[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape: What is he up to?

[ksnidget at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 44008

bugaloo37 writes:

<<Its the other side of this equation that bothers me.  In other words:  
why does Snape go out of his way to protect Harry?  Is he doing this, 
as Dumbledore has surmized to repay a life-debt to James Potter?  
This is a very simple solution to the question.  But for some reason, 
I have a hard time accepting it.  Is Snape saving Harry to save 
himself? >>

Back to the psychological assessment.

Although the "there is deep magic at work here" is appropriate
based on the whole nature of the series.

On some level it could be a rising above the level of his
rivals kinda of thing.

After all standing aside while Harry gets killed would make
him quite possibly just like the young Sirius Black that he
despises.  Step aside and let the evil thing kill someone you 
don't like. He want's to think that he is better than that, perhaps.

One question we do not know about Snape is how long he
was a true Death Eater.  Did he go into it as a spy, or did 
something turn him back?  How many really bad things did
he have to do either as a true DE or as a spy to keep from
blowing his cover?

How much does that cause him to feel the need for atonement?

Perhaps a need to not be a part of directly or indirectly the
death of anyone else.  Regardless of his feelings about the
person.

We don't know if his actions are Harry specific, or if he would
step in and prevent the death of any student.
Ksnidget.


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