this month's challenge
So the challenge this month is an esssay on whether or not Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him. I have a really long theory that's pretty related, and it may be some use. So....because I can't get the stupid link thing to work right....
The Theory
The Theory: Dumbledore realizes that Voldemort will tell Snape to kill Dumbledore- it’s a final test, to make sure Snape is really for the Dark Side. Once Snape has proven his loyalty by killing Dumbledore, he will be Voldemorts most trusted servent. When it comes down to the final battle of Harry and Voldemort, Snape will show his true colors and save Harry or sacrifice himself for Harry. Somehow, Snape will play a crucial role in Harry’s defeating Voldemort.
Reasons:
1. Dumbledore is pleading- for Snape to kill him. If Snape doesn’t kill him, Snape will die from breaking the Unbreakable Vow, and another Death Eater will kill Dumbledore, and all advantages will be lost.
2. Harry says to McGonagallthat he won’t disobey Dumbledore, even if he is dead. Dumbledore always trusted Snape and demanded that Harry do the same.
3. Snape says “DON’T CALL ME A COWARD’, and 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 him.” He is in as much pain as Fang because he was just forced to kill the only person who believed that he was really good. He is no coward because he is now a spy so deeply entrenched in the Dark Side, that there is no one alive who knows that he is good. He is lying to the most powerful wizard alive. One misspeak, one mistake, and his cover is blown, and the Dark Lord will kill Snape and Dumbledore will have died for nothing.
4. Hagrid tells Harry that Dumbledore is angry with Snape. He says “Well, I just heard Snape saying Dumbledore took too much for granted and maybe [Snape] didn’t want to do it anymore- anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out that he’d agreed to do it and that’s all there was to it. Pretty firm with him. Dumbledore is angry with Snape because he is balking at killing Dumbledore. Because of the Unbreakable Vow, there was no way for Snape to get out of doing it without ruining the whole thing.
5. Dumbledore has never been wrong. Yes, he should have told Harry about the prophecy sooner, but he has never been wrong about concrete facts. Neither has Hermione. Hermione’s instincts on people have always been COMPLETELY accurate. Hermione says after Snape’s deception had come out that she thought that the Half Blood Prince had a twisted sense of humor, but he didn’t seem like a killer. Now suddenly, we are supposed to believe that Dumbledore and Hermione are completely wrong. And Harry and Ron, who have been wrong to many times to count, are suddenly right?
6. Thoughout HBP, there are hints that Dumbledore starting to get older and is making more mistakes. What if this is not insinuating that he was wrong to trust Snape? I think his big mistake was not telling Harry the truth about Snape.
9. In the very beginning, Snpae explains exactly why and how he is loyal to Voldemort. But he could also be loyal to Dumbledore. As you were reading it, didn’t you stop after each point and mentally explain to yourself why he could still be loyal to Dumbledore?
10. Snape called the Order to the Ministry at the end of book 5. Why would he do that, and throw off Voldemort’s plans, if he was on the Dark Side. It doesn’t make sense. He could have easily pretended he didn’t hear Harry’s warning, or deliberately misunderstood it, and sent the Order somewhere else, and they wouldn’t have interfered and Voldemort would have gotten the prophecy. How mad was Voldemort when (or if) Snape told him that he was the one who called in the Order?
The Theory
The Theory: Dumbledore realizes that Voldemort will tell Snape to kill Dumbledore- it’s a final test, to make sure Snape is really for the Dark Side. Once Snape has proven his loyalty by killing Dumbledore, he will be Voldemorts most trusted servent. When it comes down to the final battle of Harry and Voldemort, Snape will show his true colors and save Harry or sacrifice himself for Harry. Somehow, Snape will play a crucial role in Harry’s defeating Voldemort.
Reasons:
1. Dumbledore is pleading- for Snape to kill him. If Snape doesn’t kill him, Snape will die from breaking the Unbreakable Vow, and another Death Eater will kill Dumbledore, and all advantages will be lost.
2. Harry says to McGonagallthat he won’t disobey Dumbledore, even if he is dead. Dumbledore always trusted Snape and demanded that Harry do the same.
3. Snape says “DON’T CALL ME A COWARD’, and 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 him.” He is in as much pain as Fang because he was just forced to kill the only person who believed that he was really good. He is no coward because he is now a spy so deeply entrenched in the Dark Side, that there is no one alive who knows that he is good. He is lying to the most powerful wizard alive. One misspeak, one mistake, and his cover is blown, and the Dark Lord will kill Snape and Dumbledore will have died for nothing.
4. Hagrid tells Harry that Dumbledore is angry with Snape. He says “Well, I just heard Snape saying Dumbledore took too much for granted and maybe [Snape] didn’t want to do it anymore- anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out that he’d agreed to do it and that’s all there was to it. Pretty firm with him. Dumbledore is angry with Snape because he is balking at killing Dumbledore. Because of the Unbreakable Vow, there was no way for Snape to get out of doing it without ruining the whole thing.
5. Dumbledore has never been wrong. Yes, he should have told Harry about the prophecy sooner, but he has never been wrong about concrete facts. Neither has Hermione. Hermione’s instincts on people have always been COMPLETELY accurate. Hermione says after Snape’s deception had come out that she thought that the Half Blood Prince had a twisted sense of humor, but he didn’t seem like a killer. Now suddenly, we are supposed to believe that Dumbledore and Hermione are completely wrong. And Harry and Ron, who have been wrong to many times to count, are suddenly right?
6. Thoughout HBP, there are hints that Dumbledore starting to get older and is making more mistakes. What if this is not insinuating that he was wrong to trust Snape? I think his big mistake was not telling Harry the truth about Snape.
9. In the very beginning, Snpae explains exactly why and how he is loyal to Voldemort. But he could also be loyal to Dumbledore. As you were reading it, didn’t you stop after each point and mentally explain to yourself why he could still be loyal to Dumbledore?
10. Snape called the Order to the Ministry at the end of book 5. Why would he do that, and throw off Voldemort’s plans, if he was on the Dark Side. It doesn’t make sense. He could have easily pretended he didn’t hear Harry’s warning, or deliberately misunderstood it, and sent the Order somewhere else, and they wouldn’t have interfered and Voldemort would have gotten the prophecy. How mad was Voldemort when (or if) Snape told him that he was the one who called in the Order?