Snape repeatedly told Harry to stop calling him a coward probably because he felt that what he had done was the greatest thing he'd ever done...beyond any powerful dark wizard's dream!!

Or maybe beacuse he had a double mind...regarding the fact that he might have betrayed the Order...by valuing his life more than Dumbledore's...and giving too much thought to the Unbreakable vow and his and Draco's life...which obviously Dumbledore also thought about!! So he didn't want Harry to rub it in...that he actually was a coward after what he had done!!

I think if the rumours are true and it was Dumbledores plan to do it all along then he did one of the hardest things possible. To kill a loved one.

So Harry calling him a coward when he couldn't understand what Snape had just gone through hit a nerve.

Yeah I'd agree, to kill a loved one to try and save someone else would take a great deal of courage!

I think Snape baulked at being called a coward because he is in perhaps the most dangerous position of all.

He has killed Dd because he had to, for reasons I posted under 'Who is Snape really betraying?', and now he is going to be despised by the order members who are not aware of his agenda (I would imagine it has been kept from all of them except perhaps Dd's brother), and he is returning to Voldemorts side undercover.

He is being extraordinarily brave in an extremely dangerous situation, so it would be very frustrating to hear that coming from one of the people you are trying to help, whom you cannot reveal to them that you are!

That's all dependent on if I am right, and I could be woefully wrong

I'd have to agree with that- I think anyone who is called a coward when they are going through so much would get pretty ticked off. Especially when you are protecting someone that reminds you of everything that you've hated about your past. It can't be an easy situation to be in.

Yeah I think that Sanpe just lost control possibly because Harry had no idea what he had to just do. Harry jumped to the comclusion that Snape was betraying DD (with just cause of course since sanpe had just killed DD) and wanted to kill snape to of course get back at him for killing DD.

I just think it hit Sanpes nerve and plus Harry was trying to use Sanpes own spells againts him and it really sent him over the edge.

Just a thought though.

No one likes being caled a coward, and It probably just struck a cord in Snape, because he had just killed the greatest Wizard known to man since...well...a long time ago.

I must admit, although i loved the fact that Snape was grey, i think that he is now evil, because if dumbledore had told him to do whatever it meant to keep his place amoung the DE's even if it meant killing DD, i thinkDD would have told the Order that that was his plan.

So, i think Snape is evil, and really, he hadn't been a coward if you think about it....he had just given up his career for LV. But maybe he is, and Harry calling him it just struck closer to home.

But i think the reason that Harry called him a coward was because Snape wouldn't kill Harry, but instead isisted leaving him for Voldemort. He was to mich of a coward to carry out the deed himself and be punished by voldy. Does that make sense?

I think Snape might have been a spy for Dumbledore so he was upset with what he had done and what he did wasn't cowardly if he is on the good side.

When I read the end of "Half-Blood Prince" it certainly crossed my mind that perhaps Snape was following orders from Dumbledore about the Unbreakable Vow and about killing him. But what about the fact that it was repeatedly mentioned that Dumbledore's greatest weakness was that he always trusted people, always gave people a chance, even if they didn't deserve it. Even after he saw Tom Riddle in the orphanage, how cold and friendless he was, he didn't judge. Dumbledore said that because he was smarter and more powerful than most, his mistakes tend to be comparitvely huge. Couldn't trusting Snape have been one of his huge mistakes?
I mean, he's dead, and I can't see that anyone who was not evil, could bear killing him. I mean, even Malfoy couldn't do it...

One point has been missed so far.

Harry calls Snape a coward twice. The first time, Snape doesn't seem very upset. He just comments on whether Harry would consider his father a coward.

When Harry calls Snape a coward a second time, he mentions DD's death. I think THAT is what set Snape off. He starts with "Don't . . .", and then thinks for a while, then ends with "Call me a coward." If he was really upset about being called a coward, he would have been upset the first time.

I think DD's death had more to do with upsetting Snape than being called a coward.

Dumbledore was the only person who ever trusted Snape so he obviously was deeply saddened by killing him. I believe Snape was forced to kill Dumbledore because of the unbreakable vow and Dumbledore ordering him to obey the vow. Killing Dumbledore would be one of the toughest things ever and I would hate to be called a coward after doing that. That seemed to be the only time Snape was mad at Harry during their mini duel mainly because I think Snape will help Harry during book 7.

I read a good theory over at Mugglenet.

Maye DD was pleading for Snape to actually kill him, so that Snape wouldnt die.

I'll need to reread it but doesnt Snape start shouting advice to Harry ("block your mind").

I dunno, but I think its a good theory.

I think Snape hated to be called a coward because James and Series always called him a coward because he would fight back. And by hear it from Harry must of really made him angry. He probable had enough of hear that he was a coward.

I think that Harry kept on say that Snape is a coward because, Snape was not going to face the OoTp and that it was a cowardly thing to kill DD).

3/4 blood, I get your point. Actually Snape is not pausing to think - "his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them".

So, yes, he's not really in a rage because of Harry calling him a coward.

Killing Dumbledore is probably the bravest thing he has ever done. And I'd really like to know what he did right after he apperated...

Snape is Dumbledores man, just like Harry is. And if there is a choice BETWEEN the death of two innocent boys, your own death and possibly even more deaths of students, teachers and members of the order AND the death of an old man who has been severely injured and'd be glad to give his life for the ones he loves... which one would you pick?

Flutterflie

The irony is that Snape has been many things but never a coward. In fact, above everyone save Dumbledore himself, Snape had acted as a bullet catcher for rumour and suspicion, apparently without complaint. Even at school you get the impression that he was not one to shy away from a fight with Sirius and James.

Maybe he just decided enough was enough, especially given the circumstances?

Flutterflie, I totally agree with your post above me What snape did, if he was on the good side, is very brave and it's more sad that he can't be appreciated by the Order.

If he's on the bad side, he may mean that killing the most powerful wizard- DD isn't the act of cowardice at all.

I believe Snape hated being called a coward, like most people, because what he had to do was perhaps the most important thing that had to be done. Dumbledore was the only person that fully trusted Snape, making him, I would think, Snape's mentor, and Snape had to kill him.

snape being called a coward is probably a scar that james put in him when always torturing snape probably saying fight back snape or are you a coward and that is why he excelled in everything in school making spells of his own to take on to never be called a coward he attaced harry on this as he saw james calling him one again and he has beed doing more than anyone knows he has been playing good and evel defying and lying to the dark lord who no one will dare showing he is no coward and harry calling him this makes him think of school

i think, Zainsa has the point.

i think he doesnt want Harry to call him coward. he hates him, just like he hated James and he doesnt want to hear his greatest "enemy" calling him a coward.

and if he killed DD on his orders, and if he is still at the Orders side , then its really hard to accept, that your sacrifice wont be appreciated and that nobody will know what you have done.

I've been thinking a lot about this over the past few days after reading posts not just here, but elsewhere in the fandom too and I think it's more than significant that Snape reacts very badly the second time Harry says it and it is just after he refers to Dumbledore's death, as 3/4 blood said. Furthermore, look at the word 'pain' used to describe Snape's expression - why would he be in 'pain' if he'd just done something that would supposedly make him Voldemort's golden boy for life?

If you think about it, we've only ever really seen Snape totally lose it twice - the first time was when Harry saw the memory, the second time was in HBP, in this section. It's clear to me that Snape has buttons that it is possible to push. One is the worry that people might actually see a side to him that's vulnerable and unable to fight back, something that any one of us, I think, would want to hide. The second button is people thinking he's a coward, especially if he is really good and he knows that he's just committed the worst possible act he could have and he absolutely hates himself and maybe Dumbledore too - for putting him in such an impossible position.

Snape always preaches emotionlessness to Harry when he's trying to teach him Occlumancy; how important it is to keep your emotions in check and yet he doesn't practise what he preaches when those buttons of his are pushed.

I see no other logical explanation for such a venomous and wild reaction to being labelled a coward unless he really knew that he wasn't and he's just demonstrated that he's not, and yet he can't explain himself fully to Harry. He's probably a very frustrated, angry and hurt man at the end of that book...presuming that he's good, of course.

If he's evil, then I guess you could expect the same reaction from him, but it just makes more sense if you see it from him really being good.

Oh it was pretty about these buttons to push Dana, I couldn't express it better myself

If he's still on the good side, and I think Rowling should make him like this because we already have an army of mean Death Eaters, he could be a very tragic person. he's tough, yes, but hides his feelings and he still feels deeply hurt by his past, by people who laughed at him. he isn't a cutie, no, no, he's this bad guy but he can't stand being humiliated so he humiliates others, people who can't defend doing in fact the same what people did to him at school in the past.

ya, dana, i agree about buttons and losing his temper only twice in 6 books. the first time it was about the past, where he was losing a fight, to james, his arch enemy. the second time, it was a link to james, through harry, so it made him mad, and the pained expression is because he remembered the past at that moment, so maybe the past pains him the most.

Dana_Scully, I think you've nailed it!
It does make the most sense when you view it from the side of Snape being one of the "good guys" so to speak. Crouch did say in the past that he turned spy at great personal risk, so being called a coward would naturally make him snap. Well done!

Aw, thank you!! I do try! I'm sure anyone who saw my posts just after HBP was released would know that I started off totally believing in Snape's guilt, but the more I read, the more I think about it, the more I think those initial reactions were wrong and that while Snape committed a terrible act, I think he did it for the best reasons...or as good as those reasons can get, anyway. He can't express that to people, so obviously he'd get very angry when someone thinks he's a coward when he's just given up everything in the world that really meant something to him. And let's face it, he's not going to have much of a life after this, whatever happens, so given all that...a coward would be the very last thing he is.

Is just makes more sense to me that way and I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking that.

After reading all these I have to agree with most of them and just wanna add that Snape is probably also fairly upset because Harry doesn't appreciate the sacrifice and everything he has just done for him.

I think DD was one of the few freinds Snape had and almost certainly the only one who fully trusted him and now he just had to kill him...for Harry. So I think Snape is probably more then upset that Harry has the audacity to say things like that to him when he has just given up so much for him.

I think Dumbledore is not dead and Snape can't suffer the word "coward" because in fact he isn't and Harry doesn't know that.
This is a littele off Forum: Snape blocks all the spells Harry makes and doesn't attack Harry. That is an extra clue that Snape isn't betraying Dumbledore and that he isn't a coward.

I was in another thread and mentioned something about Snape being a coward so I thought I would reiterate it in this thread:

Hallia,I put everything I wanted to say in one post..so,can you please delete this one..it seems that I don't have that option..

Hiya Dreama!!

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i think because snape thinks that it is not a coward thing but he had done a
great job.so he told harry that do not call him coward

as much as i [size=6]hate[size=2] to say this, snape is NOT a coward.
i mean, he is many other things. a traitor, a murderer, and a blatant prick,
but he is not a coward.
he stayed loyal to voldemort and even returned to him, even when he knew he would be severely punished by him for not returning sooner. he killed dumbledore! the greatest wizard of all time! that tazkes courage. also, it seems like he isnt afraid of anything.
he has suppressed fears but has been through so much that has made his character stronger.[left] he let the troll in in sorcerers stone for voldemort, he secretly passed info on dumbledore to the dark lord knowing the risks, therefore..

snape is not a coward =(

While I will agree with you that he is not a coward, I will strongly disagree with you on these comments of yours:



we do not know yet if Snape is truly a traitor, a murderer.. and whatever else you called him.... its simple... he innocent until proven guilty.



Well first of all, Snape did not leave the troll in. That was Quirrel, as a distraction for him to look for the Stone. Snape, if you remember, hunted Quirrel down and stopped him from getting the Stone, injuring his leg in the process. As for his passing of information, Snape undoubtedly HAD to pass some information on Dumbledore to remain in character for Voldemort... Dumbledore probably told him things to tell LV to feed his curiosity and keep Severus alive... But as far as we have seen, Snape has not revealed anything of importance to Voldemort.

And to wrap this up, Snape isnt a coward.

~Albus

i find snape to be a coward. and allthough other people call him that or on the other end may not see him that way. deep down i bet the issue is that he knows he really is a coward. why? we dont know for sure...but i bet he has reasons. he also probably thinks he works to hard for one side or the other...putting himself in danger...to be called a coward.

I think he couldn't bare it because of James and Sirius.

They hated him, and don't you think that there must be at least one point in their years at Hogwarts in which they called him a coward? Maybe Snape didn't like Harry calling him a coward because it reminded him too much of his contless number of tortures at Hogwarts by his dad?

And didn't like it even more because it was done by James' son? Harry? Eh, just a theory.

Although i do agree with all of you saying he got ticked off 'cause he killed DD and that was too much to bear and he definitely wasn't a coward for doing that, my opinion is that he mentions James.....

Maybe he mentioned James because he used to get wound up and everything by James and maybe he saw James in Harry or something or............i could have gone completely bonkers and you guys are right

Quick edit i forgot to mention i agree with the above post XD

Snape has been hounded by the "Fab Four" since he started hogwarts. James was able to counter any "comeback" Snape might have had, and often snape had to retreat, as the "better part of valor". Or at least that's the way I see it from the one incident in Snape's forbidden memory.

We also see inside Snape's head, that Snape was "cowering" in a corner while his Mother was being abused by a Muggle father. A feeling of powerlessness always damages the emotions very deeply. We see Snape being powerless on many occasions. Some confuse powerlessness with cowardice. Snape was by far too used to this feeling, and wasn't going to take it from someone he saw as a mediocre wizard.

Sanpe didnt want to be called a coward as he killed the closest thing to family that he had (DD) and once harry called him a coward and snape paused he probably knew that if he told harry about the plan between DD and him then Voldemort could use legimens and learn all about snapes betrayal.


oh i've had a thought what if when harry told snape he was a coward snape saw James and lilly calling him a coward, as harry has his mothers eyes and fathers looks so maybe guilt at this point has hit snape.

Well think about wut you read about in OotP. Snape was being attacked by James Potter and Sirius in his memory. Maybe the fact that he really didn't do much back is haunting him. So he can't tolerate being called a coward.

I think that ever since Snape was born, he has always been used to violence and humiliation, from his parents, then from the Marauders, then from the DArk Lord, and then from Harry himself. And I think he regrets not be able to fight back and protect his vulnerability, and maybe that's why he couldn't stand it, when he was accused of being a coward...o well...just a theory.

yes we do
hes obviously a traitor to either the order or lv

hes not innocent hes double crossing someone

Snape certainly over-reacted to Harry calling him a coward. A lot more than what might be expected of a sixteen year old calling an adult anything. Unless there was a lot more history behind it.

Robbie really touched on it when he mentioned Snape's memory of his mother being abused while he cowered in the corner. At first glance, one might wonder why that happened at all. They could do magic after all. Why wouldn't they just turn mean old Tobias into a hat stand? Perhaps some magical rules exist to prevent that from happening. Then, knowing his wife and son could not abuse him magically, would Tobius treat their magical abilities, not as a gift, but something to be ashamed of, a cheat? They don't have to struggle or toil to achieve anything, they can use magic. If they had to face a mad dog, they could use magic to calm it down, or make it go away, whereas a muggle would have to rely on their own inner courage, their own innate abilities. I'm sure Snape's father never saw Severus as a real man and I'm quite sure he told him that as often as possible. Voldemort might have possibly been the first adult male in Snape's life that told him otherwise; who appreciated and saw value in his abilities.

If Snape has been working for and against Voldemort, he must be very brave, as it is not easy to betray Voldemort. In this sense, he can't bear being called a coward.
Snape can be sneaky, untruthful, unfair, but he's never been a coward.

Snape is not a coward, after killing the closest friend/family he had, DD, he was not a coward. He did something no one else could for the better good. Also, as he said James would gang up on Snape. Therefore James was the coward not Severus.

I totally agree that Snape's reaction was due to his constant need to somehow "prove himself" to the "cool kids", whether thats James, Sirius, Remus and Peter or now to the Order. If he killed DD because of DD's own orders, then he truly did have the hardest job of anyone in the Order. I have a hard time believing that his outburst came from any evil that he may have. I think he was grieving just as Harry was, but was forced to put on the "face" of a Death Eater and to repress all of his emotions.

It's wierd to say, but I think that I may feel bad for him. He is truly alone, especially with DD gone now. No one believes in him except, perhaps, Voldy. And there's a question - when the only person who believes in you is the Dark Lord, even if you were good to begin with, how long can you stay that way?

I think Snape is can't bear it because after all the spying he's done for the Order, Harry still thinks he's a coward. I think he somehow had to lie to Voldy and all the Death Eaters and that takes a lot of courage. To face Voldemort and lie to him just so he could stay faithful to Dumby is something very brave.

Aside from that, I think it's more agonizing for him that another Potter is calling him a coward. I think it's too much for him to handle.

Therefore, I fully believe that SNape is innocent, and definitely not a coward. I still believe in SNape.

I think Snapes' anger at being called a coward is that he knows what it feels like to be one. He was a coward as a child...who wouldn't be when there mother is being abuse. He was helpless and powerless so he just sat there and watched it all unfold.

Snape perhaps had guilt flashbacks of powerless, and helpless feelings as he needed to perform the Avada Kedavera on Dumbledore. Then knowing his only chance for survival not only for himself but also for Draco was to run. Harry catches up to him while he is fleeing...the ultimate act of cowardice is not facing the music when you have done something terrible. Normally I don't see an educated adult arguing a point with a student however in the emotional turmoil of the night, when Harry calls him a coward, I believe that deep down in that moment he knows it is a false accusation and if Harry could know every little thing Snape has done to support the Order and Dumbledore, that Harry would never dare call him or even believe he is a coward.

It makes me think.

Snape had ugly childhood (we can see in memory), he was bullied in Hogwarts but he never ran away, he always stood up to James and Sirius (always is not good word, lets say he fight with them, he didnt run away), he joined Voldemort but not because he was afraid, PROBABLY he works for Dumbledore, he is brave because he is spying death eaters and epecially Voldemort, and there is, of course, the unbreakable vow so he had to kill Dumbledore ( and in my opinion Dumbledore and Snape had conversation about that vow, and Dumbledore begged Severus to kill him, so later Severus can pay debt to James by giving his life for Harry).

So if I were Severus, and if almost all from above is true, I would freak out too if somebody would call me a coward. But thats only my opinion

As nevillesgirl said, its because he didnt do anything to stop his father from abusing mother, I agree with that. Maybe his father (in the end) killed his mother, and Severus thinks that he is guilty because he didnt do anything before to stop his father. I have crazy ideas , forgive me

I think that he has been through too much and risked too much to like being called a coward. Since most of his life was spent in the dark arts, and being a double agent, that he fels that he is not a coward.

Erm... I'm not sure if i have said this before. But i have always thought that... Snape hated that. Because how an Harry call him a coward if he has just had to kill Dumbledore because DD ordered him to. Well thats what i thought. It could always just be that Snape was fed of James calling him a coward. James was a bully, Harry isn't it. But to hear Harry say it was like James saying it. So he hade hated James and never got a prober chance to shout at him so he did then. UI think both of thosse reasons. Mainly the first one though.