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Reader Comments: (Page 19)

It was his own idiot fault. Snape had a better chance with Lily from what we saw in Snape's pensieve because Lily hated James with a passion. But Snape went and called her mudblood. I am sure his dignity was seriously hurt when he saw Lily standing up for him but he went to far and if it is true that he was in love with Lily then he screwed things up for himself.

Posted by Marc Silverman from Tucson, Arizona on January 31, 2007 09:35 AM

Kevin, I'm with you on your last comment about being more dissappointed to find out that Sanpe is really evil, than to find out that Harry must in 7. I'm coming to terms with the real possibility that Harry may , but Snape just has to be good. He can't REALLY be evil. His being good, makes him so much more interesting. I'll root for him 'till the end.

Anyway, I found a clue possibly connecting Snape to Lily. In OoP immediatly after Petunia blurts out that Dementors guard the wizard prison, Azkaban, Vernon asks how she knew this.
"I heard--that aweful boy--telling her about them--years ago, " she said jerkily. "If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" said Harry loudly, but aunt Petunia ignored him.

I really think that it was Sanpe, not James, who Petunia overheard with Lily. So, where were they? Did Snape spend time with Lily outside of school? Hmmmmm---the love plot thickens.

Posted by Heather from NJ on January 31, 2007 6:37 PM

I think the simplest explanations are usually the best ones: Snape is good, caught in the classic double agent trap. He really did Dumbleldore, on his orders. I don't see why it is so difficult to admit that DD could have made the ultimate sacrifice to advance the war against Voldemort. With DD , the Eaters can relax, Snape has "proven" his loyalty --> Harry & Co. can chase the Horcruxes with less pressure... Also, Draco was saved and didn't completly switch to the dark side... All in all a good deal for the order of the Phoenix.

Posted by Pierre on February 1, 2007 11:00 AM

Pierre,
I think you are right when you say that Snape was caught in the double agent trap. He may not be totally good but he can not possibly be evil. If he was, at the end of HBP, why not stupify that little Potter brat, and take Harry back to Lord Moldy. J.K. could have easily ended the book on that suspenseful note, but chose not to.

Any speculation as to where Snape, Malfoy, and Harry are going to meet again?

Posted by Asidi from Ak on February 1, 2007 4:10 PM

Pierre, I'm with you on that. It is the classic double agent trap. I don't have any trouble seeing Dumbledore making that sacrifice. He doesn't fear anyway, but I wouldn't be too surprised if he wasn't after that potion he drank.

Not sure where Snape, Harry and Malfoy are going to meet, but I have an idea that apart from Snape being vital to the final outcome, Malfoy be too. Harry was actually feeling pity for him at a couple of points in HBP, something that we have never seen before. He even felt a twinge of pity for the child Tom Riddle. Dumbledore has always stressed Harry's ability to love and feel empathy. When it comes down to it, his instincts are basically good. Even with the Dementors at the start of OotP; he saved Dudley without hesitation, despite the fact that he loathes him.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on February 2, 2007 05:02 AM

As I have said before (and still hope is true), Just being a jerk doesn't make you evil... at least I hope not... Not every evil wizard supports Morty. I'm sure he has enemies of ALL persuasions...you have to go by the "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" school of thought. Molly and 'Dung would never be in the same place unless 'Dung was being asked to leave it. Serius and Snape were ing to share the same air for the cause... Some sacrifices must be made to attain certain goals.

Posted by Kevin from Wisconsin on February 2, 2007 06:56 AM

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but it may be a subtle hint that the Harry filter is misdirecting the reader..
In chapter 29 of the HBP, Harry is giving the recount of how Dumbledore d. Tonks was telling Harry that she allowed Malfoy and Snape to pass then she says "...I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what - "
She is interrupted by Harry, who says, "He shouted, 'It's over,...He'd done what he'd meant to do." (HBP Ch29 p.631)
(I think Snape shouting something so definitive would of grabbed Tonk's attention.)
That is not what Snape says though. Going back to Snape's words (the first time Harry hears Snape), Snape says "It's over time to go." (HBP CH.28 p.598).
The next thing Harry hears is "Petrificus Totalus." This is after Greyback jumps on him. We don't know who shouted that, but does any one think we can make an arguement that Snape was the one who fired at Greyback?
Considering how engrossed in battle everyone was, and that Malfoy and Snape had gotten through the crowd, Tonks could have been hearing this.
As a side note, wouldn't the person who helped Harry
make sure he was okay, or say something like, "I saved your skin." When they were all in the hospital?

Posted by Asidi from Ak on February 2, 2007 6:50 PM

Asidi: I am always over ready to find a clue to defend Snape - referring to your above comment this is what I can contribute..

A couple of days ago AJ asked why I was so sure that Dumbledore put the "Freezing Charm" on Harry. My answer was right out of HBP:

"Then, by the light of the Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand flying in an arc over the edge of the ramparts and understood....Dumbledore had wordlessly immobilized Harry, and the second he had taken to perform the spell had cost him the chance of defending himself."

Strangely enough there is a equal situation on the "scene of the crime"(Astronomy Tower) where it is not clear who stunned the remaining Eater,after Harry realizes that the spell wore off, Quote:

He (Harry)threw the Invisibility Cloak aside as the brutal-faced Eater, last to leave the Tower top, was disappearing through the door.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The Eater buckled as though hit in the back with something solid, and fell to the ground...

I always assumed it was Harry who stunned that brutal-faced Eater - but it does not say so! But that's not all, when Harry is in the hospital wing, Tonks explains that they were not able to follow Draco and the Eater up the stairs, because someone had blocked them with a curse.

This is continued by Lupin who remembers that Snape ran right through it - but the DA's were still thrown back.....!

My thought is: Why was Harry able to run down the spiral staircase when his friends were not capable to come up to the tower some time before? Common sense tells me the Eaters would not be bothered to lift the spell with all the commotion going on....?

Was there actually someone else up there in the Astronomy Tower? Somebody who picked Dumbledore's wand up, lifted the "Spell" from Harry and stunned the brutal-faced Eater in the back? Who ran ahead of Harry and lifted the curse which blocked the stairs?

Some of us have guessed it could of been Dobby who was acting on Dumbledore's order! But this would mean that Dumbledore KNEW before-hand what would happen that night on the tower.... how was that possible? Had he foreseen it or did he have a time-turner?

Yet again, if we believe that Snape's on the good side, (don't let us down Professor Snape)while seizing Draco,he lifted the Freezing Spell,(lets not forget, if Draco saw the second broom, so did absolutely Snape) stunned the Eater and when running down the stairs,canceled the curse!

Posted by Mistral from Switzerland on February 3, 2007 10:23 AM

I used to believe that Snape was a Eater. Until I quite recently re-read the Order of the Phoenix for the 6th time. Realizing that when Harry is discovered in Umbridge's fire and he tries to tell Snape that Sirius is being tortured. When Snape went to go see if this was true after leading Harry astray by pretending that he has no idea about what on Earth Harry is talking about. That is when I said Snape is a true Dumbledore followerer. And when have we ever seen Snape's mark from Voldermort on his fore-arm?
Why hasn't anyone given Snape Veritaserum to find out if he was truely a Eater?

Posted by Carrie from Detroit, Michigan on February 4, 2007 1:41 PM

I do think Snape is on orders from Dumbledore and that is why it has been reinforced on so many occasions that Dumbledore completely believes that he trusts Snape. Please remember on many occassions Snape could of ed Harry but has NOT. In fact, even back to HP 1 he helped Harry by trying by muttering the countercurse during the Quittich match. Snape is very smart and as we all now know an extremely strong wizard. I believe in book 7 that Snape be one of the two that but not working for Voldermort but rather defending Harry or even perhaps remarkably sacrificing himself to save the reappearing Dumbledore during a vicious battle that be the time we learn who he is truly aligned with.....

Posted by Stewart on February 4, 2007 10:30 PM

I'm still not 100% convinced that Dumbledore is really , neither am i sure that he is alive. But an idea struck me while reading the article about Snape and Dumbledore having previously planned his . What if Snape confided in Dumbledore about making the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, because he didn't want the Headmaster to ? Then Dumbledore might have come up with the idea to fake his , so that neither Snape, nor Draco, would have to or be ed. Maybe Dumbledore knew that Draco wouldnt be able to perform the task assigned to him by Voldemort, and he was sure Snape could assist in pretending to him. And since Narcissa never spoke of exactly what Voldemort had order Draco to do, and if we are to believe that Snape performed legimency to find out what it was, he might have agreed to something completely different when they performed the Unbreakable Vow. It was about assisting Draco, and if he wasn't able to complete the task, then Snape should do it for him. But who was to know what he was actually agreeing to? Since the "task" was never spoken out loud, Snape might have made the vow with another "task" in mind, knowing quite well what the actual task was. If all the above is right, since Snape is still alive after Dumbledore's "", then Dumbledore can't possibly be .

Posted by Nat from New Zealand on February 4, 2007 10:55 PM

carrie: J.K. Rowling has said something to the effect that veritaserum doesn't work all the time or properly on powerful(?) wizards.
Mistral: I don't think it was Snape that stunned the Brutal faced Eater, I think it is safe to assume that it was Harry. In regards to the freezing charm and the barrier on the stairs, I think we may be able to deduce what happened.

Either Dumbledore placed the barrier on the stairs and the freezing charm on Harry. Meaning both spells were released when Dumbledore d. Or, Snape understood Harry was on the tower, and released him from the freezing charm, and then disabled the spell on the staircase. Both scenerios do suggest that something is rotten in Denmark. Come to think of it, the last duel between Harry and Snape, was very emotional (almost like they were both personally hurt by each other's words/actions), but no mention of the of the greatest wizard Hogwarts has known. It sounded more like a very bad detention scene or another failed occlumency lesson. If Harry was only more inquisitive like "Good evening Professor Snape, why did you use an unforgivable curse on Professor Dumbledore," instead of "fight back you coward." We may have gotten some answers. Snape does seem to answer Harry's questions, when Harry asks politely.;)

Posted by Asidi from Ak on February 4, 2007 11:22 PM

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