Snapedom

What do we know about magical cores? Fanon certainly explores the issue, but is there anything within canon that addresses just what makes a witch or wizard stronger than their peers? Canon implies that the most powerful wizards are half-bloods, but is there a genuine argument for that beyond a huge series of coincidences?

Would a large magical core be beneficial or detrimental to a Potions Master? I have conflicting feelings about whether being magically powerful would be a help or a hindrance for someone in Severus's vocation. It led me to wonder whether he would have to control the amount of magic he introduced during brewing in order to create potions as precise as his perfectionism demanded.

He's an emotional man and repressing that for his art would contribute to his erratic behavior. He's obviously clever and well-educated ... he prides himself on possessing unflappable emotional control that allows him to be a successful Occlumens yet we continually see him react emotionally in social situations.

Could his emotional explosions have been in part because he struggled to be as unresponsive as possible while he worked with potions as well as when he had to be when he masqueraded for the Dark Lord? It's food for thought and the more I ponder it, the more questions I have about magical cores and emotions powering magic. Opinions?

Snape Loves Quidditch by HapticMimesis on DeviantArt

Today, I'm sharing a 2008 post about Severus and his colleagues. There's loads of insightful thoughts and commentary so give it a read, and as always, feel free to continue the discussion.

The Ministry happily employs Obliviators to protect the Statute of Secrecy, and it's known that memories can be both erased and rewritten. We know that Gilderoy Lockhart maintained a career using the Memory Charm. We also know that Severus is an accomplished Occlumens and Legilimens.

Given Severus's interest in the mind arts, is Severus the sort of wizard who would use Memory Charms? If so, how would he use them and why?

Why did Severus choose to follow the Dark Lord?

Once selected by Voldemort as worthy was there a choice other than defiant death?

Today, I'm sharing art inspired by a fantastic series of drabbles written by lariopefic for the first round of snape_ldws, which focused on the Seven Deadly Sins. You can find the drabbles on AO3. I think Wrath may be my favorite, but I'll probably change my mind repeatedly, as I often do when gifted with so much well-written Snape because I'm already shifting back to Envy. These drabbles have provided me a wonderful burden!

Redemption of Severus Snape by sassynails on DeviantArt

This Thursday we return to this discussion from 2008 that has a lot of thoughtful suggestions and deductions. Geographical hints (and speculations) within canon point toward Scandinavia, but then the Durmstrang motto ↑ is written in both English and -per Google Translate- Belarusian, which puts some countries in Eastern Europe back in the running.

Do you have an opinion about Durmstrang's location?
Do you think Severus would have had an opportunity to visit? Would he have wanted to visit?

Severus Snape and the author's abandonment of his character in DH---
Severus was a crucial character in the series, especially the later books, and his death scene provided Harry with vital information. Aside from the favorite fandom answer: Severus didn't die. (I assure you that I won't argue against that.) Why do you believe JKR failed to provide closure or evidence of death for a key player in her universe? Is Severus a disposable character?


p.s. Given Harry's record of assuming the opposite of everything he later learns to be true, I hope you'll forgive my not accepting Harry's assumption of death as evidence.

*passes through in a tizzy*
apologies for no TBT post yesterday, my week has been busy


Here's one of my favorite images of teenage Severus.
Happy Friday!


Severus Snape by sikuriina on DeviantArt

Meta Monday Returns!

This week Harry Potter is turning 35!

In January 1995, during Harry's third year, Severus Snape had his 35th birthday. Unknowingly, he was about to embark on his last year free of the Dark Lord; while he had a respectable career, we know little else about his personal or professional life.

How do you think Severus spent his free time? What do you think he'd accomplished as a Potions Master? Would he have continued to explore spell crafting? And finally, how do you think his 35th year would compare to Harry's?

Answer any or all :)

Today we're looking back to July of 2008 when snapedom was posting solely on IJ. We'll have the opportunity to read or reread what people were thinking about Severus, his parents, and the Evans family. There's even a bit of talk about social classes, religion and ethnicity, but it all leads back to this question: Did Severus attend Muggle school?

After reading, you'll no doubt have thoughts about what was written (Tobias and the books!). You're welcome to renew or continue the discussion here, and I hope you enjoy today's memory from snapedom's Pensieve as much as I did. :)




*Posting early -for my timezone- to give more continents a chance to enjoy TBT on Thursday.

As promised, a bit of meta for your Monday.

We all know that Severus Snape was a man who wanted respect and recognition, even an Order of Merlin. Within HP fandom, he's been both loathed and romanticized, but recently, there's been a strong resurgence of Snape hate.

How do you think Snape would react to fandom?

There's a lively discussion on the LJ Post that you're welcome to join. No LJ account required but as always, please sign your comments if anon.

Hi, everyone, I'm sassy_cat and I've taken over maintaining the community from shyfoxling. The LJ community has reopened and all member posting privileges have been restored. (and my clickin' thumb feels the pain)

I hope to bring a bit of life back to the community by restarting Friday Recs and would love for everyone to share their favorite Snape fiction and art each Friday.

Thursdays will embrace where we've been by showcasing a TBT post with a link to a previous snapedom discussion. We can read with nostalgic amusement or renew/continue the conversation. Can Severus Snape every be truly deciphered?

Mondays I'll be posting a Meta Monday question about Severus to get your thoughts flowing, but as always, you're welcome to post and discuss Severus as needs demand.

For those who prefer their fandom on Tumblr, snapedom has created an official Snapedom Tumblr. I'll be cross posting the weekly posts there as well, so you won't miss any mod posts or recs. Assuming the Friday Recs are a success, I'll be compiling a rec lists and posting those onto Tumblr as well.


I'm easiest to reach on LJ, but I try to check my e-mail daily so you can also reach me at sassycat0109@gmail.com.
Your thoughts and opinions are alway welcome.

Sassy

Would anyone out there be interested in taking over ownership of this community? I feel bad that I've basically just sat on it and never even got around to changing header graphics, community icon and things like that (I always wanted to put up something fanart and not just from the films). I would prefer if a taker would also be willing to take over the old LiveJournal community (which I have many times considered re-opening, but that wouldn't be required; do what you like) and, as a bonus, the Dreamwidth community as well (although to tell you the truth, it's a dead zone and the only reason I haven't just deleted it is because then if someone did want to have a Snape fan community by that name, they'd have to wait for the username to be purged), just for the symmetry of having the same person in charge of all the places.

“An aquiline nose (also called a Roman nose or hook nose) is a human nose with a prominent bridge, giving it the appearance of being curved or slightly bent.” (Wikipedia)

“ hook-nosed, beak-nosed, parrot-nosed, aquiline-nosed, Roman-nosed, crooknosed, crookbilled;” (Roget’s Thesaurus fourth edition, 252:8, Curvature)

( ”So” )

The Dark Mark

What on earth was Severus doing at the end of GoF, brandishing his Dark Mark in Fudge’s face and explaining exactly how it worked? I mean, sure, we all appreciate that it was a heroic attempt to help Dumbledore to persuade Fudge of You-Know-Who’s return. But had Severus forgotten entirely he was going to be facing the Dark Lord himself in a short time? How was he supposed to spin that action to him?

What did he expect Lord Voldemort to think, after Snape displayed such transparent loyalty to Dumbledore?

Perhaps … that his servant was very clever and devious indeed, in getting the old fool to think that while secretly advancing the Dark Lord’s interests.

( First )

Ever since mary_j_59 posed the question of how readers can NOT read Snape as brave, I’ve been pondering it.

Partly, as we discussed, it’s the difference in how one faces danger: Jo uses her authorial voice to privilege Gryffindorish “courage” (which Joanna Russ, in her novel The Female Man, neatly epigrammed as manly men being “slaves to the fear of showing fear”).

( ”So )

The Unbreakable Vow, Revisited

This is a revision of my views in “Unbreakable;” you really need to read that first.
http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snapedom/295388.html

*

I was reading Potionpen’s excellent “The Truth is What I See It Is” series on Archive of Our Own. It’s a Severus background fiction, largely canon-consistent, with an interesting angle on the Prince background, Sev’s sorting, and his years as a student in Slytherin House. However, I regretfully concluded that the author had gotten Snape’s relationship with Narcissa Black wrong. I really liked the friendship depicted between the princess and the rantypants brewery swot, Prince, but it was entirely AU. Canon-shafted.

I could accept Potionpen’s argument for placing Narcissa in Severus’s year on the grounds that the Black Family Tree and its dates are not, after all, book-canon (and o dear maths on some of its other dates).

But the Spinner’s End chapter, which IS canon, made it entirely clear that Narcissa and Severus were acquainted merely as patron’s wife and patron’s client.

( First )

Potionpen has crafted an amazing series set in Sev's childhood and adloescent. On Archive of Our Own, if this link doesn't work just search for potionpen.

http://archiveofourown.org/series/55402

And, did you all know that Cybele (If You Are Preprated, Pen and Ink) is writing new Snarry?

As Cybele2013, go to AO3. Or try "Auld Lang Syne" for the current series..

“I have your word that you will do all in your power to protect the students of Hogwarts?”

Snape gave a stiff nod. (DH33)

*

“Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord’s wishes?

... And will you, to the best of your ability, protect Draco from harm?

... And, should it prove necessary… if it seems Draco will fail… will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?” (HBP 2)



How did our clever and cautious arch-Slytherin let himself get manipulated into doing such a foolishly Gryffindorish thing as to make an Unbreakable Vow with Draco’s mother—and without so much as requiring her first to spell out her terms?

Had he learned nothing at all from his previous blank-check dealings with Tom and Albus?
( Oh )