Snape and the Edinburgh Festival

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 111054

> Marianne:
> 
> <snip>I will be highly 
> disappointed if his DE career is revealed as something he 
> participated in on the sidelines.  I don't want his role to have 
been 
> as witness, as simply having "seen things that..."  I want to find 
> out that he jumped in whole-heartedly with both feet, took part in 
> various bouts of mayhem and murder and then came to have some sort 
of 
> epiphany that made him change course

Neri:

Why did DE!Snape change sides? This is one of the greatest mysteries 
in the books (Lexicon Steve, do you have it on your list?). I tried 
to round up the usual suspicions. I'm not really happy with any of 
them, but I added my personal scoring:
 
LOLLIPOPS: He found that Voldy is going to kill Lily, and he was 
secretly in love with her, so he went to warn DD. (mushy, not JKR's 
style and not Snape's style: 4 out of 10).

Life debt: He found that Voldy is going to kill James, and he wanted 
to pay his debt to James, so he went to warn DD (mushy, but 
consistent with canon: 7).

Merci II: Snape owes big to either DD or Lily for something we don't 
know about yet (could be, but not very fair of JKR: 5).

Big Bang: Following some dramatic event (possibly seeing or 
participating in killing someone) he had his epiphany and made the 
moral choice to change sides (could be either mushy or gruesome, but 
follows the Choice theme: 7).

GEORGE / DIANA: He made a moral choice that took a long time brewing 
(mushy AND boring: 3).

Revenge: Voldy killed/tortured someone in his family or someone he 
was in love with (not very mushy, but conventional. JKR can do 
better: 5).

Eavesdropper Snape: He heard the prophecy in the Hog's Head and 
realized Harry will get rid of Voldy (unlikely; even DD is not so 
sure of that: 2).

Dark Secret: Snape has some abilities that, to a degree, make him 
immune to Voldy (Ooclumency?). He realized that sooner or later Voldy 
will reveal this secret and kill him, so he went to DD and told him 
the secret. DD trusts Snape because if Snape betrays him he can 
always reveal the secret to Voldy, and then Voldy would kill Snape 
regardless of how much Snape proves loyal to him (not mushy and 
consistent with canon, but lacks the Choice theme: 6).

HBP Snape: similar to "Dark Secret" but the secret is being the Half 
Blood Prince (not sure about that. Has mushy potential but could be 
nice if done right: 6)

Scorning Snape: Snape just despises Voldy for his inaptitude (has its 
charm but inconsistent with canon: 5).

Good Snape: He was never a real DE. He was always a spy for the side 
of good (super mushy: 1).


Did I miss any theory? Which would you prefer? 

Neri