A theory about Severus Snape

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 39835

Don't know if this is a new theory, as I just got here a couple days 
ago, but...

What if Snape is one of the few, or maybe only, students to transfer 
out of the house from which he or she was originally sorted?

We know that Snape arrived at Hogwarts with some interest in the Dark 
Arts, and "knew more curses than many seventh-years."

In other words, he was a darker Hermione. Remember, she came to 
Hogwarts more knowledgable than many older students as well.

But let us say that Snape was befriended, maybe on the train, by 
Potter, Black and Lupin (Pettigrew would come later) and was even 
sorted into Gryffindor. First year went well, and Snape forgot his 
interest in the dark arts.

But then, toward the end of first year, some kind of disagreement 
took place between James and Snape. Perhaps it was over Quidditch. 
Perhaps over Lily. By the end-of-the-year feast, they loathed each 
other, and the Gryffindor prefect met with Dumbledore and said they 
wanted Snape out.

He agreed to be resorted into Slytherin, and saved a special loathing 
for Potter and his crew. James, shortly after he kept Snape away from 
the Shrieking Shack, tried to approach him, but Snape refused.

Snape graduated with top honours in Potions and began his career as 
an instructor at one of the other magic schools in Europe, perhaps a 
lower-level, regional one for students who can't get into one of the 
big three. 

He became a Death Eater of course, and loved it, but then caught wind 
of Voldemort's plan to kill James and Harry. Something stirred in 
Snape, and although he tried to fight it, he found he could not let 
his old enemy be slaughtered. Perhaps it was the debt to James that 
he refused to acknolwedge, finally coming forward.

Snape tipped off Dumbledore, and gave up the life he thought he was 
chosen for.

When the tip didn't work -- and James and Lily were still killed -- 
his debt became even stronger, as did his hatred for Sirius Black. He 
had sacrificed a life he enjoyed to repay a debt and Black, given 
what Snape knew at the time, had ruined his chance.

Dumbledore offered Snape the Potions job and Snape, feeling like he 
had no place else to go, took it. He wanted to kill Black, but deep 
down, his cowardice prevented him.

Snape felt indebted to Dumbledore, and will stay so long as that debt 
is unpaid in his mind. Then Harry came along, and Snape loathed him, 
but felt this was the way to protect the son when he failed the 
father.

Now Sirius is innocent and the man Snape has feared and hated is 
his...ally? It is intolerable, and he feels his old master calling to 
him. This debt to James is heavy, and he wants to lay it down. 
Perhaps this time, he will.

There. I am not ready to jump on the "Snape is a good guy all along" 
routine. For JKR to do that now would be to sell out the character 
that has long been one of the better-drawn ones in the series.

I see Snape as a mostly evil man who keeps being brought back by 
strands of goodness. His original friendship with the Potters, his 
debt to James, Dumbledore's trust, all keep yanking him back from 
where he really wants to be.

Darrin Burnett --
How did Lupin become the bad guy again?