governors) would have raised hell if a non-pureblood was put in charge of their children's house.
Question #5: What kind of temperament does he have? I think he's depicted in fanfic most often as being extremely level-headed and logical, not to mention quite dignified in his bearing. This image jars harshly from what I remember of him in the books (particularly confronting Black and Lupin in the Shrieking Shack).
Well, I think for the most part he is cool in canon -- quiet, intense voice, the controlled stalking around, sneering and sarcasm. He really is very tightly controlled, and extremely concerned with his own dignity. I think all of the times he's lost control are times when he feels like he's being played for a fool. It's easy to say that it's Harry or Sirius that causes it, but the fact is he's often shown keeping himself under tight control around them both -- the situations where he loses it and turns into frothing-at-the-mouth!Snape are when they're 1) breaking the rules/laws and *getting away with it* and 2) making a fool of Snape in the process.
January 12 2004, 20:26:24 UTC 8 years ago
Is he? I'm wracking my brain trying to think of a time he wasn't stalking around snarling at people. *scratches head* Though I must admit I rather liked his reaction when Lockhart offered to make the mandrake antidote in CoS ("Excuse me, but I believe I am the potions master at this school." Hee!).
I agree with the rest of your comments regarding his intelligence completely, although I think they have more to do with "street smarts" than "book smarts".
the fact that he's one of the very few who can brew the Wolfsbane potion seems to indicate that he has a superior talent in potions
Yes, that was something I'd forgotten completely about. I really like the idea of Snape as an expert in his field, so it's nice to have some small piece of canon to cling to. *g*
He (Dumbledore) certainly seems pretty convinced, and he's no doubt had plenty of Devil's Advocates arguing against Snape (e.g. Moody).
Which raises yet another question. Why is Dumbledore so convinced of his loyalty? Is it just a matter of supporting the "underdog" like he did with Lupin and Hagrid? Is he holding something over Snape's head to make him loyal? How can he know that Snape isn't going to turn around and betray them all???
The next books can't come out fast enough, LOL.
I do think that the pureblood snob parents (particularly Malfoy, who was on the Board of Governors) would have raised hell if a non-pureblood was put in charge of their children's house.
You are so right on this. And Draco obviously looks up to him, which is another indication. Given Draco's past reactions to halfbreeds and mudbloods, I don't think he'd be treating Snape with any kind of respect or admiration if he wasn't a pureblood. Very good point.
Well, I think for the most part he is cool in canon -- quiet, intense voice, the controlled stalking around, sneering and sarcasm.
Is he described as having a quiet, intense voice in the books? Or is that Alan Rickman bleeding through into his character? I think his sarcasm in the books often comes across as petty vindictiveness rather than any kind of witty reparte (like his comment about Hermione's teeth).
the situations where he loses it and turns into frothing-at-the-mouth!Snape are when they're 1) breaking the rules/laws and *getting away with it* and 2) making a fool of Snape in the process.
That makes sense. He certainly does seem to have a surfeit of pride (which, sadly, JKR seems to be making into a blanket Slytherin trait). Must all Slytherins really be narcissistic and cruel? Just look at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville in Gryffindor -- four very different people with very different gifts, each showing their House's traits in their own way. Yet all Slytherins seem destined to be evil, slimy, bigoted, egotistical Death Eaters in training. :(
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January 12 2004, 21:18:08 UTC 8 years ago
Is there any indication in canon that he has above average intelligence?
No, there isn't. I think we're supposed to conclude he is on our own, though that's both here and there. I personally think he's a cunning man, because of his sly ability to spy on Voldemort of all people (snakes?) and not get caught, even despite Occlumency. But at the same time, it's not said that he's smart, and sometimes? He acts like a real bonehead.
He's almost universally considered to be well-read, and fond of classic literature. He apparently enjoys doing research as well, and is quite skilled at it.
I think a lot of that has to do with Lucius. We know Severus favors Draco, and we assume favors Lucius as well. And as Lucius is as stuck up as a basketball on the roof, we can also deduce that the man wouldn't be seen with anyone less than an intelligent individual. Because even with Arthur Weasley, a fellow pure blood, Lucius is disgraced to be in his presence. Purebloods, from Lucius' point of view, act a certain way, and we assume as readers that means that Severus acts respectably high class, if he's a pure blood or not.
Is there any indication in canon that he's an expert in making potions?
No, but he seems highly affronted in CoS when Lockhart says he can whip up a Mandrake Draft, and Snape's like, "If I am correct, *I* am the potions master at this school," or something to that effect. It made me think he'd worked hard for his job and his title.
At its most basic (from my American POV), Snape's job is that of elementary and high school chemistry teacher.
My Snape!Muse just screamed like a little girl, I'll have you know ::grins::
Is it ever stated explicitly that Snape is a pureblood? I know that he's shown prejudice toward non-purebloods on multiple occasions, but then, so has Voldemort.
This is a BIG one. I personally don't think Snape's pureblood at all. If anything, I think he's half, like both Voldemort and Harry, and has an incredibly dirty past. Because several times in the book's we the readers are told who the pure bloods are--Dumbledore, Malfoy, Weasley, Longbottom, ect ect etc. But never *once* has anything been said about the Snape family being pure, and as the man is a main character in this series, I find that incredibly odd.
What kind of temperament does he have?
I think he's a miserable bastard.
I think he's depicted in fanfic most often as being extremely level-headed and logical, not to mention quite dignified in his bearing. This image jars harshly from what I remember of him in the books (particularly confronting Black and Lupin in the Shrieking Shack)
I think a lot of people depict Snape this way in fanfic because strangely enough, though the man is kind of crazy, he *does* have several properties that make him level headed, logical, sly, cunning, ect ect etc. He's managed to infiltrate Death Eater country with grace while working for Dumbledore, is friends with Lucius while at the same time very likely stabbing him in the back, and has saved Harry's life *countless* times, despite times when he could have very easily let Harry die. He's just...Slytherin. They hide their good qualities under a lot of pissy attitudes.
If you have any answers that might help set my curiosity to rest, please share them!
LOL, nothing new I'm afraid, just my two cents. My Snape!Muse is still screaming ::grins::
January 13 2004, 14:22:22 UTC 8 years ago
I personally think he's a cunning man
Ah, but cunning isn't the same thing as intelligence. He's certainly a very shady character, and no one (except possibly Dumbledore) seems to know what's what about him. But he doesn't really strike me as the bookish type, or as being studious by nature. Hmm, maybe I have to go back and reread that pensieve scene where he's taking his exam again.
And as Lucius is as stuck up as a basketball on the roof, we can also deduce that the man wouldn't be seen with anyone less than an intelligent individual.
*sniggers at the image of Lucius as a basketball*
This statement makes perfect sense to me. If not an intelligent individual, then at least a cultured one. Which Snape really doesn't seem to be, does he? He's greasy and obnoxious and rude and unpopular with just about everyone who isn't a Death Eater. I wonder if it's more his political views (or what Lucius thinks are his political views) that make Lucius favor him.
This is really giving me a lot of food for thought.
Because even with Arthur Weasley, a fellow pure blood, Lucius is disgraced to be in his presence.
I thought Lucius's objection to Arthur Weasley was the fact that his job is to investigate other wizards. Lucius seems to have an "us against them" outlook on life, with "us" being the pureblood wizards and "them" being everyone else. The fact that Arthur, a fellow pureblood, would choose to (in his opinion) cause trouble for other purebloods in favor of Muggles (or at least Muggle artifacts) must grate on him.
Then again, it's also entirely possible he doesn't like Arthur and his family because they're not rich like he is. :/
No, but he seems highly affronted in CoS when Lockhart says he can whip up a Mandrake Draft
That's certainly true. But the original jist I got from that exchange was that Snape didn't like having his territory infringed upon -- he didn't like the idea of being upstaged in his own field by Lockhart of all people. LOL.
But never *once* has anything been said about the Snape family being pure
That's what I thought, too. With all the fanfics I've read, it's so hard to remember what I actually read in the books!
I think he's a miserable bastard.
*gigglesnort* Yes, but tell us how you really feel about him. ;)
He's just...Slytherin. They hide their good qualities under a lot of pissy attitudes.
I love that desscription of Slytherins. They probably would want to hide anything that might make them appear weak in front of the others.
My Snape!Muse is still screaming
Hooray for screaming Snape!muses. *g*
January 12 2004, 22:15:21 UTC 8 years ago
In canon are any of the other male teachers called master?
Purely because if not, and due to the british medieval system of master/apprentice (master mason, master carpenter etc..), you could hazard that Snape really is one of the top people in his field. To say that one person is a master, whilst others are implicitly not, indicates a much higher level than average of skill, and hence potion genius status.
Hope that that helps
e.a.
January 13 2004, 08:40:45 UTC 8 years ago
On the other hand, it is true that master/mistress is just the equivalent term for teacher in the old British boarding school system.
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January 12 2004, 22:58:59 UTC 8 years ago
At its most basic (from my American POV), Snape's job is that of elementary and high school chemistry teacher.
I think that might also be from a 21st-century POV... Bear in mind when you evaluate the importance/prestige of Snape's position at Hogwarts the developmental stagnation of the wizarding world in many ways. The current US and UK Muggle educational structure, with its university and postgraduate study programs, is relatively new. As recently as 150 years ago, you had people going up to Oxford and Harvard in their early teens. When you take into account the fact that the wizarding world has no universities, I think you can't actually equate a professorship at Hogwarts with teaching US or UK Muggle prep school. (Of course, I'm not sure what you would equate it with instead...)
On the Master/master tip, I recently reread the first four books and am certain i came across an instance in which Flitwick was referred to as "the diminutive Charms master," which would support the idea that master is used merely as a synonym for 'teacher' and not as a term carrying any implications of Mastery. Of course, I cannot quote a chapter or page number, so take that as you will.
January 13 2004, 01:55:38 UTC 8 years ago
If he is very good with charms, wouldn't that strengthen the fact that Master might imply having finished an aprenticeship?
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January 13 2004, 00:20:37 UTC 8 years ago
Popped in from Snapesupport!
1)Snape, I think, is a damn hard worker, and posseses survival' smarts and a very intuitive, sharp intelligence. Smarter than anybody else? I don't think so, but hard work and intelligence often combine to make a very capable person.
2)Snape is an expert- he is an instructer showing people who will be the next healers, apothecaries, Aurors and what have you how to recognise and combine the elements of nature. And if he like most other college/high school teachers, he proabbly is reading journals and newspapers to keep up the syllabus.
3)The quotes you give are from Sirius POV, who as we saw in OOTP, despised Severus for the very act of breathing. But since severus was a DE, I would say just after school, before the murders started.
4)Snape calls a Lily Evan a mudblood when she is trying to get him out of trouble with Potter- and he is the head of Slytherin House. I am goning to assume yes, even though Snape is not on teh Tourjours Pur black Tapestry. (And until we find out for sure, I will have Snape a pureblood- after all, the British Royal Family is actually German, and are not related to any of the Old Landed Families in Britain.)
5. He has a harsh, no bullshit temperment. If he feels that he is being lied to or played for a fool, he loses his temper. For someone who had been bullied by people who he may see as 'getting away with it' (And they did not- James Potter got the end that I think was worthy of him, and so did Sirius. Remus' pathetic need for approval will get him killed, I think, and Peter...ahh, Peter)
Snape has a very defensive attitude, and may see Harry as getting the same sort of fawning treatment that his dad got. (Except we, the readers know that this lovely young man is a far better person now than his father at his age- and quite possibly, will become a better person than his father was when he died.)Snape is emotionally stressed when it comes to people who were childhood bullies (yes, Remus included- I would have poisoned the slimy fucker)but who wouldn't be, truthfully?
So, yeah, Snape is a hardworking, overstressed, sarcastic bastard who forgets his weekly bath. He is also a teacher trying to protect his kids and do his duty. And there is the reason why I like this character so much.
January 13 2004, 15:10:39 UTC 8 years ago
Snape, I think, is a damn hard worker, and posseses survival' smarts and a very intuitive, sharp intelligence.
I definitely agree that he's a hard worker and has bucketloads of streetsmarts, but "a very intuitive, sharp intelligence"? That's the part I'm having trouble seeing. I do see him as a very capable person who can accomplish pretty much anything he sets his mind to, but I'm not sure how much of that is innate and how much of it is just a refusal to take shit from anyone or anything, life included.
But now I'm thinking of the logic puzzle he left to help guard the sorceror's stone. If that was supposed to be each of the guardians using their strengths to protect the stone, then that would seem to imply his forte is his intelligence after all. Hmm.
Snape is an expert- he is an instructer showing people who will be the next healers, apothecaries, Aurors and what have you how to recognise and combine the elements of nature.
But he's not teaching healers or aurors, he's training kids. Granted, he probably couldn't get a job training aurors because of being a former Death Eater, but I'm not convinced his position teaching teenagers indicates he's any kind of a potions guru. And when you take into account the fact that Lockhart was the DADA instructor, it really doesn't seem to take very much in the way of skill to land the job of teacher in Hogwarts. :/
Of course none of this means Snape isn't uber-intelligent or a genius at potions, but I don't think we can assume it just because of his job.
The quotes you give are from Sirius POV
And that's the really frustrating thing, isn't it? I want to see inside Snape's head, darn it. I want to see the world the way he sees it. I think the closest we've come to that so far is the memory Harry witnessed in the pensieve in OotP.
Snape has a very defensive attitude, and may see Harry as getting the same sort of fawning treatment that his dad got.
I can certainly see where this would get his hackles up (especially since it's true), but didn't he start in on Harry from the first moment they met? He never bothered to see if Harry was really going to be like his father or not (which is a bit of an open question since Harry never knew his father). Which makes perfect sense with Snape's character, but really, it wasn't very fair to take out his childhood insecurities on an 11-year-old boy. :(
And there is the reason why I like this character so much.
I think it's fascinating reading all these different views on Snape's character. It's amazing how so many different people can read the exact same books and come away with so many different ideas of what he's really like. I suppose that has a lot to do with the fact that we know so little about him, but still, he's enormously fun to speculate about. :)
January 13 2004, 02:02:01 UTC 8 years ago
It's actually odd that he wouldn't take the time to clean up properly, since a gentleman shouldn't really be slimy and greasy. Some have said he might have depression or other reasons not to, but this is getting way OT ^_^;;
Question #2: Well, there's the wolvesbane and the fact that he managed to start teaching Potions somewhere around the age of 20. Expert or not, he must be pretty good to take it up like that, because I don't for a moment believe he went into some teacher training beforehand. And Charlie, who've told Ron and the twins that Snape wants to be a DADA teacher didn't say (or at least none of them have repeated) that it had anything to do with Snape not being able to teach properly.
Also, Umbridge remarks that Harry's class is at an advanced stage for their age and both Harry and (surprisingly) Neville seem to have done rather well on their OWLs, for their personal knowledge level at least.
For me, this shows that Snape sets higher standards for his pupils - and thereby himself - than the Ministry which means he knows his subject.
Well, that's my 2c at least ^_^
January 13 2004, 15:18:32 UTC 8 years ago
I rather think that was JKR trying to drive home his "evil incarnate" impression in the first book. Because of course the villain would be greasy and have crooked yellow teeth, now wouldn't he? :/
Also, Umbridge remarks that Harry's class is at an advanced stage for their age
Ooh, I forgot about that.
For me, this shows that Snape sets higher standards for his pupils - and thereby himself - than the Ministry which means he knows his subject.
I love that viewpoint. I actually like the idea of Snape having a great deal of integrity when it comes to teaching. It may not be the profession he would have chosen for himself (I suspect Dumbledore had to strongarm him into it in the beginning), but once he took on the task he decided he was going to do it to the best of his ability.
January 13 2004, 02:04:24 UTC 8 years ago
Part One. Thank you LJ comment limits.
Referred over. Just wanted to pop a few ideas out because I've discussed some of these questions before and it's always interesting to follow discussions. ^_^Question #1 and 2: I think there's evidence to say that he's intelligent. He's obviously good with Potions, even Sirius says that he knew more curses than anyone in seventh year as an ickle firstie. In the Pensieve scene, we see him writing furiously on his Defense O.W.L., as if he has so much to say he can't finish within the time limit. And even after that, he goes out to revise. (One wonders, however, how smart he is if he doesn't just go to the library or the dorm where he's not going to be bothered.) But of course, if you look at PoA, Dark Creatures are apparently not his forte (kappas are Japanese, not Mongolian).
Now, intelligence is not necessarily indicative of being a Ravenclaw. So, that I think is completely fanon. And actually a bad idea. Like Hermione, I think Snape would make a horrible Ravenclaw, because neither of them have any sense of limits, especially in terms of wanting to know something. Snape would be the sort of Ravenclaw who might torture someone to death simply to catalog their reactions throughout each step. And that's completely aside from being a sadist -- that's because he's just curious.
I think he is well-read -- within his chosen subjects. I do not think he has ever read Plato, or Machiavelli, or Thomas Hobbes, or anyone else that authors sometimes pick him to idolize. If Snape has read anything that isn't a textbook or spellbook, I will be very very surprised.
I think he would enjoy research only if he was allowed to research on someone.
He's quite enamored of potions, despite wanting the Defense job. We can see this through his first year speech, in which he effectively glorifies what he does. The end of PS/SS also shows a love of potions -- you'll note that he doesn't set up curses, he sets up a test based on logic to find the right potion to go ahead.
We also see in canon, and this is logical given the nature of the study and it's non-flashy results, that potions is not a particularly liked lesson by anyone, including the Slytherins. Even Draco, who is favored in that class, doesn't seem to actually enjoy it very much so much as rubbing his favored position in Harry's face. Added to the fact that there's no higher education in the WW, the N.E.W.T.s level would be the highest one can go on their own -- and Snape is canonically very picky about who he allows in.
Speaking of Defense, given that what little we do see of him displaying his knowledge (outside of Occlumency and Legilimency, which don't actually seem to be Defense arts) when he subs for Lupin in PoA, his knowledge is far from comprehensive. Or even accurate.
But we are told that his knowledge of curses is first rate. Which leaves one to wonder if perhaps the reason he wants the Defense job is because it might be the only way Dumbledore would let him actually use the Dark Arts. And get paid for it.
Question #3: The only canon answer we have to this comes from Snape's starting year as a teacher at Hogwarts -- 1981. It's a safe assumption that 1981 is the year he became a double agent. Especially since the school year starts in September -- two months before Voldemort was disembodied.
January 13 2004, 02:08:53 UTC 8 years ago
Re: Part One. Thank you LJ comment limits.
Question #4: There's no evidence either way. Snape could be a pureblood, a halfblood like most of the population, or even Muggle-born. As for the prejudice, he hasn't shown any favoritism either. We see in the very first Potions less that even the Slytherins -- save Draco -- are subject to blistering commentary. I assume the 'non-pureblood prejudice' comes from his treatment of Hermione, however, that always struck me as something that came from her being an insufferable know-it-all rather than being a Muggle-born. In fact, Snape calls her that at least once a book.And other than Hermione, all of his other special victims are either pureblood or halfblood (Harry, Neville and Ron).
That prejudice is much better attributed to Draco than Snape because there's no evidence for it at all. If he is prejudiced, then Snape hides it very very well.
Question #5: Snape's temper varies book by book. Obviously, he gets a little unhinged around both Sirius and Remus. And Moody. And Harry. Oh, let's throw in James and Peter and Lily too, just to be complete. For the most part, I think he tries to be calm. But he has such a vicious temper that he can't control it very well. Frankly, a fanfic longer than 1000 words without at least one scene in which Snape loses his temper starts spitting and yelling in capital letters is out of character for him.
As well, unlike other characters, such as Remus (who is the prime contrast to Snape in temperment), Snape is rarely possessing the speech tag 'said' with no action tag. More often 'snarled', 'smirked', 'glowered', 'hissed', 'glared', 'drawled', 'muttered', 'screamed', 'shouted', 'hovered', 'twirled', etc is attached to things he said. Go through and read any scene, regardless of whether he's reacting violently or not (such as the incoherent rage in the Shrieking Shack) and more likely than not his speech will be theatrical. This isn't calm, collected behavior even when he isn't in a rage. His actions aren't controlled; they're large, energetic, and pushy. He swoops, instead of peers. Stalks instead of walks. Glowers instead of frowns. Etc. He's nearly as theatrical as Draco -- who is arguably the most theatrical character in the book -- and people take notice because even the way he moves makes it impossible not to or else risk getting knocked down.
So even if he's not frothing at the mouth, his actions are rarely calm.
And a side note, sparked completely by the comments on the post. Snape and Dumbledore are NOT the only ones who know Occlumency/Legilimency. Voldemort can, for one. And given Remus's comment about Snape being good at it, it's logical to conclude that Remus himself learned from experience (by either reading Snape's mind or Snape attempting to read his).
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January 13 2004, 02:11:33 UTC 8 years ago
Is there any indication in canon that he's an expert in making potions? Sure he's described as a potions master, but in this context doesn't "master" simply mean a male schoolteacher?
His one of the top people on his field (will not repeat the Wolfsbane argument). That should imply some research. He knows how to make potions that were fairly recent discoveries and not around when he was at school. I have no clue as to what the master title implies but considering he is the only one to be called that (I’ve not seen anyone calling Flitwick the Charms master for example) it could be a mark of qualification. And how he got that qualification in the three very busy years after leaving school is a very interesting question.
He is an occlumens which is rare and would imply a certain strength of mind.
As for possibly having been in Ravenclaw, in the Pensieve scene in OotP Snape has written “at least a foot more than his closest neighbours, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.” That screams Hermione and geek to me. But even before OotP I believed it was likely that Snape had been a good if not outright brilliant student (after all he was definitely not the top in his class, James Potter and Sirius Black were as McGonagall says in PoA). My evidence would have to be that Snape apparently disliked James for his Quidditch skills and who hates a jock? Well, a geek, that’s who. It’s all teen movie angst.
I think that scholar!Snape tends to be overdone in fanon but there are certain indications. Take his speech at the first potions lesson. Or the rather poetic riddle he set as a task he set for the Philosopher’s Stone. And “foolish wand-waving” could mean that he’s more into theory than the practical aspect of things.
I think it's clear from some of the school's other teachers (e.g., Lockhart, Trelawney) that it doesn't take a great deal of skill to acquire this position at Hogwarts. Instead all it seems to take is having Dumbledore or the Ministry favor you. (In fact, the only subject I recall it being mentioned Snape was particularly good at was DADA.)
Dumbledore doesn’t really care about the quality of education his students will be getting as long as he finds a refuge for his pet projects. Umbridge says that the Potions class is advanced but what does she know? There’s also the fact that in general the students found their OWLs rather easy compared to what Snape had put them through… It would seem that Snape is capable. It can’t be that strange that he is accomplished in two fields.
Question #5: What kind of temperament does he have? I think he's depicted in fanfic most often as being extremely level-headed and logical, not to mention quite dignified in his bearing.
He is dignified and very polite and formal. Even to Lupin throughout PoA (and I’m with Dana here, he should have poisoned that slimy shit). The Shrieking Shack is an exception. I don’t like Vulcan!Snape, always collected and logical but as an adult he is mostly keeping it together except for when he is faced with Sirius or James spitting image in his mind, Harry.
January 13 2004, 06:36:57 UTC 8 years ago
recently, there was an interesting discussion in
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January 13 2004, 03:41:13 UTC 8 years ago
#1 and 2. I'd say Snape's intelligence is above average. We know he has a good handle on the Dark Arts, but in the books it mentions several other facts that support the theory that he's intelligent. He can make the incredibly complicated Wolfsbane Potion, which few other wizards have accomplished, and he can both read minds and protect his own mind from being read. I also like to think that the fact that he changed sides before Voldemort's downfall is due to some level of intelligence.
None of the other teachers actually have the title "master" except Dumbledore, and headmaster's really just a common term for Principal, so I think there's something behind that as well.
#3. I have no idea from the books, but I imagine it was after he left school--not long after, but still after.
#4. That's never been stated, no.
#5. He's level-headed and logical until it comes to Harry and the Marauders. He has to control his temper with Harry a lot but in all other contexts when we see him he really is calm. He has great logic skills, but prefers bias. He's completely flown off the handle once, at the end of book 3.
January 15 2004, 14:21:06 UTC 8 years ago
Certainly it's okay! Thanks for commenting. :)
We know he has a good handle on the Dark Arts
Do we really? Didn't he kind of make a mess of things when he was taking over Lupin's class during the full moon? *scratches head* It's so hard to separate what I read in the book from what I read in fanfic anymore.
I also like to think that the fact that he changed sides before Voldemort's downfall is due to some level of intelligence.
Hee! Very true. Survival instinct, certainly.
He's level-headed and logical until it comes to Harry and the Marauders.
That makes a lot of sense. Didn't he lose his temper when he confronted Harry and Ron about flying a car into the whomping willow? Or am I confusing the movie with the book, now? He didn't totally fly off the handle there, but I seem to recall a fair amount of spittle flying around. ;)
He has great logic skills, but prefers bias.
You know, I think you've hit on one of the key aspects of his character here. He has the capacity for logic and reasonableness, but rarely uses it. He prefers his prejudices and his assumptions and his prejudgments. Why is that, I wonder?
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January 13 2004, 04:38:00 UTC 8 years ago
Q2 re potions master It struck me when I first read PS that the schooling system at Hogwarts and in some ways the whole of the wizarding world as portrayed was a little oldfashioned in our terms. The school system in particular reminded me of British schooling at a time when discipline was very strict and teachers were generally known as masters - hence schoolmaster which was ( and in some places still is ) another word for ( male )teacher. For many years and until recently ( mostly in private schools), it was not necessary to have a teaching qualification as such, simply a university qualification / very good school exam marks - this is true for the Scottish school system which is slightly different from English. I think we have to assume that Snape was talented at potions even at school and assuming an appreticeship of sorts could quite easily have come back to Hogwarts to teach within a short time but I am certain that master is simply a school title.
For what it's worth I also believe Snape to be pureblood firstly because he is head of Slytherin which seems to imply he should be and also because of his association with Malfoy and the Death Eaters. Although Voldemort himself was not pureblood I think that is immaterial - Death Eaters surely by their very nature have to be?
January 15 2004, 14:13:55 UTC 8 years ago
I'm feeling increasingly convinced of this as well.
Death Eaters surely by their very nature have to be?
I suppose it could be possible that they'd join Voldemort's cause for the same reason Voldemort did -- out of anger and/or shame over a Muggle-tainted past? If so, the question would seem to be whether V would allow a non-pureblood into his ranks. But if the wizard was powerful enough and willing to serve him, why not? He is (IMO) more about acquiring power than about The Cause.
Of course that's all speculation, since apparently the books don't say one way or the other. :/
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January 13 2004, 05:58:02 UTC 8 years ago
2. Other people have already mentioned the Wolfsbane Potion as evidence of Snape's skill: I'd also add that he is capable of making Veritaserum, which is a controlled substance and is also described as difficult to make. Whether or not he actually started out as wanting the Potions position at Hogwarts, I'd say that he either got very good marks in Potions at school, or else he threw himself into the job like a mad thing as soon as he got it, and brought his skills up to a high level by sheer dogged hard work.
3. JKR hasn't told us specifically yet, but I believe it would have had to be just before or shortly after Severus left Hogwarts at the age of eighteen. We do know that by twenty-one or twenty-two he had already turned against Voldemort and started teaching at Hogwarts.
4. I think Snape's pureblood status is debatable. Although he's on record as tolerating "mudblood" comments made by his students (i.e. Draco), that's what one would expect if he were still posing as a Voldy sympathizer (which he does seem to be doing). Aside from the single comment young Severus made to Lily, there's no evidence that the blood purity issue was ever important to Snape. And to me, that "Mudblood!" aimed at Lily has more the ring of a desperate attempt to distance himself than a sincere expression of racial hate. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that Snape had Muggle ancestors, even fairly recently in his family tree.
I don't think he joined the DE's because of the pureblood agenda; I think he joined them because he wanted to be recognized and respected for his abilities, and because he wanted to belong. And, probably, because he thought Voldemort's side was the winning one. Those motives seem to me much more in line with his character as we've seen it so far: all Snape's hatreds and grudges are personal ones, based on things that happened in his own past, not airy-fairy philosophical ones.
[cont. in next message]
January 13 2004, 05:58:24 UTC 8 years ago
When Snape gets totally nuts and flies off the handle, note that it's always got something to do with Harry and/or MWPP. Actually, it's all about MWPP really -- Harry is hateful to him primarily because of his connection/resemblance to James. The memory of his past humiliation at James and Sirius's hands, with Lupin's tacit consent and Peter's fanboy encouragement, get under Snape's skin to the point where he can't see straight, and makes him edgy and apt to fly off the handle (i.e. the Shrieking Shack).
But in other situations, even very tense and threatening situations, Snape keeps a cool head, does what needs to be done, and stays in control. He bullies Neville in class (not just because Neville is genuinely and dangerously incompetent, but also [IMO] because he's ticked off with the kid for not being the Child of Prophecy and thus leaving it all up to Harry Bloody Potter, again), but he does that quite cold-bloodedly; he doesn't blow his stack like he does with Harry.
In short, I think Snape has a certain poise, elegance and reserve to him, but those things have been learned -- they don't come from good breeding or a privileged economic position, for sure. And when his ignominious past comes back to haunt him, he reverts to being savage.
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January 13 2004, 05:59:56 UTC 8 years ago
So, thanks again! :)
January 15 2004, 13:48:20 UTC 8 years ago
January 13 2004, 08:16:49 UTC 8 years ago
Question #2: He makes the Wolfsbane, which everyone has already mentioned *and* Veritaserum, the most powerful truth potion possible, which takes a full lunar cycle. Plus he seems to make all the potions for the Infirmary, so he's at the very least extremely knowledgable in the field, and excels at two different subspecialties (medical and law-enforcement potions). And I think that Lupin says that he's lucky that Snape makes the Wolfsbane for him, since he, Lupin, was never much of a potions maker -- implying that Snape was noticeably better than him.
Question #3: It's not certain. What is sure is that he allied with Dumbledore *before* the Potters were killed, as Dumbledore states this in flashback to Karkaroff's trial in GoF. It would help if we knew if Voldemort took Death Eaters at 17 or younger. I suspect, though, that Snape joined up as soon as he was either a legal adult (17) or finished school (18) -- after all, he already had amply evidence that James Potter et al. were on the one side, and that was probably a big factor in his joining the other side.
Question #4: Beside the name-calling in the flashback in OotP, Snape hasn't behaved in any more prejudiced a manner than the average wizard-in-the-street. Now, that might be saying something about Wizardly Britain as a whole, but he's not outspokenly a pureblood supremacist; he still could be one, but so far, besides one incident when he was 15, as an adult he's been fairly silent on the issue.
I do think he's a pureblood (of a lineage less distinguished than the Weasleys) or close to it. He could hardly have joined the Death Eaters if he wasn't, considering that they don't even know that Voldemort is a half-blood; if he wasn't pureblood, they'd have strung him up for his temerity, nevermind his eventually turn at spying.
Question #5: He can be a right bastard as a teacher, and Harry (& Black & Lupin) push his buttons to the point where he losses his hard-won control, but when he's not around his triggers, he's actually decent. In GOF, when Harry snoops on Snape and Karkaroff at the Yule Ball, Snape is somewhat short-tempered, but is friendly enough to call the other man "Igor" and accept being called "Severus" in return. At the end of OotP, he's quite glad to see Prof. McGonagall out of the hospital, which the first time he's acted noticeably well in front of Harry when he's *aware* that Harry's there!
I think the students see him at his pettiest, but I'd really to see how he interacts with Slytherin students as Head of House, and how he teaches the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff classes. I think the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff classes are a LOT calmer than the Gryff/Slyth ones. And I want to know if his calling Draco by his given name instead of his surname was a) because Draco is a Slytherin outside of class, b) because Draco is a prefect, or c) because Draco is Draco.
I do think he's ruthless when he needs to be, but his definition of 'need' is at right angles to most people's. He comes across (to me) as someone who has pulled himself up by his bootstraps, is aware of it, and has a chip on his shoulder about it.
January 15 2004, 13:44:04 UTC 8 years ago
Does he really?? I thought for sure that was fanon. :/
I really do have to go back and reread the books again...
I'd really to see how he interacts with Slytherin students as Head of House, and how he teaches the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff classes.
Oh, me too! It's frustrating that we only get to see him from Harry's POV, and Harry obviously strongly dislikes him. I'd be fascinated to see him from Draco or Dumbledore's POV or even (gasp!) his own.
And I want to know if his calling Draco by his given name instead of his surname was a) because Draco is a Slytherin outside of class, b) because Draco is a prefect, or c) because Draco is Draco.
You're not the only one. *g* It makes me wonder if he knew Draco before Draco started attending Hogwarts, which would make sense if he and Lucius are friends. Ah, the plot bunnies that one little detail brings to life...
Thanks for commenting! You've made a lot of these points much clearer for me.
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January 13 2004, 10:48:06 UTC 8 years ago
Most of what we know about Snape, we kow through hearsay. Percy tells Harry on his first day at school that Snape is after Quirril's job, but we never see Snape actually talk to Dumbledore about getting it.
Black goes on about how many spells Snape knew and his association with people who eventually became Death Eaters, but as Black hated Snape to the point of trying to murder him, and had also roomed with/befriended the greatest traitor of the Wizarding World, his estimates of Snape's character and loyalties are probably even more prejudiced than Harry's - through whose eyes the entire story is told.
I don't remember anything in canon that showed Snape liked either classics or calssical music. I think that's all fanon.
I think the fanon view of Snape being intelligent comes from the vocabulary he uses. The man uses the language well, and usually people that articulate have intelligence to match. Black tells us how many spells Severus knew as a child, but that's not necessarily an indication of his intelligence, merely his interest in DA and survival instincts. I think the books give a fairly clear indication that he is an expert at potion making, so that's canon.
When did he join the Death Eaters? Once again, the books are pretty cloudy on that. I checked myself to see how Dumbledore words what he says to Harry after the pensieve scene in GoF, and Dumbledore clearly states that Snape switched sides, which to me implies that Snape was originally working for Voldemort of his own volition. I believe AD says that Snape switches sides right before the end, which does raise the question as to what caused him to defect so late in the game. I don't think it was fear that V was going to lose, because TSoSS & GoF make it quite clear that V was at his most dangerous and unstoppable when baby Harry defeated him. I think that whatever caused Snape to jump ship so late had to be something V did that Snape couldn't tolerate, or some change in himself that made it impossible to continue as V's henchman. Or, a possibility that makes the most sense to me, V. sent Snape undercover at Hogwarts to spy for him, and Snape saw it as his opportunity for deliverence and changed sides then.
I don't think it's stated anywhere in the books that Snape is pureblood. It's assumed because of his position as the head of Slytherin, but Riddle was a Slytherin, so that is hardly airtight evidence of his pedigree.
As for Snape's temperment, I think a lot would depend on whether you were discussing book or movie Snape. To me, book Snape is a petty, vindictive, often unstable man who has suffered tremendous abuse and ostracisim in his life and engages in blatant despotism. Movie Snape, however, doesn't strike me as nearly as dark or petty. Movie Snape is able to rise above his hatred of Harry's father enough to wish him well at his first quidditch match, which I found a very humanizing scene.
Cheers.
January 13 2004, 13:10:35 UTC 8 years ago
I think he was subtly taunting Harry in this scene.
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January 14 2004, 03:23:02 UTC 8 years ago
I'll assume that LM doesn't do that about anyone (I don't think just being a DE would be enough... Can't imagine that LM would speak highly about Peter for example), which indicates that there must be *something* intellectual/intelligent about Snape...
Plus that I don't think LM would accept/like a Mudblood so much either
(And why does Snape calls Draco "Draco" and not "Malfoy"? Could there be more personal bonds between the Malfoy family and Snape/the Snape family?)
Well, the obvious problem with this discussion is lack of information... Here's a snippet from an interview with Alan Rickman (http://www.handbag.com/gossip/celebrit
The part of Snape seemed so perfect for you... there was something about it which made it look like you were stretched and yet sort of confined at the same time. Did you feel that?
Good way of putting it, actually. Because that's what Snape's like. There are such still waters in there. And the trouble is that there's so much we don't know yet 'cause JK Rowling hasn't revealed it. I know a couple of things about all that, that you don't and I'm not telling...
-sheesh
January 15 2004, 13:20:42 UTC 8 years ago
Gah, this is what comes of reading too much fanfiction. I'd actually remembered that, but thought it was from a fanfic I'd read somewhere along the line. It's a very good point that anyone who has LM's regard would have to be above-average in some way (at least from a conversational / cultured / classy point of view).
And why does Snape calls Draco "Draco" and not "Malfoy"?
Yet another example of me confusing canon with fanon. I didn't realize he actually did that in the books. It does raise a lot of interesting questions, doesn't it?
I know a couple of things about all that, that you don't and I'm not telling...
Rotten tease. ;)
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January 15 2004, 12:29:28 UTC 8 years ago
- Tinderblast (of
January 15 2004, 13:08:52 UTC 8 years ago
I didn't know you had an lj community! ::friends::
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January 15 2004, 18:28:42 UTC 8 years ago
Hope you don't mind me butting in, *grovels*, but as someone who detests movieverse!Snape, and who doesn't read much fanfiction, perhaps I might have some useful answers to your questions on canon!Snape.
1. While I don't think Snape is stupid
(most of the time)don't really see much evidence of him as a super genius. Besides what other people have mentioned- James and Sirius being described as top of their class, Snape getting the whereabouts of kappas wrong, etc.- I think Snape's accomplishments in Potions and elsewhere have more to do with him being a hardworker than anything else. Look at the way he acted in the pensieve; and even though he hates his job, he still puts so much effort into making sure his students get the information they need (even if he has to bully them to make them understand). I'm also wondering if Snape is so good at potions merely because he has the patience (read: stubbornness) to work a full lunar cycle on one.Snape seems the type, to me, that puts their all into everything they do, whether it be their work or a grudge. And it's because of this that I think he would have been more likely to be placed in Hufflepuff than Ravenclaw. He's definitely got the hardworking part down, and he appears to be very loyal to Dumbledore and to his House, which is another Hufflepuffian quality. (His "loyalty" and determination to fulfill the debt he owes James could be seen as another example of this.)
2. Most of what I wanted to say on this subject has already been covered by others, so I'll just add that maybe Snape insists that he be called "master" in the same way that he makes sure Harry refers to him as "sir" during the Occlumency lessons; the other teachers are secure enough that they don't need this extra sign of respect
(or fear), but Snape being Snape... ;) I'm probably way off base in this, but it's an idea, anyways. *shrugs*3. I'm gonna skip this one because I am lazy. *throws lot in with those who said Snivelly wanted some control in his life, and a place to belong*
4. I do think he's most likely a pureblood, in the sense that both of his parents were wizards (or a wizard and a witch, I should say ;)), but I don't think he's a pureblood in the same sense that Draco or Sirius are. I doubt his family had a big old family tree dating back hundreds of years hanging in their living room, and I don't think they were rolling in money either (i.e. the greying underpants, flies in the bedroom, etc.), but despite this, I could still see the idea of not intermarrying with half- and mudbloods being important to his family. Because while you might be poor and common, but at least you're better than those filthy mudbloods.
5. To me, canon Snape isn't logical or level-head at all. But, he does go at great lengths to appear that way. Even with occlumency, Snape still can't stop himself from throwing tantrums, and a calm collected person doesn't snarl and hiss the majority of the time, even if they are with people they don't like.
I could see Snape (especially when he was younger) attempting to imitate Lucius' poise (which could explain the change from the "twitchy spider" walk to the sweeping about), but I don't think it was something that came naturally. Snape is a really passionate guy, and while he tries to hide his emotions by projecting an image of "coolness", the violent seething in his inside still breaks though.
Or something like that.
(Sorry if what I wrote doesn't make sense; I'm very rather tired at the moment. :/)
January 15 2004, 20:04:38 UTC 8 years ago
1.) While it is stated in the books that Sirius and James were the top of their class, I don't think that this actually makes any statement about Snape's intellegence. As the books show, after the first couple years the students are allowed to choose their own course of studies. If, for example, one student was taking a more difficult course load, but did not get grades as high as someone taking an easier course load, neither person is really more intellegent than the other. While this is not nessesarily the case here, it would be fair to say that grades do not always reflect intellegence. This doesn't really say anything deffinate about the topic, but is just an alternate way of looking at the canon evidence that we do have.
There is the problem with the term master being used, and to be honest, I don't think that it matters one way or the other how it is being used. In my opinion, Snape must be intellegent and skilled enough, at least in his own field, or he wouldn't have lasted as long as he has in the position. Look at all the incompitent/failed DADA teachers. While this doesn't indicate a whole lot, one can assume that if he was not particularly intellegent/skilled, he would have ended up dead, without his memory, or as the victim of an unfortunate Neville induced explosion. The only teacher we have seen lasting in their teaching position while being incompitent iss Trelawney, who is the exception that proves the rule really.
5.) I think that Snape is a bitter, pissed off jerk, who still seems to do the right thing. He doesn't seem to have ever been treated with much respect, which would explain why he is so attatched to being called sir by people he knows have no respect for him. He takes whatever power he can get. He actually reminds me of one of my professors, who gives the Fire and Brimstone Lecture of Doom on the first day of class in an effort to get all the idiots, slackers, and general wastes of time to drop his class. Snape seems to try and acomplish this same thing by being mean and terrorising his students. I would be willing to guess that by the time a student actually made it to his NEWT course that sort of behavior would have decreased dramatically.
Wow. That went on a lot longer, and probably more incoherently than I intended. :)
January 20 2004, 19:51:43 UTC 8 years ago
Rushing in from a link, apologies.
Because most of the comments have been done to death, I'll just add a couple of things.1)I imagine that he wasn't ever bottom of any of his classes. He's clearly not stupid, judging by what he's seen. Even Sirius admits he's clever, and Sirius probably wouldn't say such a thing unless it were true. And, of course, James and Sirius being top of their classes doesn't mean so mcu where Severus is concerned, since the Gryffindors and Slytherins don't have all their classes together. But I do agree with the people who suggested that Severus might be more intelligent in the "streetwise" sense, and in the sense of being cunning etc. He would never engage in acts of foolhardy bravery (as Sirius certainly did - alas for the Sirius fans, it was the death of him). I think basic common sense and self-preservation is what I'm getting at here. Besides things everyone else said.
2)People have already covered this one - I won't add more. But yeah, I think he is especially good at it even if it's not what he likes best.
3)We don't know, but we do know from GoF two facts:
a)The Dark Mark's purpose is as a means of identification, and to call Death Eaters to apparate at their master's side when it burns black.
b)One cannot obtain an apparation license until one is seventeen.
Therefore he must have been seventeen or over when he got the mark, for purely practical reasons.
4)It's not, and we don't know. It seems quite plain to me from the way he is that he didn't grow up in money (it's a British class thing) and is having to work his way up. He's no Lord of Snape Manor. However, this doesn't mean he's not a pureblood. He might not be from an especially exceptional bloodline (no seven-centuries-of-muggle-rape for him) but he does seem to me like someone who certainly grew up in a wizarding environment, and I don't think either parent was necessarily a muggle-born either. Just a feeling I get.
5)He wants to be seen as cool, calm and in control. Thusly, he does not express his emotions in a respectable way. This is because he is Dealing With It. And Deal he does, right up until the pressure becomes too much to bear (having someone WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU turn up and act like you owe them is a lot of pressure) when he will explode. Then, after he explodes, his is utterly mortified at himself and will deal with this by blaming someone else in his own head, because if he blames himself, his extremely fragile sense of self-worth will come crashing down and he'll be utterly useless to everyone. Actually, that may be me :-/
January 24 2004, 02:07:16 UTC 8 years ago
Found through link, but still interesting enough topic to comment
#4 This is a question, I had discussed with a friend who RPs Snape quite much, so I believe I can say something to it.My theory: Snape has no direct muggle relatives (his open prejudices against 'mudbloods' speak strongly against it), but he is not 'pureblooded'.
My arguements: In OotP, we learn from Sirius, that all pure families (I assume, he only means'in britain' here) are linked to each other through marriage and similar. Were the Snapes a 'pure' family, they'd logically be related to the Blacks somehow, as well.
Now, when Harry looks at the Black family tree, it's obvious that he notices especially the names that mean something to him: Malfoy, Lestrange.....and wouldn't he sure as hell also notice a Snape somewhere? Since the family tree seems to be at least four generations long, it would be highly probable that if there is connection to the Snape family, it would be found there. But it isn't. (I doubt, Harry would overlook it.)
Of course, this is no proof. There is always the 'But what if...'. But I see it as a rather nice hint.
February 26 2007, 05:04:12 UTC 5 years ago
February 26 2007, 05:38:02 UTC 5 years ago
Yes, you're right. However, I posted this question to my LJ about a year before HBP came out... Damn, I hate it when my future-reading abilities fail me like that. ;)
I'm actually glad Snape turned out not to be a pureblood because it means Riddle isn't above using other half-bloods to further his pureblood agenda. He might be a bigot, but he's an opportunistic one. Such a consummate Slytherin, heh.
5 years ago
February 26 2007, 14:34:20 UTC 5 years ago