Snape evil?!? No way!
I posted this entry as a comment to another entry below, but saw too late that the entry was quite old, so I decided to post it again as a stand-alone entry...So, without any further ado:
How can anyone still believe that Snape would turn out evil??
Rowling has thrown so many hints to the contrary in all books, and especially in book six, that it is crystal clear for me that Snape is not evil, but in fact hs been working against Voldemort in all those years.
I think it´s very likely that Snape was in love with Harry´s mother, with them being in the same Potion´s class with Slughorn and her being so good at Potions (why else did he invent the Muffliato spell when he didn´t have any friends to use it with?? Perhaps to secretly talk to a Gryffindor??). When he realized he betrayed his love to Voldemort, he turned to Dumbledore. Dumbledore told him that in order to repent for the death of Lily, he has to do anything to prevent Voldemort from coming back.
And that he did.
I have found many many hints to the fact that Snape is not evil; e.g. in book 6, Hagrid is telling the trio that he overheard an argument between Snape and Dumbledore - the only argument he ever noticed between those two. In this, Snape told Dumbledore "what if he didn´t want to do it anymore", and Dumbledore answered that "he had agreed to it, so he must stick to it" or something like that (sorry, don´t have the book with me ;o). And if you fill in the gaps the conversation could have gone like this: "What if I don´t want to have to kill you in the end?" "You agreed to do it! So stick to it!" True, there can be other things Snape suddenly refused to do, but I believe this is the right theory: Snape agreed to kill Dumbledore in the end, but he does not want to kill his mentor, so he tries to get out of it, and Dumbledore is stern with him, knowing that this will be the only solution.
And I think that this is the reason why, after Harry and Dumbledore return from the Horcrux, Dumbledore specifically asks only for Snape: he knows that Snape will be the only one who is strong enough to kill him now (I believe that Dumbledore was doomed the moment he drank from the water in the horcrux, and that he - and Snape - knew that. McGonagall would never have agreed to that, but it was necessary).
But there is one text passage where, in my opinon, Rowling makes it crystal clear that Snape is a good guy without actually spelling it out: At the end, when Harry lost his wand and shouts at Snape "Then kill me, you coward!", I quote:
"Don´t" screamed Snape, 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 them, "call me a coward!" End of quote.
So tell me: what reason does Snape have to be in so much pain??? He just killed his Lord´s greatest enemy, the "old fool" who constantly refrained from giving him his desired position as Defense against the Dark Arts teacher!!! He must be overjoyed! Yet he seems to be so desperate.
It only makes sense if he really IS. Snape, who is usually so controlled in his feelings, lets his mask down in this moment and shows that he really is desperate, and mad, and desolate, mourning the loss of his mentor and only confidant. He did what he had to do.
But killing Dumbledore now puts him in the best position for destroying Voldemort:
At his right side.
But I also believe (and that´s what makes ME sad and desperate ;o) that Snape isn´t going to survive...
Sigh...
Chrissie
How can anyone still believe that Snape would turn out evil??
Rowling has thrown so many hints to the contrary in all books, and especially in book six, that it is crystal clear for me that Snape is not evil, but in fact hs been working against Voldemort in all those years.
I think it´s very likely that Snape was in love with Harry´s mother, with them being in the same Potion´s class with Slughorn and her being so good at Potions (why else did he invent the Muffliato spell when he didn´t have any friends to use it with?? Perhaps to secretly talk to a Gryffindor??). When he realized he betrayed his love to Voldemort, he turned to Dumbledore. Dumbledore told him that in order to repent for the death of Lily, he has to do anything to prevent Voldemort from coming back.
And that he did.
I have found many many hints to the fact that Snape is not evil; e.g. in book 6, Hagrid is telling the trio that he overheard an argument between Snape and Dumbledore - the only argument he ever noticed between those two. In this, Snape told Dumbledore "what if he didn´t want to do it anymore", and Dumbledore answered that "he had agreed to it, so he must stick to it" or something like that (sorry, don´t have the book with me ;o). And if you fill in the gaps the conversation could have gone like this: "What if I don´t want to have to kill you in the end?" "You agreed to do it! So stick to it!" True, there can be other things Snape suddenly refused to do, but I believe this is the right theory: Snape agreed to kill Dumbledore in the end, but he does not want to kill his mentor, so he tries to get out of it, and Dumbledore is stern with him, knowing that this will be the only solution.
And I think that this is the reason why, after Harry and Dumbledore return from the Horcrux, Dumbledore specifically asks only for Snape: he knows that Snape will be the only one who is strong enough to kill him now (I believe that Dumbledore was doomed the moment he drank from the water in the horcrux, and that he - and Snape - knew that. McGonagall would never have agreed to that, but it was necessary).
But there is one text passage where, in my opinon, Rowling makes it crystal clear that Snape is a good guy without actually spelling it out: At the end, when Harry lost his wand and shouts at Snape "Then kill me, you coward!", I quote:
"Don´t" screamed Snape, 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 them, "call me a coward!" End of quote.
So tell me: what reason does Snape have to be in so much pain??? He just killed his Lord´s greatest enemy, the "old fool" who constantly refrained from giving him his desired position as Defense against the Dark Arts teacher!!! He must be overjoyed! Yet he seems to be so desperate.
It only makes sense if he really IS. Snape, who is usually so controlled in his feelings, lets his mask down in this moment and shows that he really is desperate, and mad, and desolate, mourning the loss of his mentor and only confidant. He did what he had to do.
But killing Dumbledore now puts him in the best position for destroying Voldemort:
At his right side.
But I also believe (and that´s what makes ME sad and desperate ;o) that Snape isn´t going to survive...
Sigh...
Chrissie