Towards the end of the book (Chapter 27-The Lightning Struck Tower), at the climax of the story, after Snape has killed Dumbledore and Harry goes chasing after him, there is an instant where Harry can't use cast an Avada Kedavra curse because he's angry but in spite of it, he doesn't have the 'desire' to do it. In any event, he calls Snape a coward. Which elicits from Snape a very angry reaction.

Obviously you could argue that Snape was just angry because he had to kill someone he truly looked up to, someone he respected and loved excuse me while I gag. But for those of us who know the truth some of us would disagree. Was there another reason maybe he reacted so wildly to that particular insult? Is Snape a coward, or was there something he did in the past that might be seen as cowardly? If so what do you think it was?

Is Snape a coward or was he just lashing out because he was angry at having to kill Dumbledore?

Snape is under a lot of stress and he lashes out. He hates Harry and wants to kill him, but he is under orders. Voldie wants to kill Harry personally. Snape must also impose discipline on the other Death Eaters. In the heat of battle, other DEs might forget their orders and kill Harry. Plus there is the debt: James saved Snape from werewolf!Rhemus; Snape is under some sort of obligation to save Harry.

All this pressure and insults too. I think Snape would have lashed out whatever the insult was.

Courage is the Gryff virtue. Slyth's virtues are purity, ambition and cunning. "Coward!" = "You are not a Gryff" is a very lame insult to aim at a Slyth; "Half-blood!", "Minion", "not as cunning as Draco" would hurt a Slyth more. Maybe James yelled "Coward!" while he tortured Snape and the memory stuck.

Snape and Petunia had painful childhoods. They brooded on the pain and became bitter and worse. Harry and Luna had pain and are good. Dumbledore's sermon about moral choices in CoS finale.

Picking on children is definitly out of order as a teacher can play an important role in your life, you could be discouraged from speaking out in public just from one bad teacher. Anyway, Im one of those people who is of the belief that what Snape told bellatrix at the begining is true and believe the killing of Dumbledore was for the DE's not the order or Harry, but Jo said the books mirror themselves and I was wondering if like in the first book Harry's going to be chasing after Snape and thinking he's the villain when it turns out it isnt snape but someone else. But most of me believes snape to be firmly on Voldemort's side as I think judging by how he loves the dark arts he would prefer that lifestyle. And I do think its very wrong of him to pass on his hatred to Harry when it was James's fault but maybe James's humiliated Snape so much the sight of Harry walking down corridors is like James is back. But then again Harry James and Sirius are determined to hate Snape like Lupin says in HBP. Lupin tries to get along with Snape like McGonagall but like you say Snape just shrugs it off, the only people he was ever civil or considerate to was the Malfoy family and Dumbledore and we dont even know if that was genuine, so anyway im digressing here, I think Snape is a cad and terrible man who is spiteful and petty and a bully but I dont think he's a coward, and I think that someone must have called him a coward alot or in a very vivid event.

No i think snapes good, well not angelic good. I think he only did what he did because he was under the unbreakable vow. he did what narcissa asked because shes his friend, not out of any personal vendetta or anything.

I think he just a COWARD but he killed Dumbledore because he was under the unbreakable vow with Narcissa. Severus was under pressure ,like what Rhemus said ,maybe James shouted coward when he was annoying Severus and it stuck in his memory.
Severus was a teacher and he was cruel to Harry and the others and that can ruin your personalilty(In my old school a teacher was so mean to me I lashed out and became a back-answering evil git instead of my old goody-two-shoes personalilty).

To me Severus is a cruel but COOL git who is quite a Coward in my mind.

I think Rhemus made a brilliant remark:

Which only serves to muddy the waters ... if Snape doesn't care about being brave why would the insult sting more? *Ouch*

I think it more plausible that his father called him a coward than James, here I'm thinking of the memory in the Pensieve circa Ootp.

I just don't understand, why the word coward. There's something there surely, no? Coward. Coward. Coward. But why? Unless James told Snape that on the night of the ... ZOMG! Sure Jo said that Snape wasn't under any invisibility cloak but she didn't say he wasn't at the Potter's house the night of the murder. Did she?

Memory in the pensieve, a man yelling at a cowering woman and child. Most people assume that this was Tobias Snape versus Eileen and young Severus. I prefer the theory that the man was Grandad Prince because it fits with Marvolo versus Merope. Also if Tobias and Eileen had an abusive relationship, I don't see why Severus would have been so happy to take the nickname "Half blood Prince".

Snape is not a coward.

A coward is

1. a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.
2. lacking courage; very fearful or timid.
3. proceeding from or expressive of fear or timidity: a coward cry.

That does not describe Snape. He is many things - he is often mean, unkindly, and helps no one but himself but he is not a coward - not really. Snape might have regretted some of his actions in the past and tried to correct them. He may have his own agenda in all of this but he is not evil either.



Snape, Snape, Snape...

When Harry sees Snape taking his O.W.L.s, Snape seems to be a very serious minded student. Throwing himself into his studies and not be aware of the situation around him. He does this as a means to escape from his problems. O think this is something he has good pratice after getting a glimpse of his family life at home as a young boy.

When Sirius and James catch sight of Snape as he continues to study - they torment and humiliate him in front of the other students - just because they are bored and can. Even his attempt to loose him self in his books there no reprieve.

Lily attempts to intervene, but Snape calls her a Mudblood, (because of his great embrassement and he is at his weakest and most volunerable moment) and she backs off. Perhaps Snape acted so violently to Lily's offer to help because his mom never tried or tired and failed to stand up to his overbearing father.

Harry is devastated by James and Sirius’s behavior and even feels a little bad for Snape. But Harry still doesn't try to trust him or like him. His mind is firmly made up. Snape is bad and evil. Just as James firmly did not like Snape when they met for no apparent reason.

And this was just one incident, one glismpe into what were many days in Snape's life being treated this way. When he escaped the treatment at home, he had to relieve it in other ways at school.

Had Dumbledore been honest with Harry from the beginning and explained the truth about Harry’s complex connection to Voldemort, Harry may have been more stringent with his Occlumency practice, more tolerant and understanding of Snape and, therefore, not fallen for Voldemort’s trap. If Dumbledore simply explained why Snape owes James his life or what he knows about Snape that makes him trust Snape's word without doubt that would have softened the distrust bewteen Harry & Snape.

Snape knows so much information and not only about the Dark Arts or potions. He has so much knowledge to give.

Godric Gryffindor & Salazar Slythern were the best of friends. Each balanced the other.

The sorting hat is calling for the houses to unite. Only then can Voldemort be defeated. Will Harry work with Snape after all? He is Harry's greatest untapped source for information and assistance

Respect is something that can not be demanded but has to be earned. Snape still lacks that from his peers as a grown man.

I think that is why Snape was soo angry at the end of HBP when Harry called him a coward.

Snape has risked & scarificed soo much by being a double agent. He has spent his life atoning for whatever Dumbledore says he is truly remorseful for and to top it off niether side fully trust or respect him. No one knows the truth behind Snape's actions (except Dumbledore). That is the opposite of being a coward to me.

The coward remark was just too much for him. Even in Snape's greatest scarfice he has yet to be respected. I'd be a little PO'd too. Especially since I saved the brat's butt who called me a coward more times than I can count!

Not much has changed for Snape since we watch the penisve scene... That's not an easy boat to stear!

Wow carola9146 we couldn't disagree more if I plotted it this way

Well that's the question this whole thread asks.

I like your lexical definition but you can't answer that with any certainty unless you know all of Snape's background which is my argument ... you don't think he is, and I have to ... maybe agree a little, I mean he is a spy for the Order and all that ... but then ... why did that insult sting soooooo much? C'mon, coincidence? I think not.

Yup that's our subject.

That instance I can totally understand, and I'm not saying he's a coward because of that ... but ... something else perhaps. Some other event ...

Snape could have forced Harry to keep on taking Occlumency lessons, Snape is the more mature figure here whatever Harry's ridiculous attitude, and yeah, Harry is not without blame I don't think anyone liked how he behaved in Ootp but ... Snape is the teacher and older and allegedly more mature. Which he's not. Which is why I think he's evil, which isn't the topic here ... is he a coward? I think so yes ... something he did or didn't do in the past and maybe that's why he's with the Order that's why he turned to undo something he did in the past ... maybe the reason Lily died ... he feels partly to blame ... he might have loved her ... it's been speculated elsewhere.

No. Actually you give it to strangers all the time ... and if you try not giving it to your parents ... at least in my house ... you're gonna get a whole lotta whoopin' boy ... not that I'd know I'm so well behaved.

Then you must leave room for the idea that he is attoning for some cowardly act he committed. Jo said Snape wasn't under the invisibility cloak but she didn't say he wasn't there ... the night the Potters died ... or with Neville's Parents or heaven knows where ... doing God's only knows what. Coward stung for a reason. Why?

Yeah well on behalf of the brat *Pets Harry* He's going to do something even Snape can't and that's defeat Voldemort so ... *shrugs* I'd call them even or maybe Snape still owes Harry ... for years of pain. Fact is Snape saw Harry's life at the Dursley's he knows the kind of life he had isn't the one he thought he did, all wonderful and egotistical ... but his treatment of Harry never changed. Snape at the very least is petty or a fool ... in my opinion ... we're talking about an adult ... Harry's an adolescent ... so ... I don't know if he's a coward, but I think that remark stings for a reason ... maybe he's been wrongly accused of it before ... you might be right and he's not. But there's something there isn't there?

Are those names canon? Wow ... where'd you get them? No fair I wanna know ... *pouts*

I have to say I agree with you there ... sounds more fun and mirrory.

That would depend on who the half blood was ... or rather if his father was Muggleborn or not ... or who was the wizard or witch? God I'm confusing myself LOL Then he could have taken it as a badge of honor though in truth I don't see where he was happy with the name ... since he kept it a secret ... maybe his secret shame? Uh, new thread ... LOL

Snape has to be very brave in order to live on both sides of the fence.

Snape's not a coward. Maybe in the past, but not anymore.

First, read my response to the issue of whether or not Snape actually had to kill Dumbledore...

http://snitchseeker.com/vb3/showpost...&postcount=242

Okay... so I've established that Snape is not completely evil and pretty much had to do what he was told. Maybe you think it's cowardly that he followed through with his Vow and killed Dumbledore when he could have just died himself. Yes, I do think that is cowardly, but I also believe it took a lot of courage for him to follow through with it. If I am right about Dumbledore having a greater plan, than Snape would have had to kill him if he wants the plan to work and Voldemort to be defeated, hence the self-hatred he has for having to do this. Also, by murdering Dumbledore, Snape will now be seen as evil again, and that has to suck for him, considering he probably spent a lot of time trying to redeem himself already.

In the chapterd "Flight of the Prince," a few things caught my eye...

Snape obviously didn't fight back. He could have if he wanted to, and he would've had an easy time of it, considering how emotionally distressed and unstable Harry was at this point.

Was Snape the one torturing him? And if so, wouldn't it have been easier to just Avada Kedavra him? Snape was trying to escape, so why would he spend all that time inflicting pain on him?

Oh, guess not. Snape wasn't even the one hurting him. Snape stopped Harry from being hurt. Yes, maybe Snape was just following Voldemort's orders, but I doubt that. He probably is using is as an excuse for preventing Harry from being hurt and/or killed.

This really struck me as interesting. Snape seems to be is so much pain and self-loathing at this point, and is extremely angry at Harry for calling him cowardly too. Maybe he feels he was a coward killing Dumbledore instead of breaking the Vow and dying himself and doesn't want to hear it. Or maybe he feels like a coward because he's a spy and has to resort to sneaking around instead of just openly declaring he's on the good side. Or maybe he feels like he was a coward a long time ago, and does not want to hear that he is because he's a changed man fighting for the good side and it brings back painful memories. Or maybe he feels what he's been doing was a very brave thing, and he feels like he deserves credit for it, rather than being seen as a cowardly, trecherous snake.

Basically, while Snape's definitely not completely good or brave or noble, he's not completley evil, or cowardly, or devious. He's just like everyone else... trying to do what's right.

I don't think Snape is a coward. I think he had to "kill" Dumbledore because of someone's orders. Maybe even Dumbledore's.

Hagrid overheard a row betwwen Dumbledore and Snape. Snape wanted out of something, but Dumbledore said he was in too far and he couldn't. Was Dumbledore's death a set up?

I think that Snape is a jerk and a biased, obsessive bully, but he is definately not a coward(I still love him though ). I think that he will do whatever he has to do, especially if it is for his own interests, or to save his skin. Ultimately, I think that Dumbledore told Snape to kill him, as upon learning about the Unbreakable Vow, Dumbledore would have valued Snape and Draco's lives over his own.

Yeah I definitely agree with you there. It's just like Dumbledore to be so self-sacrificing and selfless.

No he has to be very careful or he'll get caught. Not brave, but wily.

Well that's the question this thread asks, I mean if you think he was a coward in the past. How and why? Speculate.

While I agree with your points, you haven't actually established much in a concrete sense. I mean ... we don't know that Snape was tricked by Dumbledore into having to kill him. We also don't know why Dumbledore wanted him to kill him then (I swear if this turns out like Star Wars ) there's many points still up in the air ... not least of which is where Snape's ultimate loyalties lie.

Having said that I think Snape is fighting with the good guys, but this thread doesn't ask if he's evil which I think he is ... even if he is 'allegedly' doing good things.

It's funny how we can agree on the whole but when you get down to the finer points we don't. What I mean is, I agree Snape is like everyone else, I don't agree that:

a) Everyone else is trying to do what's right. Think Voldemort.
b) he's completely anything.

Cuz I think he was a coward once, that isn't to say he can't be brave. I'm just curious, why those words stung so much. There's something there I think.

CryWolf & hermy_weasley, again I don't mean Snape as being a coward solely because of his actions in killing Dumbledore, I mean at any point and time before.

I just think it's a bit fishy he didn't stop the Death Eaters before it got to that point, or that they risked getting him in the first place ... the whole death leaves me kind of funny ... like Jo didn't plan it out right.

I'm quoting your quote Weasel Queen, I still haven't gotten to that chapter again but from the looks of it, his gaze of revulsion is to Dumbledore. Why? But that's to do with his having to kill him ... maybe he did hate Dumbledore, maybe Dumbledore had something over him ...

In any event. I think there's something in Snape's past that made him react that way to those words. I'm not saying I'm right ... we won't know until book 7 if ever ... but it strikes me as an odd way to behave ... especially over someone who's opinion you shouldn't care about.