Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Pride of Gryffindor
ANGELS AND DEMONS
0 reviewsWe see how Snape is doing, now that Voldemort is dead and gone for good...
0Unrated
DISCLAIMER: See Ch. 1.
NOTE: This chapter has nothing to do with the thrilling novel by Dan Brown, despite the similarities in titles. Just thought you'd like to know.
Also, this chapter is dedicated to Dzeytoun, for allowing me to use his "Sorrows of Lucifer" passage once again. This is also dedicated to him with the hopes that he will recover soon.
CHAPTER 8: ANGELS AND DEMONS
Sun broke through gray clouds, shedding light upon the manor in the grassy moor. Inside, a tall and dark man gazed through a magnificent window to see two young wizards cavorting outside on broomsticks. One was roughly a man now, with his blond hair reflecting some of the sunlight, while the other was pre-adolescent and with dark brown hair which normally didn't run in the family.
Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, was occupied with thinking about the recent developments in his life. The self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort was now finally dead, along with most of his followers (the last few were still being rounded up).
But problems like that in his life he could tolerate; it was inner problems which he seemed to have the most trouble with.
There's an old saying that each man is his own worst enemy. Granted, there may have always been people in Snape's life who made it hell one way or another - his father, Potter Sr., Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Bellatrix Black-Lestrange, and Riddle - but in retrospect, he realized he wasn't exactly perfect either with how he could have handled everything.
Could Snape really just put everything behind him? Just forget everything ever done to him?
No, he knew he couldn't do that. He had been so defined by what life and his instigators had thrown at him. Snape was able to adapt into a hardened, precise man in control of his emotions.
Whenever a person has been hurt or offended, they hesitate to forgive because it would be as though saying the injury or offense done to them was nothing. Snape knew that, and also loathed the notion of "forgive and forget" with a passion. That notion was only for minor misdemeanors and complete accidents, neither of which were the pain he had suffered for most of his life.
Instead, Snape decided to do something even he never would have considered before: Forgive, even if he could never forget.
However, the offenses done to him by his own father and those Marauders were just smaller incidents, compared to something else.
Dumbledore. While Snape without a doubt considered the man the best mentor he ever had. And yet... there were times when Dumbledore's benevolence or indifference caused, in a way, more damage to Snape then anything else before.
First, there was when Snape was bullied at school by the Marauders, including when Dumbledore seemingly let them off the hook with the werewolf incident. Dumbledore, for all his benevolence and integrity, favored his Gryffindors a bit too much back then. Snape had eventually gotten past that, since Dumbledore had learned from his mistakes in that department.
No, perhaps the biggest issue, and definitely the most paradoxical one at that, was concerning one Harry Potter.
While it was widely assumed that Snape hated Harry Potter merely for being the brood of his father, it went far beyond that.
It was how Dumbledore devoted most of his attention to the boy nonstop, praising his luck over the efforts of Snape and everyone else who worked for him. How Dumbledore loved the boy so much that he probably would have been willing to sacrifice just about everyone and anyone to keep Harry Potter safe and sound.
Snape wasn't ever jealous of Harry Potter... more like wary of him. What if young Potter were to err? Dumbledore was certainly taking a big risk, gambling everything on his figurative apprentice. Once or twice, when he tried bringing it to the Headmaster's attention, he would be met with a piercing look as though he had overstepped his bounds.
Being a Potions Master, he had traveled all over the world in his studies. During one journey, when he was in the Middle East, he heard a tale about Lucifer, the angel who fell to become the devil.
This story was about an occasion before Lucifer fell; it was when Adam and his family had sinned, and Lucifer brought it to God's attention, saying they had betrayed God's trust. However, Lucifer made a miscalculation on his part; he had assumed that Adam and his children were to be angels, servants to carry out God's plan. In fact, they were only meant to be children, and just that. God then told Lucifer the following...
"Lucifer, Lightbringer, most glorious of Angels, you are the greatest of my servants, the most faithful of my creations./ You have never veered from my commands. Ever you have obeyed my will. Now you come before me and speak the truth about Adam and his family, for they have defied me. They flout my will, they ignore my commands. In their hands my Plan for creation comes to naught./
"And yet I say to you Lucifer, Lightbringer, that were you ten thousand times as glorious, and they ten thousand times as vile, yet would they still stand in my esteem as far above you as the stars stand from the earth. For you are a servant, whose duty it is to obey my commands and carry forth my plans, and that is all you shall ever be. And Adam and his descendants are my children, who shall inherit my kingdom, and nothing will displace them from that right. For that is the nature of the servant and the child, of the master and the father. And now it is given unto you that you shall remain and accept your lot, and the rights of my children, or you shall depart from me into the darkness never to return.
"And I say further unto you Lucifer, Lightbringer, most faithful and glorious of Angels, that because you speak out of ignorance this once do I forgive you. But should you dare ever again to slander my children before me I will put you forth from my presence with my own hand, and neither your deeds nor your obedience shall stay my judgment. For it is not meet that a father should suffer his child to be slandered by a servant, even one such as you."
Something about that tale made it stick out in Snape's mind about as clear as his duties as a spy and Potions professor, if not more. No matter what he did for the Headmaster, either out of duty or out of concern, he could never hope to hold as much respect from Dumbledore as Harry Potter did.
Of course, Snape knew that some of that lack of respect was deserved, due to errors and mistakes in his younger years by having ties with Death Eaters and even joining their ranks. He tried to atone for that as much as possible by doing whatever he could to inform the great Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix. His duty had extended through both wars, doing whatever he possibly could to make sure Voldemort's plans were ruined as much as possible without alerting too much suspicion.
Snape had been doing so much thinking over the course of the past year, over things both concerning and not relating at all to Harry Potter. Was he an angel or a demon? The Potions Master who taught his students or scared them? The spy who helped or hurt the Order of the Phoenix? The superior who tutored or tormented Harry Potter?
Ah, Harry... amazing how so many things connected Snape to him. Six years ago, before Harry started at Hogwarts, Snape wanted to do as little with the boy as possible. Now, however, he was wondering if he was doing enough for the young man which Harry was maturing into.
When Snape first found out about his family ties to Harry, he almost wanted to adopt his student. Part of it felt like he was doing it to compensate for how unjustly tolerant he had been of Harry all those years.
No, Harry had grown to the point where he was no longer that dependant on adults, even for him; Snape felt more as though he was there for Harry should something ever happen.
And more things had happened to Harry in the past year which required Snape's attention than before. First there was Harry's apology letter and wish for reconciliation; then there was when Umbridge almost killed him at her trial; then there was the N.E.W.T.-level Potions training for him to become an Auror; then with things like the Command of Osiris potion directions and that serpent ring; then adopting Harry; when Voldemort's Ministry insider kidnapped Harry; and when Snape had to rescue Harry back and nurse him back to health afterwards.
'No,' Snape thought, 'I've been doing enough for him, and he's been doing enough for me, as odd as that still sounds.'
Snape was now just as proud to have Harry under his wing as he was with his own son, Marcus (Mark).
Six years ago, before even seeing Harry for the first time, Snape probably would have laughed for a week or so at that very thought.
Now, however, Snape now found that notion rather laughable instead.
Shortly afterwards, Draco and Mark came in for lunch, and after that, Snape sojourned to his lab rooms to experiment with some new potential potions. The ingredients and texts Harry had managed to acquire for him were quite useful. Hopefully, he would finally be able to create a cure for lycanthropy, and maybe one which helped give magic to Squibs...
Snape no longer found himself in the same situation as the Lucifer he had heard of; he was now equally important in the eyes of Dumbledore, almost the father he wished he had.
And that alone was enough to satisfy him.
TBC...
This was basically a lot of my thoughts about Snape somewhat jumbled together in order to create the 8th chapter of PoG. Sorry if I let anyone down or anything.
A QUICK NOTE: This Ministry insider mentioned above is/was one of the bad guys from HoG; I'm just trying not to give it away for anyone who may not know.
Next chapter is back to Harry & Co. ... -Quillian
NOTE: This chapter has nothing to do with the thrilling novel by Dan Brown, despite the similarities in titles. Just thought you'd like to know.
Also, this chapter is dedicated to Dzeytoun, for allowing me to use his "Sorrows of Lucifer" passage once again. This is also dedicated to him with the hopes that he will recover soon.
CHAPTER 8: ANGELS AND DEMONS
Sun broke through gray clouds, shedding light upon the manor in the grassy moor. Inside, a tall and dark man gazed through a magnificent window to see two young wizards cavorting outside on broomsticks. One was roughly a man now, with his blond hair reflecting some of the sunlight, while the other was pre-adolescent and with dark brown hair which normally didn't run in the family.
Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, was occupied with thinking about the recent developments in his life. The self-styled Dark Lord Voldemort was now finally dead, along with most of his followers (the last few were still being rounded up).
But problems like that in his life he could tolerate; it was inner problems which he seemed to have the most trouble with.
There's an old saying that each man is his own worst enemy. Granted, there may have always been people in Snape's life who made it hell one way or another - his father, Potter Sr., Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, Bellatrix Black-Lestrange, and Riddle - but in retrospect, he realized he wasn't exactly perfect either with how he could have handled everything.
Could Snape really just put everything behind him? Just forget everything ever done to him?
No, he knew he couldn't do that. He had been so defined by what life and his instigators had thrown at him. Snape was able to adapt into a hardened, precise man in control of his emotions.
Whenever a person has been hurt or offended, they hesitate to forgive because it would be as though saying the injury or offense done to them was nothing. Snape knew that, and also loathed the notion of "forgive and forget" with a passion. That notion was only for minor misdemeanors and complete accidents, neither of which were the pain he had suffered for most of his life.
Instead, Snape decided to do something even he never would have considered before: Forgive, even if he could never forget.
However, the offenses done to him by his own father and those Marauders were just smaller incidents, compared to something else.
Dumbledore. While Snape without a doubt considered the man the best mentor he ever had. And yet... there were times when Dumbledore's benevolence or indifference caused, in a way, more damage to Snape then anything else before.
First, there was when Snape was bullied at school by the Marauders, including when Dumbledore seemingly let them off the hook with the werewolf incident. Dumbledore, for all his benevolence and integrity, favored his Gryffindors a bit too much back then. Snape had eventually gotten past that, since Dumbledore had learned from his mistakes in that department.
No, perhaps the biggest issue, and definitely the most paradoxical one at that, was concerning one Harry Potter.
While it was widely assumed that Snape hated Harry Potter merely for being the brood of his father, it went far beyond that.
It was how Dumbledore devoted most of his attention to the boy nonstop, praising his luck over the efforts of Snape and everyone else who worked for him. How Dumbledore loved the boy so much that he probably would have been willing to sacrifice just about everyone and anyone to keep Harry Potter safe and sound.
Snape wasn't ever jealous of Harry Potter... more like wary of him. What if young Potter were to err? Dumbledore was certainly taking a big risk, gambling everything on his figurative apprentice. Once or twice, when he tried bringing it to the Headmaster's attention, he would be met with a piercing look as though he had overstepped his bounds.
Being a Potions Master, he had traveled all over the world in his studies. During one journey, when he was in the Middle East, he heard a tale about Lucifer, the angel who fell to become the devil.
This story was about an occasion before Lucifer fell; it was when Adam and his family had sinned, and Lucifer brought it to God's attention, saying they had betrayed God's trust. However, Lucifer made a miscalculation on his part; he had assumed that Adam and his children were to be angels, servants to carry out God's plan. In fact, they were only meant to be children, and just that. God then told Lucifer the following...
"Lucifer, Lightbringer, most glorious of Angels, you are the greatest of my servants, the most faithful of my creations./ You have never veered from my commands. Ever you have obeyed my will. Now you come before me and speak the truth about Adam and his family, for they have defied me. They flout my will, they ignore my commands. In their hands my Plan for creation comes to naught./
"And yet I say to you Lucifer, Lightbringer, that were you ten thousand times as glorious, and they ten thousand times as vile, yet would they still stand in my esteem as far above you as the stars stand from the earth. For you are a servant, whose duty it is to obey my commands and carry forth my plans, and that is all you shall ever be. And Adam and his descendants are my children, who shall inherit my kingdom, and nothing will displace them from that right. For that is the nature of the servant and the child, of the master and the father. And now it is given unto you that you shall remain and accept your lot, and the rights of my children, or you shall depart from me into the darkness never to return.
"And I say further unto you Lucifer, Lightbringer, most faithful and glorious of Angels, that because you speak out of ignorance this once do I forgive you. But should you dare ever again to slander my children before me I will put you forth from my presence with my own hand, and neither your deeds nor your obedience shall stay my judgment. For it is not meet that a father should suffer his child to be slandered by a servant, even one such as you."
Something about that tale made it stick out in Snape's mind about as clear as his duties as a spy and Potions professor, if not more. No matter what he did for the Headmaster, either out of duty or out of concern, he could never hope to hold as much respect from Dumbledore as Harry Potter did.
Of course, Snape knew that some of that lack of respect was deserved, due to errors and mistakes in his younger years by having ties with Death Eaters and even joining their ranks. He tried to atone for that as much as possible by doing whatever he could to inform the great Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix. His duty had extended through both wars, doing whatever he possibly could to make sure Voldemort's plans were ruined as much as possible without alerting too much suspicion.
Snape had been doing so much thinking over the course of the past year, over things both concerning and not relating at all to Harry Potter. Was he an angel or a demon? The Potions Master who taught his students or scared them? The spy who helped or hurt the Order of the Phoenix? The superior who tutored or tormented Harry Potter?
Ah, Harry... amazing how so many things connected Snape to him. Six years ago, before Harry started at Hogwarts, Snape wanted to do as little with the boy as possible. Now, however, he was wondering if he was doing enough for the young man which Harry was maturing into.
When Snape first found out about his family ties to Harry, he almost wanted to adopt his student. Part of it felt like he was doing it to compensate for how unjustly tolerant he had been of Harry all those years.
No, Harry had grown to the point where he was no longer that dependant on adults, even for him; Snape felt more as though he was there for Harry should something ever happen.
And more things had happened to Harry in the past year which required Snape's attention than before. First there was Harry's apology letter and wish for reconciliation; then there was when Umbridge almost killed him at her trial; then there was the N.E.W.T.-level Potions training for him to become an Auror; then with things like the Command of Osiris potion directions and that serpent ring; then adopting Harry; when Voldemort's Ministry insider kidnapped Harry; and when Snape had to rescue Harry back and nurse him back to health afterwards.
'No,' Snape thought, 'I've been doing enough for him, and he's been doing enough for me, as odd as that still sounds.'
Snape was now just as proud to have Harry under his wing as he was with his own son, Marcus (Mark).
Six years ago, before even seeing Harry for the first time, Snape probably would have laughed for a week or so at that very thought.
Now, however, Snape now found that notion rather laughable instead.
Shortly afterwards, Draco and Mark came in for lunch, and after that, Snape sojourned to his lab rooms to experiment with some new potential potions. The ingredients and texts Harry had managed to acquire for him were quite useful. Hopefully, he would finally be able to create a cure for lycanthropy, and maybe one which helped give magic to Squibs...
Snape no longer found himself in the same situation as the Lucifer he had heard of; he was now equally important in the eyes of Dumbledore, almost the father he wished he had.
And that alone was enough to satisfy him.
TBC...
This was basically a lot of my thoughts about Snape somewhat jumbled together in order to create the 8th chapter of PoG. Sorry if I let anyone down or anything.
A QUICK NOTE: This Ministry insider mentioned above is/was one of the bad guys from HoG; I'm just trying not to give it away for anyone who may not know.
Next chapter is back to Harry & Co. ... -Quillian
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