Snape is an honest nasty DISLOYAL person (who will betray Dumbledore)

[booklovinggirl]

No: HPFGUIDX 39438

Cindy:
> But I don't see why people are so darn confident that Snape won't 
> turn against Dumbledore.  I mean, isn't it pretty much a given that 
> *someone* will betray Dumbledore?

I've been following this Dumbledore/death discussion for a while, and 
think it is time to throw in my two cents.

No, it is not necessary that Dumbledore dies/is betrayed. It would 
certainly be interesting, and certainly the aftereffects would 
be...turbulent, but I don't think it's necessary.

> Dumbledore certainly has to get 
> out of the way so that Harry can save the wizarding world, right?

Perhaps, yes. But dying isn't the only way to "get out of the way". 
It's quick, easy, and dramatic, but there are other ways-Dumbledore 
is injured right before the Final Battle? Or perhaps even drawn away 
from Hogwarts by way of a betrayal and not able to get back to 
Hogwarts in time?

Hmmm. I don't think either of those ideas are quite as neat and well-
planned as death. So let's go back to that. When would Dumbledore's 
death be?

Dumbledore's main purpose in life (as far as he's concerned) is to 
teach Harry. I suspect that even during and after his death he'll be 
teaching Harry, even after the Final Battle he'll be teaching Harry. 
Teaching all of them. (You can pick for yourself who "they" are. The 
Order? Everyone in Harry's year? As I said, you decide.)

Cindy:
> That means that *someone* has to betray Dumbledore, and that 
someone 
> must have Dumbledore's trust (so that they can get the drop on him) 
> and must be capable of killing him.

Must they? I'm sure a large group of DE's, possibly with Voldemort's 
help could do the trick.

> I don't see Dumbledore losing a 
> duel with Voldemort or being ambushed.

I can't really see him winning, either.

> Dumbledore is too smart and 
> powerful for that.  The only person who can bring down Dumbledore 
is 
> someone who has his trust and uses that trust to stab him in the 
> back.
> 
> So who does Dumbledore trust enough to let his guard down?  It's a 
> fairly short list, I think:
> 
> 1.  Snape.  Boy, that would be a shocker!  The ultimate betrayal!  
> Someone to whom Dumbledore gave a second chance, someone "cunning" 
> enough to be in Slytherin, someone who knows a lot of dark curses, 
> someone who knows how DEs operate.  I think Snape is the best bet 
> for a betrayal.  And a Big one, too!

But you see, the reason why this can't work is that Harry, IMHO, 
doesn't fully trust Snape. Sure, Dumbledore does, but if Snape 
betrays Dumbledore, it won't really be that big. A few people, such 
as Slytherins with the potential to go good on us, or people in the 
Order of the Phoenix, and maybe some of the teachers will say to 
themselves, "And to think I liked that traitor!" but a slightly 
larger number would say "I never really trusted him in the first 
place." A very small minority will go off into the corner and brood. 
The more sadistical ones might fantasize of Voldemort AKing Snape. 
But you see my point, don't you? It's not big enough. If Snape gets 
more developed in OoP, and gains some of Harry's trust, I'll be 
willing to say that Snape might betray Dumbledore. But as of now, I 
don't think JKR will write it in. It'll be a bit too limp.

Cindy:
> 2.  Real Moody.  Maybe, as he surely has Dumbledore's trust and is 
> very powerful.  This one has real possibilities, if we can get 
> around the problem that Real Moody has to be Good because the whole 
> plot in GoF depends on it.

*shrug* Who knows? I personally think Real Moody won't betray 
Dumbledore, but we haven't really met him yet, have we?

> 3.  McGonagall.  Uh, no.  She couldn't even ward off Crouch Jr.'s 
> dementor.

Mmm, yes. And I can't see her betraying Dumbledore either....

> 4.  Lucius.  Interesting, but he has received so little development 
> that this one is hard to swallow.

Dumbledore, trust Lucius? No. Maybe in the far distant future, but I 
don't think he trusts Lucius now. 
> 
> 5.  Hagrid.  I don't know how JKR would sell this one.  JKR has 
> never had Hagrid even *hint* that he might suddenly become disloyal 
> to Dumbledore.

Ewww. Hagrid, sell out to Voldemort? Not happening. No.

> 6.  Lupin/Sirius.  No.  No, no, no.

Well, from the recent Remus Is Ever So Evil theory, not everyone 
believes this. But if either of them are going to go over to 
Voldemort. Lily and James's best friends, go over to LV? No. Peter 
might have done it, but Peter is a power thirsty scuttling little 
rat. Unlike Remus and Sirius.

> 7.  Harry/Ron/Hermione/Neville/Draco.  They just aren't strong 
> enough to pull this off, and they won't be for a good long while.

And why would any of them (save Draco) want to do it?

> 8.  Minor teachers (Trelawney, Flitwick, Sprout).  Really, why 
> bother?

I'm not sure you can call Trelawney a minor teacher. And you can 
imagine Evil!Trelawney, if you try hard enough. But unless she's 
unbelievably twisted, (Hmm...I just got a picture of Trelawney as 
Mrs. Lestrange. ::shudder:: That's taking it a little far.) she won't 
betray Dumbledore.

<snip of why Snape Is Ever So Evil.>

-Katherine