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Severus Snape v. The Ministry of Magic

by J.K. Rich

After reading Book Six in the Harry Potter saga, millions of Harry Potter fans were devastated to learn that after it all�after all the warnings and signs�Severus Snape is, in fact, evil. And, even more devastating�he had killed Professor Dumbledore right in front of The Boy That Lived. Or did he?

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Reader Comments: (Page 3)

i dont agree, the Dumbledore Clues and such are far more convincing to me, and speaking of falling off a 500 ft tower, wouldnt Dumbledore be able to survive anyways? he had time at the bottom to drink Draught of the living if that was planned. if you really think Snape is evil he had 6 years and many, many opportunities to Harry, but he's always saving him...

Posted by Dvin from Glendale, CA on April 29, 2007 8:33 PM

I think that the reason why Dumbledore believed Snape felt remorse for delivering Harry's parents to Voldemort is that James saved Snape's life. In PoA Dumbledore said that saving one wizard's life resulted in forming some kind of a bond between them. And in the end when Voldemort ed Harry's parents Snape was devastated, because he had not only failed to repay his , but his actions had resulted in James' .

Posted by Atanas from Bulgaria on April 29, 2007 11:45 PM

Very well thought out and well presented. Here are my 2 cents... Snape is good and Dumbledore is .

A few things to think about, first Snape does not cast AK, but a non-verbal spell to knock Dumbledore off the tower...hence NOT ing Dumbledore and splitting his soul in two. It is not the curse that s Dumbledore, it is the collision with the ground...so the ground s him, not Snape directly. Its a play on formality, but JKR absolutely loves that... I just want to know how Snape is going to explain himself to Harry, before he s him;)

Second...Dumbledore is , . He is not coming back to life. But remember, he be around. First, he is now a former head of Hogwarts and is a permanent fixer in the Headmaster's office as a fully interactive picture! Second, I am going to mess up the exact quote, but he mentions "as long as he remains on the Chocolate Frog cards..." (I think that is in the CoS, when he is removed from office) clearly that is very important, and come into play at some point.
There is also possibility that he be a ghost, though I doubt it. Sir Nicholas was too afraid to "pass on" and quickly became a ghost -- so there is a short time frame of actually becoming a ghost...and there were a few days (week?) between his and , so his time to linger would be up, wouldn't it?

Posted by Gregg from Crofton MD on April 30, 2007 03:55 AM

Dumbledore and Voldemort are the greatest wizards who have ever been. That is what many people say. BUT they have forgotten one. Severus Snape. He is very good at legilimens, occlumens, non-verbal spells, potions, inventing spells (probably inventing potions, too) and who knows what else.

Severus Snape wants to be his own master, and are therefore not on the Dark Lords side. I think he is good. But, because he wants to be his own master, he IS NOT on Dumbedores side, either! And it is important to remember that he is one of the greatest wizards who have ever been.

One of these comments here said that Voldemort did not want to Lily because Snape loved him and had asked him not to do so. We know (or should know, because of what the Books says) that the Dark Lord does NOT care about others than himself. It must have been important for him not to Lily. Why we don't know, but I hope (and think) we'll know after ly Hallows.

Dumbledore NOT come back as a ghost. Harry get help from him, maybe through a message from Dumbledore, or an other person, I don't know. As he has said so many times, is not the worst. To live for ever, that must be worse than . Just think about it. Never taste food, live until the world is gone, and many other things, I don't know all, 'cause I am not a ghost. and live for ever as a living person, like us, would probably be boring when you have lived a few thousend of years.

Posted by Luna from Norway on April 30, 2007 04:52 AM

Dave Porter,

If Snape be serving sentence in Azkaban, why isn't Harry in there too? Didn't Harry use an unforgivable curse on Bellatrix? I think that to go to azkaban by using an unforgivable curse it has to be performed on a human being and that human being has to in order for them to go to Azkaban.

But didnt Bellatrix and her husband to go Azkaban because they tortured Nevilles parents into insanity? I know im countering my own argument, but I think there is a limit that you must pass in order for you to go to Azkaban for using an unforgivable curse, because the fake Moody used the unforgivable curse on the spiders and no one came to take him away. Harry used it on bellatrix and no one took him away.

Posted by Yash on April 30, 2007 07:58 AM

Very interesting article. I do feel that Snape is still on the good side. I think that he and Dumbledore had a pact that when the time was appropriate, Snape was to "" Dumbledore. Voldemort needs to believe that Dumbledore is gone in order for him (voldemort) to feel unthreatened. Meanwhile, Snape move closer to Voldemort and ultimately turn on his in the end.

I enjoyed this article because it shows Snape as probably the third greatest wizard in the world. Yes, he's mean and he's got his own problems, but he is powerful in his own right. He is a master of the dark arts, potions, occlumency and legilimens, and can cure almost anything.

I think that JK Rich may have made an terrific arguement for the fact that Dumbledore is and that he WILL come back to life---therefore, that Dumbledore is the HUMAN version of the PHOENIX as myself and others have suggested numerous times on this site. To Dumbledore was the next great adventure because he knew he was coming back.

Perhaps, Dumbledore has beaten Voldemort at his own game.

In the end, Snape loyalists like myself be proud to say that we knew Snape was on the good side all along. Alhtough i do wonder if Snape need to sacrifice himself at the end. Unless Snape was the one that JKR gave the reprise.

Thanks for the article!

Posted by Heather from NJ on April 30, 2007 08:22 AM

Several people have mentioned either Harry or Snape going to Azkaban for life after using an Unforgivable curse. Even if Harry had been able to perform a curse that night, he wouldn't have been sent to Azkaban since the dementors are supporting Voldemort. For the same reason, Snape wouldn't be sent there either. If Voldemort thought he ed Dumbledore, it wouldn't matter how he did it. Snape would be rewarded, not punished. And, if Snape is evil, he wouldn't worry about being sent there in the future because there is nothing to stop the Dark Lord from regaining power since Dumbledore is (except Harry, of course, but Snape wouldn't consider this to be issue because of his contempt for Harry's abilities.)

Posted by Krista from Lafayette, IN on April 30, 2007 09:02 AM

I do think that Snape is good...however. I believe throughout most of the 7th book we continue to be lead to be uncertain. To add to Snape's sad life, we not find out for SURE that he was good until after he is . So I believe he is one that in the 7th book.

Posted by Amy from P. Kentucky on April 30, 2007 09:38 AM

I think Dumbledore is , but he has to speak with Harry in some way. Personally I think it be through the penseive or some other memories Dumbledore left behind. Maybe the picture in the headmasters office, but in HBF it said that Dumbledore was silent or sleeping or something to that affect. Maybe the picture wake up or something who knows.

I agree with Luna on Snape though. I don't think Snape's on a side really. Just trying to be his own person and not getting caught up on what's good or evil. He's the gray area.

Posted by amber from jacksonville, fl on April 30, 2007 09:49 AM

Hmmmm.Interesting.But Gandalf had really d when he fought the Balrog (if you see the timeline in the appendices of the book) and the elves gave him a new life. So JK may be right.

Posted by Pranay from Jodhpur,Rajasthan on April 30, 2007 11:42 AM

I really enjoyed the article, and I think it hits the nail on the head on certain points. I particularly agree with the paragraph that talks about the difference between Gandalf and Dumbledore.

Also, to Luna and Amber, I am a big "Trust Snape" person now (although for months after HBP came out I foamed at the mouth any time I read or heard Snape's name) and I think that Snape ed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders.

Posted by Ashley from Missouri on April 30, 2007 12:16 PM

One has to try and envision this entire story taking place in Rowling's head BEFORE she started writing the first book. She had this series planned down to the last word of the final book. She has never offered up an explanation as to why the Philosopher's Stone is important to the story. We clearly see the Chamber of Secrets fit in with the Diary/Horocrux and all the subsequent books. Dumbledore tells Harry that the Stone was destroyed and Nicholas Flammel preparing for his passing at 600+ years. My personal belief is that the Philosopher's stone wasn't merely a "cutoff point" for keeping Voldemort safely "", but one of the final triumphs of Dumbledore. Albus knows all about Horcruxes and has the magic to stay alive to fight Voldemort. I find it a bit hard to imagine that he would leave Harry Potter to his own devices in fighting Voldemort. I do buy the article's thrust about Snape telling Potter not to utter unforgivable curses. I also believe Dumbledore's "freezing" spell of Potter while he watched Malfoy disarm him is a clear sign this was all planned. Perhaps they had to deal with Snape's Unbreakable Vow somehow to keep Snape alive and satisfy the magic in a "technical" sense yet permitting Dumbledore to come back to life using a Horocrux of his own or the Philosophers Stone. He is sleeping in the portrait in the headmaster office. Perhaps he's only sleeping in the "afterlife."

Posted by Dave from Washington DC on April 30, 2007 1:07 PM

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