for whom are the books named?, Re: Possible message in Evil!Snape

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 137176

> Pippin:
<SNIP>
> 
> But I think you are right, and the principle adults in the story 
have
> already made the choices that show what they are, with the 
exception
> of Pettigrew, who obviously has something important to do.
> 
> It is for Harry to discern that and judge them, and he will get it
> wrong,  again and again and again, until he learns to *open* his 
mind
> and make decisions based on the pertinent evidence.
> 
> He has plenty of evidence that Snape is a bully and a sadist, and 
was
> a racist at one time. What he saw in HBP is that whether someone
> is any of those things  should not be judged  pertinent
> to the question of whether that someone is a killer. 

Oh, but he has plenty of evidence that Snape is a killer, as well!  
He saw it with his own eyes, remember?  And, if we want to talk 
about other people's opinions, the evidence is certainly good enough 
for every other major figure we meet at the end of HBP - i.e. 
McGonagall, Lupin, Tonks, the Weasleys, Ron, Hermione, etc.  Now, as 
has been said that was also the case with Sirius, and it was wrong.  
But, if Snape turns out to be innocent in one way or another, it 
won't be because Harry has judged wrongly.  It will be because a 
crucial piece of evidence has been withheld.  For that matter, most 
of the misjudgments you mention in the earlier books fall into that 
category as well.  Harry actually judges extremely well, based on 
the evidence he has in front of him.  The fact that other people 
often withhold evidence from him doesn't speak to his mistakes, but 
the mistakes (or lies) of those with whom he deals.


> 
<SNIP>
> 
> But in the end, the trick, as Harry said, will be finding Voldie.
> Only the Dumbledore loyalist(s)  will want Voldemort
> dead.  That's where Harry's going to  have to decide who's really 
> Dumbledore's man and who isn't. 
> 

Oh my goodness!  There are PLENTY of people other than Dumbledore 
loyalists who would be glad to see Voldemort dead, and would be more 
than happy to point Harry on the way if they thought he would 
succeed and they would be far enough away from the fall out.  That 
doesn't mean they aren't evil, or that they mean well, or that the 
aren't murderers, or that Harry should trust them, or that they 
don't deserve to be severely punished.  Probably over half the Death 
Eaters would be secretly pleased to see Voldemort go down so that 
they could take his place or pick up the pieces or just get out from 
under.  Recall Snape's excuse to Bellatrix about why he stayed at 
Hogwarts and didn't go looking for Voldemort after the events of 
1981.  He basically said he thought Voldie was gone and he was out 
to preserve his own skin.  Neither Bellatrix nor Narcissa seemed to 
have trouble believing that, and one suspects the attitude is common 
among the DEs.  Scrimgeour is certainly not a Dumbledore loyalist, 
nor is Fudge, nor is Umbridge, nor probably is Percy, but I'm sure 
all of them would be happy to see Voldemort go and would probably 
help Harry to that end.

As you say Pettigrew may end up helping Harry.  Is it because he is 
being redeemed, or because he just wants out from under Voldemort's 
thumb?  Snape may indeed help Harry.  But is that necessarily 
because he is innocent or is Dumbledore's man?  Not at all.  I can 
think of many reasons why Guilty!Snape and/or Evil!Snape would want 
to see Voldemort dead, and would be more than happy to help Harry to 
find him (especially if he thought Harry would die in the process).  
In the end, especially if JKR wants to make this an "adult" book, it 
may not come down to who is guilty and who is innocent.  It may come 
down to "The person who is an enemy of my enemy at this particular 
moment is my friend at this particular moment, but don't think I 
won't deal with you later Snape/Pettigrew/Malfoy/whoever."  After 
all, being mature isn't always about correctly discerning who's evil 
and who's not.  It's about holding your nose and cooperating with a 
lesser evil (e.g. Snape) to destroy a greater one (e.g. Voldemort).  
It's also, however, about never forgetting that the lesser of two 
evils is NOT good, but evil in its (or his) own right, and to be 
eliminated if that chance ever becomes available.


Lupinlore