For the seven years I have been following the Harry Potter series, at least five of them have been centered on a crazy obsession with Snape. He is by far one of the most intriguing, mysterious, and sarcastic characters in the book. I think Severus Snape, while not innocent, is still to be trusted. I am not foolish enough to go around saying that Severus Snape is innocent: He killed Professor Dumbledore, Im not disputing that. However I do believe that if you look carefully throughout the books, there are small, subtle hints that clue us in to Snapes true loyalty. And Severus Snape is, as Snape fans worldwide will agree, a very subtle man. Despite the explanations Snape gives in Chapter 2, Spinners End, I think he has been on the Order's side since that day that he came to Dumbledores office, confessing about the prophecy.
Well start with that day.
"You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry." Dumbledore says on page 549 (US), "I believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason that he returned-"
Then Harry interjects, and Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he were trying to make up his mind about something. At last he said "I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely.
There are two ways to interpret this. The first would be that Harry had instilled some doubt in Professor Dumbledore, and he was trying to decide whether it was cause for concern. The other way to interperate this, and the way that I would like to believe, is that Dumbledore knows something else about Snape. There is something else to this story that we do not know, and perhaps Dumbledore was trying to decide whether he should tell Harry or not. You see, while Professor Dumbledore has his odd little quirks, I dont believe that he would automatically trust a Death Eater just because he was very sorry for what he had done.
Professor McGonagall gives us another clue:
'But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!' whispered Tonks. 'I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't...' 'He always hinted that he had an iron-clad reason for trusting Snape,' muttered Professor McGonagall, now dabbing at the corners of her leaking eyes with a tartan-edged handkerchief. 'I mean ... with Snape's history ... of course people were bound to wonder ... but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine ... wouldn't hear a word against him!'
She mentions an iron-clad excuse,but that she also knows about his repentence! The two excuses cant be the same. I'm sure the truth will out in Book 7. JKR promised us we would find out why Dumbledore trusted Snape, but apparently we dont get the whole story. Just like how he told Harry he would tell him everything in Order of the Phoenix, but happened to leave out that small detail of Snape being the one to overhear the prophecy.
So Dumbledore's reason for trusting Snape may be a bit awkward by our standards, but the part about showing remorse appears twice in the book, and it works in my favor. You see, Dumbledore says that Snape showed remorse after Voldemort decided to kill the Potters, obviously before Voldemorts downfall. And yet..Snape tells Bellatrix that:
"I spun him a tale of deepest remorse when I joined his staff, fresh from my Death Eater days."
He applied for the job AFTER Voldemorts downfall.
In short, Snape turned to Dumbledore prior to the Lord's downfall, but did not make it known to any of his Death Eater buddies until after, making it seem as though he was just using Dumbledore's trusting nature for protection. If Snape was really a Death Eater, he would have mentioned spying on Dumbledore during that time period in order to persuade Bellatrix he was to be trusted. This time period may be longer than I had originally believed: After hearing that it was Snape who learned of the prophecy, and only after did he turn to our side, I believed his side changing to have lasted the span of time the Potters were under the Fidelius charm (less than a week). But the backlogs of the book tell a different story. In Order of the Phoenix we learn about the Prophecy. At that time, according to the information Snape gives Umbridge, he had worked at Hogwarts for fourteen years: roughly corresponding with the downfall of Lord Voldemort (only 2 months after the start of term). Yet the prophecy had been given sixteen years ago, as Dumbledore mentions. Harry had been born fifteen years prior. Thus, from the time Harry was born to the time the Potters went under the Fidelius charm was over a year; nearly two years since the prophecy had been made. I dont think it would take Voldemort over a year to search out who the prophecy related to. Thus, Snape must have been working for Dumbledore around a year prior to Voldemorts downfall without any of the Death Eaters knowing.
Speaking of Bellatrix, I am sure this is the only reason why he made the Unbreakable Vow. To not do so would mean that he would fail grievously in front of the Ear of Voldemort. Perhaps even both Ears, as Pettigrew must have been listening in. He was trapped. We also know, from the subtle hint (as many Snape fans will agree, Snape would never lose control over himself for his hints to be anything less than incredibly subtle) of Snape nearly drawing his hand from Narcissa as she begins to explain the second part of the Vow, that he had certain misgivings, even in the beginning, about killing Dumbledore. So this is why I believe Snape DID betray the Dark Lord and come to our side. As for why I believe he has not betrayed our side, time warp fifteen years, Harry's fourth year. It is in fourth year, where Snape goes back to the Death Eaters. He explains this to Bellatrix as necessary, to prove that he was in the Order. However there are two sides to every action. I roleplay as a Death Eater spy alongside Snape, and I can easily identify with the need to create stories on a whim, and make every action Dark Lord approvable. If you read over his explanation to Bellatrix, nearly every action has been explained in a redeeming light as well earlier in the series! Its really anyones guess as to what side is truth. The only factors being one side is based entirely on Dumbledore's trust, the other being decidedly well founded.
Yet which arguent would Snape have to work on? One to deceive countless Death Eaters, or one to convince someone who was already convinced? Snape has had years to make his case, knowing, perhaps, as Dumbledore did, that Voldemort would be back soon. Even as the Dark Mark began to grow darker he was probably making his case. For example, take Snapes reason why he stopped Quirrel from getting the Stone:
"He did not dare reveal himself to a former ally if that ally might turn him in to DumbledoreAs it was, I saw only greedy and unworthy Quirrel trying to steal the Stone and, I admit, I did all I could to thwart him."
So here we begin with pure, absolute speculation on my part. I believe that Snape, once finding out about Dracos mission, would have reported it to Dumbledore immediately, as with the Unbreakable Vow. Dumbledore would immediately realize that, with the making of the Unbreakable Vow, that either Snape or himself would have to die. Dumbledore did not believe that Draco would succeed in bringing Death Eaters into the castle, or committing murder. In this case, Snape having to take over the responsibility or die, I am sure Dumbledore would choose Snapes position as a spy over his own position as Headmaster. He spent that year giving Harry all the information that he would require that he could not get elsewhere. He would leave Harry well off, he would leave the school in Minerva's capable hands, and the Order would continue to function without him. But if Snape was to be killed by not sticking to his Vow, they would lose a valuable spy (perhaps their only spy) and thus lose a terrible advantage.
Now, let us go carefully over the Lightning Struck Tower, the main stage for Snapes betrayal. Harry must forcefeed
Dumbledore a potion that pains him so much he begs for death. Dumbledore is completely out of his mind, possibly reliving terrifying events.its like a Dementors kiss in liquid form, sprinkled with a powdered form of Cruciatus. Dumbledore is severely weakened by the potion and his firey display of magic. He cannot walk, apparate, or barely form complete sentences when they leave the cave. Harry offers to bring him to see Madame Pomfrey. "No," said Dumbledore. "It is...Professor Snape whom I need...But I do not think...I can walk very far just yet."
-
"Severus," said Dumbledore clearly. "I need Severus."
You see? Who else but Snape, a great potions masters AND Dark Arts wizards would know what to do in such a case? The potion that Dumbledore drank is something unbeknownst to him, though he seems to know the effects. Dumbledore realizes that if he is not dying, he is slowly becoming incapacitated.
Even one of the Death Eaters realizes this:
"He's not long for this world anyway if you ask me!" said the lopsided man, tot he accompaniment of his sisters wheezing giggles. "Look at him- whats happened to you, then, Dumby?"
This is before he even realizes there are Death Eaters in his castle. Even when he finds that out, he still tells Harry to send for Severus. They are interrupted by Malfoy, of course..and Dumbledore freezes Harry. He did not freeze Draco, which would have been much more helpful, but Harry.
Why? Because he knew that it was too late. If my hunch is correct, that Snape and Dumbledore had discussed this all before hand, then Dumbledore knew that what he had to do was keep Draco talking. Draco, he knew, would not kill him. In fact, had he tried, I'm sure Draco would have failed. Also, Dumbledore obviously does not want Draco to soil his hands with innocent blood, to quote Padfoot. One of his last actions is an attempt to save Draco, to offer him a different path. If he failed at killing Dumbledore, or chose the other path, Severus would kill Dumbledore, thus securing the Unbreakable Vow, sparing Malfoy, and keeping his position as spy safe. In this case, he probably didnt do anything that wouldnt have happened anyway. After all, if the poison from the basin didn't kill him, one of the three other Death Eaters would have.
At this point, Dumbledore is growing steadily weaker, and he knows that his time is at an end. Proof? He has petrified Harry, because he knows Harry would be killed trying to save him. If Harry were not petrified, he would undoubtedly have tried to stop Snape. If Dumbledore hadnt thought Harry would do this, then it would be entirely silly to petrify his single ally on that tower.
Snape bursts onto the scene, having just been informed of the Death Eater attack, probably looking for Draco. (At this point Id like also to point out that he did not kill Professor Flitwick, merely stunned him. Killing him would have been much more acceptable if he was a Death Eater, but as it is he probably didnt want Flitwick following him and stopping him from doing what was necessary). He looks from Dumbledore, and then to the Death Eaters. Perhaps, through his mind, he was assessing the situation, trying to see whether he could fight off all the Death Eaters and get Dumbledore out.
And Dumbledore begs.
"For the first time, Dumbledore was pleading."
[...there was nothing but revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his [Snapes] face." " Severus please "
Do not try and tell me for a moment that Dumbledore would beg for his life. I wouldnt believe you. He would not do such a thing. He did not do it when Draco threatened him, when he was drinking the potion, nor any other time that we know of. This must have been him, realizing that Snape was hesitating, trying to make him do what was necessary.
Please.do this one last thing for me. Can you imagine Dumbledore, saying "My life, my position, while very dear to me, is not worth half what you are worth as a spy for our Order. If I die, and you do not remain in that position then all is lost."
So he begs Snape to do this one last thing.
Hatred and Revulsion is on Snapes face. There may be some reason for hatred, if he was truly a Death Eater. But the revulsion cannot be explained away. Those two emotions were probably aimed at himself, for what he was about to do. Self loathing that he would be so heartless to be able to kill the man, and revulsed that he would have to kill him when he was completely unable to defend himself. Id be revulsed if I was, in a final act of obedience, forced to kill a man who I had respected.
And he does it, quickly and without further ado, like someone jumping into a cold swimming pool before they think better of it.
And then he runs. Harry follows..and they fight.
"Kill me like you killed him, coward."
" DONT- 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 COWARD!" (page 604, US) Harry called him coward once before. This time it really seems to incencse him,perhaps because he's reminding Severus once more of what he has done, both now, and when he betrayed James and Lily.
He has killed Dumbledore, an action which he will probably never forgive himself for. This man is probably the only one who ever took a chance with him, and he was forced to kill him by his own hand. It must have been one of the hardest things he had ever done, and here was his worst enemys son saying the action was cowardly.
I would have cursed Harry too.
"What musta happened was, Dumbledore musta told Snape ter go with them Death Eaters," Hagrid said confidently. "I suppose hes got to keep his cover."
Hagrid always has the right answer, and has been a sort of fountain of his own kind of wisdom for the trio throughout the books, though he is usually portrayed as dimwitted, and most recently by Warner Brothers, illiterate. Perhaps Hagrid just has a lot of faith in Dumbledoreor perhaps he's speaking truth.
One of the things that makes me sure that, if anything, Dumbledore was ready for death, was that his eyes were closed when Harry found him. Unlike every other AK victim we have heard of, he died with his eyes closed, at peace, and ready to on his next Great Adventure. My final, last bit of support for my Crusade may well seem like a drowning person clinging to driftwood for aid. JK Rowling has ever been a trickster, and has pulled the wool over our eyes many times before this. If Snape really was a Death Eater, she would not have written Spinner's End in this book. The betrayal was incredibly obvious once we realized what Draco was going to do, which is not her style at all. If he was really a Death Eater, we would have learned about the Unbreakable Vow when Harry overheard Snape talking with Malfoy after Slughorn's party, or maybe there would not have been a Vow at all. As it is, we spend the entire book beleiving his guilt.only to find it supposedly proved to us in the murder. The only twist otherwise is Snape being the Half Blood Prince, which ought to have been obvious as it was a Potions Book, and shortly after the book cover release the editor said there was no comment as to whether or not Snape was the Half Blood Prince". In the interview on Mugglenet, JKR says that Snape fans:
JKR: Cling to some desperate hope [laughter]-
Well, she's hardly going to tell us the truth, is she? She didnt confirm or deny Snapes loyalites, buyt she did hint that it seems hopeless for Snapoe to ever return to our side. But thats obviously what she wants us to think, otherwise Snape would have made another appearence, and the book would have ended differently. She wouldnt have printed it, then given us a different idea! So I dont see this response as anything but cleverly dodging a question..my hopes are anything but desperate.
Perhaps I've just gotten so good at looking into things, helped along by the Harry Potter community, that the major plot twists (Snapes betrayal, Dumbledores Death) were so predeictable. But Id like to think that theres going to be one twist, which Snape-condemners everywhere will gape at. At the moment, however, I dont know how Snape is going to redeem himself in the eyes of the Order in order to help them. It does seem hopeless.
Fool that I am, though, I havent yet given up hope.