Question for Snapeophiles and -phobes RE Dumbledore, Snape, and Harry

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 114885


Jen Reese wrote:
> > 
> > JKR will probably come up with a more satisfying resolution 
scenario, but I'd prefer to see continued tension. Until Snape is
toast, of course, which I'm betting will happen by the end of Book  6. > 
Pippin responded:
> There's an old rule of story-telling: the villain dies in the last
ditch. Since the conflict with  Snape is the major source of dramatic
tension, it can't be resolved much before the ending of Book Seven --
otherwise it would be like having Darth Vader die in the middle of
Return of the Jedi or having Gollum die before Frodo gets to Mt. Doom. 
> 
> I figure Harry will have a choice between trusting Snape and someone
who seems much more trustworthy. He will trust the wrong person, and
Snape will suffer for it, but ultimately Snape will save Harry, thus
paying back the debt to James. Whether Snape survives the conflict
with Voldemort is irrelevant since at the end of Book Seven Harry will
no longer be a Hogwarts student, and the conflict with Snape will have
ended in any case. I think ol' Sevvie will still be around, though.
He's tough.

Carol adds:
Just one teeny, tiny quibble with your post, which otherwise I agree
with. Snape isn't the villain, or even "a" villain, as far as we can
tell. Antagonist, yes--one who opposes the protagonist in some way
(trying to get the kid to follow the rules, primarily!). But Voldemort
is the villain, with Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, Wormtail, and
a number of other lesser villains to keep him company. I think we can
safely predict that your rule of story-teling will apply to Voldemort,
who will die in the last chapter (not counting the epilogue, which JKR
says will recount the future of the survivors). I think Lucius and
Bellatrix are doomed as well, although JKR might surprise us. But
there's really no reason for Snape to die. Let Percy be the Boromir of
the story, repenting his folly as he dies bravely, and let Snape stay
on as Head of Slytherin and either Potions master or DADA professor as
his reward for service to the cause.

Carol, who remembers an ancient post of yours in which JKR said more
or less the same thing ("Don't worry about Snape. He's tough") to a
group of Snape fans who correctly identified him as the one Voldemort
believes has left forever